(ANS - Rome) – On Friday 14 November, during the conference on "Rethinking Communication: theories, techniques, teaching," an honorary doctorate in Sciences of Social Communication was conferred from the Salesian Pontifical University on Fr Federico Lombardi, Director of the Vatican Press Office.

The reasons for the award were given by Professor Mauro Mantovani, Dean of the Faculty of Social Communication, and Monsignor Domenico Pompili, Director of Communications of the Italian Episcopal Conference, and in messages sent by Fr Antonio Spadaro, Director of La Civiltà Cattolica and Professor Cosimo Alvati, lecturer in the Faculty of Social Communication. There were also many testimonial letters and significant testimonies offered during the conferral ceremony.

The lectio coram given by the new doctor was extremely deep and engaging, enriched by his own experience and wisdom. It was a well organized talk constructed round ten messages on authentic communication.

The ceremony ended with greetings and thanks from the Rector Magnificus of the UPS, Professor Carlo Nanni, followed by a pleasant evening of celebration in honour of Fr Lombardi in the building of the Faculty of Social Communication. Tributes were paid by some of Fr Lombardi’s collaborators at Vatican Radio and by Monsignor Massimo Palombella, Maestro and Director of the Sistine Chapel Choir.

To mark the occasion, the Vatican Television Centre honoured Fr Lombardi with a special video montage covering his years up to now in the service of the Holy See.

Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, Chancellor of the UPS and Rector Major of the Salesians, had this to say about the new doctor: "In Latin, honorary means "a title of honour" for outstanding merit in a particular field, but I would like to add in this case that it is also to recognize 'the one who has honoured the cause'.  Father Lombardi has honoured the cause: 'honoravit causam' (...) and continues to 'serve the cause' of the most noble objectives that a communicator and journalist, and a Jesuit priest, must always have as the goal of his work: the service of truth. Even in the most difficult controversies, the scandals, the Vatileaks and so on, his strong loyalty to the truth meant that colleagues who have had to deal with him have been able to learn, understand and interpret reality in non-traditional ways that are not based on pre-determined clichés."

Published 17/11/2014