In 1965, at the close of the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI gave Jacques Maritain a message directed to “men of thought and science.” / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Jun 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
TheVaticanMuseumsinauguratedJune12theexhibition“PaulVIandJacquesMaritain:TheRenewalofSacredArtBetweenFranceandItaly(1945–1973),”atributetothefriendshipbetweenthecelebratedFrenchphilosopherandthepopewhosucceededJohnXXIIIandconcludedtheSecondVaticanCouncil(1962–1965).
TheprojectfocusesonMaritain(1882–1973),aneo-Thomistthinkerandkeyfigureinthedialoguebetweenfaith,culture,andartinthe20thcentury.
AppointedambassadortotheHolySeebyFrenchPresidentCharlesdeGaulleaftertheSecondWorldWar,MaritainlivedinRomefrom1945to1948.Duringthattime,hisfriendshipwithGiovanniBattistaMontini(thefuturePopePaulVI),whomhehadmetinParisin1924,wasstrengthened.
Maritain’sthinkinginfluencedthefundamentalconceptsunderlyingtheSecondVaticanCouncil,particularlyhisideaofan“integralhumanism”inwhichChristianfaith,humandignity,anda
