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Conference: Bogomilism
(and related movements),
the Culture of Peace and the Contact of Civilizations in the Middle Ages
International conference,
held in the
Bulgarian Cultural Center in
Skopje, Macedonia, September 30, 2009.
Skopje 1000,
14 A, Petar Arsov
Street//
Tel. +389 2 324 6676 Fax: +389
2 324 6675
Web:
http://www.kicbg.com
Working languages
French and English.
In the time of an acute
religious rivalry in the Middle Ages Bogomilism revealed itself as
culture of non-violence, of spiritual development stimulating the
communication of different cultures and civilizations. In many aspects
it was a real process of syncresis among remote cultures and
civilizations, close to the actual French notion “interculturalité,” and
in some way a precursor of the actual intercultural dialogue of the
European Union. The study and discussion on this experience could
generate some practical approaches how to overcome the religious
fanaticism which is one of the basic sources of contemporary terrorism.
Participants:
Bulgaria Prof. Georgi Vasilev:
Bulgarian apocryphal and bogomil images in the English medieval culture
; Dr. Erica Lazarova: The moral philosophy of
Bogomils and Cathars
Canada
Dr. Michael George (St.
Thomas University, Fredericton):
Bogomilism: Religion, adaption and non-conformity
France
Prof. Alain Vuillemin (Université
d'Artois - P.R.E.S.,
Université Paris-Est):
Le retour du bogomilisme dans le lettres et les arts en Bulgarie et
en France
Republic of Macedonia
Prof. Vera Antich:
Etudes actuelles sur le bogomilisme en Macédoine;
Dr. Maja
Angelovska-Panova: Vegetaniarism in the discourse of the
Bogomil-Cathar dogmatism
UK
Dr. Claire Taylor (UK,
University of Nottingham): Bogomilism and Catharism
in current Western scholarship
Conference coordinator:
Georgi Vasilev
Ph.D., D.Litt.
Professor of European and Medieval Studies,
State University of Library Studies and IT.
Sofia 1784,
119 Tsarigradsko Shose Blvd.
E-mail: g.vasilev@cust.skknet.net
Web:
www.bogomilism.eu
The conference
participants Prof. Georgi Vasilev; Dr. Erica Lazarova; Dr. Claire
Taylor, Dr. Michael George, joined par correspondance by Prof. Nadezhda
Dragova (Bulgaria) and by Prof. Thomas Butler (USA) addressed the
following appeal to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI:
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Your
Holiness,
We
address you with the appeal to continue the great moral
initiative of your predecessor Pope John Paul II, who in the
year 2000 made an apology on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church
to all who suffered injustice during the crusades or were
persecuted with fire and sword in times past on behalf of the
Roman Catholic Church. On 30 September 2009 we took part in a
scientific conference held in the town of Skopje on the
following topic: „BOGOMILISM
AND
RELATED
MOVEMENTS
– CULTURE
OF
PEACE
AND
CONTACTS
OF
CIVILIZATIONS
IN
THE
MIDDLE
AGES,”
in the context of which it was remembered
that this year marks the 800th anniversary of the
beginning of the Albigensian Crusade, instigated by Pope
Innocent III and lead by the barons of Northern France against
the Cathar civilization of Provence. As a result of this
ruthless repression the remarkable pre-Renaissance Cathar
culture was destroyed – a culture that impressed Dante Alighieri
and gave to the world the poetry of the troubadours. Hundreds of
thousands of innocent people were massacred because they were
declared heretics, although they actually practiced the
Christian faith.
We
appeal to you to make an apology for this dark deed, which will
remain as a heavy legacy in the history of the Roman Catholic
Church, unless a step to redeem it is taken.
From
the very first days of your pontificate you declared your
commitment to the peaceful dialogue between peoples and
religions towards a greater humanization of the world. An
apology to the victims of the Albigensian Crusade will be yet
another confirmation of this inspiring commitment.
Prof. Georgi
Vasilev, Sofia
Prof.
Nadezhda Dragova, Sofia
Prof. Thomas
Butler, Boston
Dr. Claire
K. Taylor, Nottingham
Dr. Erika Lazarova,
Sofia
Dr. Michael
George, Frederictown, Canada
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