The world of religions with its large and small secrets offers a lot of scope for discovery. Faith has many faces and, in its concrete forms, leads to very different ways of life. In the Faszination Faith series we get to know the exciting world of the five major religions. We visit impressive temples and magnificent churches – the houses of faith. And we accompany people who leave no stone unturned to shape their lives according to God’s will.

The world-famous cathedral in Milan is the center of the Catholic faith in Italy and can accommodate more than 14,000 visitors. The Catholic Derutigliani family tells us about their way of practicing their faith and the sometimes strict rules of the Catholic Church. Do you manage to always follow them? For example, one of the demands is no sex before marriage. 19-year-old Erica tells us how she thinks about these and other questions.

We also accompany the 12-year-old choir singer David on the way to his confirmation. There he will officially declare his faith in God – a great moment in the life of a Catholic. And we take a look behind the scenes of religious activities. We watch the priests of Milan Cathedral celebrate a private mass before beginning their daily routine. The noble robes of the churchmen are sewn by old nuns who carry out this work with energy and care. However, if the number of Italian candidates for nuns continues to decline, it remains unclear who will take care of the vestments of the men of God in the future.

Initiative: Marita Neher
Director: Marita Neher
Editorial Staff: Linde Dehner (ZDF/arte)
Production: Andrea Ufer
Station: ZDF/arte

– Episode 1 – Casablanca: Die Moschee von Hassan II
– Episode 2 – Yangon: Die Shwedagon-Pagode
– Episode 3 – Budapest: Die Dohány-Synagoge
– Episode 4 – Madurai: Der Meenakshi-Tempel
– Episode 5 – Mailand – Der Dom St. Maria Nascente