Amman, Jordan, Oct 18, 2016 / 23:08 pm
After 10 years of renovations the Memorial Sanctuary of Moses on Mount Nebo has reopened, highlighting the importance of sacred art and holy spaces in the preservation of the faith.
Mount Nebo is where, according to tradition, Moses beheld the Promised Land before his death. The 2,680 foot high ridge is located about 20 miles southwest of Amman, the Jordanian capital, and affords views of the West Bank and Jerusalem.
"Through religious art, men both celebrate their faith and leave a sign of it for future generations," Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, said at the celebration of the reopening Oct. 15. The cardinal was serving as papal envoy at the event.
"We wish to reaffirm here together the invaluable role of culture and art: they express the nobility of the soul of man of every age. Let us endeavor to commit ourselves to its preservation, especially when it expresses the tending of the human heart towards the Absolute."