▁Mc A fe e ▁Brown ▁answered ▁the ▁question ▁at ▁the ▁inaug uration ▁of ▁T ant ur ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁by ▁stating ▁that ▁Jerusalem ▁becomes ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁many ▁things ▁that ▁must ▁concern ▁the ▁ec umen ically ▁mind ed : ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁loc us ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁h oli est ▁sites ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁but ▁also ▁of ▁J uda ism ▁and ▁Islam ; ▁ ▁A ▁str ident ▁and ▁hum bling ▁rem inder ▁of ▁the ▁on going ▁divisions ▁within ▁Christian ity ▁( as ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Holy ▁Sep ul cher ▁makes ▁c ac oph on ously ▁clear ); ▁ ▁Location ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁deep est ▁str ife ▁and ▁division ▁among ▁world ▁relig ions ▁anywhere ▁ ▁It ▁s its ▁at ▁a ▁cross ro ads ▁between ▁techn olog ically ▁developed ▁west ▁and ▁emer ging ▁nations ; ▁ ▁All ▁the ▁major ▁problems ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁are ▁present ▁here : ▁pover ty , ▁war , ▁rac ism , ▁hung er ; ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁this ▁remains ▁symbol ▁of ▁hope , ▁the ▁vision ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Jerusalem . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁rect ors ▁of ▁T ant ur , ▁Jean - Jac ques ▁von ▁All men , ▁noted ▁additional ▁benefits ▁of ▁an ▁ec umen ical ▁research ▁center ▁in ▁Jerusalem : ▁ ▁The ▁trad itions ▁of ▁Eastern ▁churches ▁( C atholic ▁and ▁Orth odox ) ▁are ▁the ▁living ▁tradition ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁church ▁here , ▁which ▁would ▁help ▁move ▁C athol ics ▁beyond ▁a ▁kind