(ANS - Rome) - Yesterday, 13 November, the Lateran Pontifical University (PUL ) celebrated its Dies Academicus with Salesian Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong. as guest of honour. The Dies Academicus also marks the inauguration of the new academic year. Among the attendance were Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the Pope's Vicar General for the diocese of Rome, and the Rector of the Lateran Pontifical University, Bishop Enrico dal Covolo SDB.

Cardinal Zen gave the keynote address entitled: "Blessed John Henry Newman’s Idea of ​​a University."  Cardinal Zen began with some thoughts taken from Cardinal Newman’s well known essay and went on to share some reflections on the meaning and the role of academic institutions in the international context of today.

Regarding Catholic Universities, Cardinal Zen pointed out that their aim should be not only to teach Catholic values​​, but to convey a method that is based on sharing and on Newman's concept of liberal education. "According to Blessed John Henry Newman’s idea of ​​a university,” said Cardinal Zen, “a liberal education is a process open to the world that is based on an interdisciplinary synthesis."

After the Cardinal’s address, the Rector, Bishop dal Covolo, gave his inaugural speech in which he presented the objectives and the operational guidelines or targets for the new year. The objectives are the study of emerging educational needs and the training of formation personnel. The targets include the development of internal and external communications and the promotion of Campus Ministry.

On the latter point, Bishop dal Covolo then added a clarification that goes counter to notions most commonly held today: "Campus ministry,” he said, “is not something peripheral or an optional extra tagged on to the academic life of students. (...) It is an essential element that accompanies students and teachers as they pursue the universitas scientiarum, by which we mean the whole truth. (...) It flows through the various disciplines and the daily life of the university, and this is true regardless of the fact that the Lateran is an ecclesiastical university. This applies to every university that is worthy of the name."

Published 14/11/2013