St Augustine of Hippo's words rang through Notre Dame in Paris yesterday as Gérard Depardieu, the French actor, began his campaign to re-popularise North Africa's greatest bishop.
Depardieu now plans to take his show on the road, reading from St Augustine in churches, mosques, synagogues and theatres around the world. "My dream would be to read St Augustine at the Wailing Wall," he said before yesterday's reading.
Depardieu, who has played transvestites, thieves, 19th century heroes and even Asterix's friend Obelix in his prolific career, discovered St Augustine's writings several years ago and was deeply taken by his conversion from a power-hungry sybarite to a pious Christian.
He told the Pope of his interest during an audience in 2000, and the pontiff encouraged him to make a film about St Augustine.
Last year, when he visited Algeria, where St Augustine was born, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika suggested that he do something on the saint for this year's Year of Algeria in France.
But he hopes that reading St Augustine will not be seen as a political gesture. "I don't want to be seen, I just want to give him voice," he said, explaining his decision to do a series of readings rather than make a film. "A film about St Augustine would have confused the issue."