The Bible Day and Night: A Marathon Reading begun by the Pope...

Well, now, here's an idea: a marathon reading of the Holy Scriptures from beginning to end.

Zenit reports:

Benedict XVI kicked off a Bible-reading marathon on Italian television, which he called a "fitting accompaniment" to the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God.

The Pope read from Genesis on "Bibbia Giorno e Notte" (Bible Day and Night), a program broadcast by RAI where the Bible will be read from beginning to end in various languages by nearly 1,200 readers.

The Pontiff's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, will conclude the marathon Saturday, reading the last chapter of Revelation.

There is a website you can consult - in Italian - but here is the translation of the page by Google:

Sunday Oct. 5 to Saturday 11 October, the Basilica of Santa Croce in Rome Jerusalem to be the scene of an extraordinary event: the reading of the Bible, Old and New Testament, for seven days and six nights without interruption and comments.

Starting from an original initiative of a group of friends from Limoges lovers of the Bible, the initiative then repeated in other French cities and Mantua, Giuseppe De Carli and Elena Balestri have revisited the idea for Rai Vatican, creating a project that has found full and immediate membership from Fabrizio Del Noce on Rai Uno and Giovanni Minoli for Rai Educational.

The Bible is the book of the Word of continuous dialogue between God and man.

A confidential report that today seems to have lost: the clang of our world is no more place for listening and dialogue. From these considerations was born "The Bible day and night" to find the conditions of listening and thinking through reading the book par excellence, paradoxically so absent today and forgotten in our country.

Beyond the religious beliefs of each, the Bible is the reading that binds us together and in which we find a part of our cultural roots and the humanities.

To read the biblical passages will take turns over 1200 people of all age, social class and religion. But even non-believers may participate. The only condition is respect for the word.

This event was possible thanks to the participation convinced the Holy See, the Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Vicariate of Rome, the Holy Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate for Southern Europe, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy the Bible Society in Italy. Assumes special significance for membership, the Jewish Bible, some members of Italian Jewish Communities, which will participate in the reading from a different place.

How important are the signers of large institutional starting with the City of Rome, the Lazio Region, the Province of Rome, the Ministry for Arts and Cultural Activities, the Ministry of Education, University and Scientific Research.

You can even watch it live, by clicking on the top right hand red button.

Maybe this could be a new devotion in the Church, akin to the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Maybe the two could be married into one event? How's that for an idea? Any takers?