The Pope kicked off a week long continuous reading of the Scriptures on Monday 5 October which will be broadcast in it’s entirety on television.  More than 1,200 people including celebrities and people of all Christian confessions will read the Bible non-stop in Rome’s fourth century Basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.

 “The word of God will enter the homes and accompany the lives of families and individual people," Benedict said of the program following his traditional noontime blessing on Sunday. "If welcomed, this seed will not fail to bring abundant fruits."

The readathon coincides with the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops running from October 5 to 26.  The theme of the assembly is The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.  The assembly, which happens every three years, will examine the modern lack of interest in the Bible. 

President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Monsignor Giafranco Ravasi said the Pope’s participation in the readathon is “an appeal to the Catholic Church to go back to studying and deepening its knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.”

The entire text of the Bible will be read in five to eight minute sections, all in Italian with the exception of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, which will be read in Greek.

Click on the following link to watch the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkdZaqGipEE