By Kelli Yoder, Mennonite World Review
Halfway through a conference on Christianity and freedom, Chad Bauman and his fellow presenters were told the schedule had changed.
The next morning they crossed the street from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome and met the pope.
“In my wildest imagination I had thought, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be cool if I’d be able to meet the pope,’ ” said Bauman, who is associate professor and chair of religion at Butler University in Indianapolis. “But there was nothing on the schedule to indicate anything like that might happen.”
The international conference, held Dec. 13-14 to discuss Christian contributions to the idea of freedom and restrictions Christians face with regard to religious liberties, had come to the attention of Vatican officials.
Continue reading “Researcher speaks on religious freedom, meets pope”