Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Sacred places are known to us from different religious traditions, sacred texts and from the history of the Church. In this paper I will discuss the prevailing character of sacred places, and their importance toward human harmony and peace. Such places take on a prophetic significance, because they are signs of that greater hope that points to the final and definitive human destination. In a sense, they become a constant call to critique the myopia of all human endeavour which would impose themselves as absolutes. It is my conviction that a sacred place (e.g. a Marian Shrine), not only generates in people a sense of belonging but also enables them to live their unique calling, attesting to genuine humanness as a reflection of ultimate, divine love and the ability to respond to God’s different modes of communication.