c. 1997 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ The pope has chosen the nation’s capital as the site for the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center _ a facility part interactive museum and part think-tank _ to explore the faith, values and global impact of Roman Catholicism.

Construction of the $50 million facility, called the first of its kind by church officials, is set to begin in September and is expected to open in the year 2000.”A number of sites were mentioned,”Cardinal Adam Maida, archbishop of Detroit and president of the center, said at a Tuesday (July 22) news conference.”Warsaw, Rome, Krakow, Boston, the University of Notre Dame. The pope picked Washington as an international crossroads of faith and culture.” The center will be built near the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic University of America and the headquarters of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington’s northeast section.

More than half of the funds for the project have already been raised from”about 30,000″individuals and other sources, said Maida.

In May 1996, the pope blessed a stone from the Vatican’s tomb of St. Peter, the apostle, that will be placed in a glass-walled cornerstone of the Washington center. A Vatican representative is scheduled to attend the Sept. 11 groundbreaking.

The cultural center, called”a departure point into the next century”by its architects, will include two main areas: the Intercultural Forum, a center for scholarly study and debate on the impact of papal teachings on world events; and a museum consisting of five main galleries where the public can explore Catholic faith, culture and the global impact of papal teachings through interactive exhibits, Vatican art objects and other items related to the papacy.

Maida said the two sections of the center have a distinct and separate function, and divisive issues in the church _ such as marriage annulment, abortion, and euthanasia _ will be explored only by the think-tank, which will be staffed by Catholic scholars.”All these issues are vital to the church and to me,”said Maida.”After all, I’m from the land of (Jack) Kevorkian. But the museum’s purpose is not to deal directly with church `hot points,’ but rather to present a message of hope that will enlighten and explain why the church is consistent in what it does.” Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., whose wife, Deborah, is active in the project, called the facility”something special for Washington and the nation.””This (center) will enrich our culture, our experience, our expectation,”he said.

Officials said they hope the center will be an ecumenical experience where people of all religions are encouraged to reflect on their own beliefs.

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