Pave the Way Foundation (PTWF), a non-sectarian nonprofit organization based in New York, has announced that the Bodmer Papyrus is now in the possession of the Vatican Library. Officially
known as Bodmer XIV-XV, it includes the oldest written version of the Gospels of St. John and St. Luke. This most historic manuscript was written between 175 and 225 A.D. and is
considered to be one of the most important manuscripts in Christianity. At the Vatican library, these papyri are now available for the first time for worldwide scholarship. Considered to
rank in importance on par with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bodmer Papyri are now among the most important acquisitions of the Vatican Library.
The papyrus is named for Martin Bodmer, who founded Bibliotheca Bodmeriana in Cologny, Switzerland in 1951 to realize his dream of showing history as it is reflected in the intellectual
creations of all times and places. Bodmer XIV/XV was offered by the Martin Bodmer Foundation to secure the library'ss future.
Pave the Way Foundation worked for over one year with Fr. Richard Donahoe, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham, Alabama, and Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the
United States, to first alert the Vatican Library of the availability and ultimately to locate, through Mr. Harry Epstein, treasure and director of Pave the Way, the donor Mr. Frank Hanna
III who helped to make this historic event a reality.
Commenting on the effort and the reasoning for PTWF'ss intense work for this event, Gary Krupp, President of Pave the Way Foundation, said, Pave the Way Foundation'ss mission is to
ultimately eliminate the use of religion as a tool of those who would use it to enhance private agendas and to commit acts of violence. We do this through education and promoting
tolerance by removing non-theological obstacles between the world'ss religions. We initiate historic, concrete gestures, such as the Bodmer gift, with full expectation that actions and
gestures of good will rather then just words will result in improved, self sustaining and mutually beneficial relations between the faiths Mr. Krupp and Mr. Harry Epstein, director of
PTWF, are both Jewish and were both particularly proud to have played such a pivotal role in this successful undertaking, which is so important to the Christian world.
Other historic events, engineered by PTWF, include the largest Jewish Papal Audience in history, to simply thank Pope John Paul II for all he has done in religious reconciliation in
January 2005; this was the Pope'ss last major audience. Then in September 2005, PTWF arranged for the first loan ever from the Vatican Library to the State of Israel, which included
manuscripts of Maimonides and others, which were displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem for their 40th anniversary. This historic event paved the way for the Israeli Museum to loan a
Rembrandt and a Botticelli to the Vatican for their 500th anniversary celebration of the Basilica of St. Peter. In May, of 2006, PTWF honored the Vatican Library for its inter-religious
outreach. PTWF has been helping to establish the finalization of full diplomatic relations with Israel and the Holy See. The foundation plays an active role in facilitating the resolution
of issues encountered by the Greek Orthodox and Anglican Churches. Pave the Way is currently working with moderate Palestinian Muslims to begin a new electoral party of peace in that
troubled region. Go to www.ptwf.org for more information on these projects.
About Pave the Way Foundation: PTWF is dedicated to achieving peace by bridging the intellectual gap, promoting tolerance and understanding, by enhancing relations between religions
through cultural, technological and intellectual gestures. The Foundation has a simple yet monumental vision: To enable all the world'ss religions to mutually realize that extremism,
politics and personal agendas must not be allowed to poison the true benevolent message common to all faiths. Bigotry and hatred must be abolished by the faithful embracing their
similarities and savoring their differences.