ITALY 5-10 October 2008 Pope to open Italian television Bible marathon 

Pope Benedict XVI will read the first chapter of the Book of Genesis in Italian on the Italian state TV network, RAI, from St. Peter's Basilica on Oct 5. The reading launches a 6-day broadcast marathon of round-the-clock Bible reading, called, "Bible Day and Night." Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, will conclude the series on Oct 10 with a reading from the Book of Revelations. Some 1200 people from all walks of life will read, from different locations and in different languages, the remainder of the 73-books Catholic version of the Bible.

The readers include Rome's chief Rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, who will read from the text in Hebrew, and Protestant and Orthodox Christian leaders. The organisers said that Muslims would also be welcome to take part if they were interested.

The Pope wants the Catholic Church to go back to studying and deepening its knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, according to the Vatican. There are 73 books in the Catholic edition of the Old and New Testaments. Jul/08

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Pope to star in TV Bible marathon (BBC 4 Jul 2008)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7490514.stm