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Skriven 2005-11-30 06:52:50 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: FAITHFULNESS TO THE MAGISTERIUM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 25, 2005 (VIS) - This morning, Benedict XVI visited Rome's
Sacred Heart Catholic University, for the occasion of the inauguration of the
academic year.

The day began in the university, prior to the Pope's arrival, with a Mass
celebrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of the diocese of Rome. The
Eucharistic celebration was attended by students from all branches of the
Sacred Heart Catholic University: Milan, Brescia, Piacenza-Cremona, Campobasso
and Rome.

At 11.00 a.m. in the main hall of the "Agostino Gemelli" Faculty of Medicine
and Surgery the main celebration began in the Holy Father's presence. The
Sacred Heart University was founded by Fr. Agostino Gemelli from whom the
famous hospital, which is part of the university, takes its name. A brief
speech by Lorenzo Ornaghi, rector of the university, was followed by a greeting
from Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop of Milan, Italy.

The Pope began his address by greeting the academic authorities, then said:
"Finding ourselves here together we cannot but think of the time charged with
trepidation and emotion we experienced in this hospital during John Paul II's
final months. During those days, from all over the world the thoughts of
Catholics and non-Catholics alike were directed to the Gemelli hospital where,
from his ward, the Pope provided everyone with a matchless lesson on the
Christian meaning of life and suffering, bearing personal witness to the
Christian message." On this subject, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude
for "the attentive care given to the Holy Father."

Highlighting the fact that many thousands of young people pass through the
university, the Pope asked: "How do they leave? What culture did they find,
assimilate, develop? This is the great challenge: ... to give life to a true
Catholic university, one that excels for the quality of its research and
teaching and, at the same time, for its faithfulness to the Gospel and to the
Church's Magisterium."

"The Catholic university," he went on, "is a great workshop in which, in
keeping with the various disciplines, new lines of research are constantly
being developed in a stimulating encounter between faith and reason, one that
aims to recover the synthesis" between these two elements. This synthesis is
"unfortunately contrasted by important currents of modern philosophy. As a
consequence, ... the fundamental questions facing man - how to live and how to
die - seem to be excluded from the realm of rationality and are left to that of
subjectivity. The end result is that the question which gave rise to the
university - that of truth and goodness - disappears, to be replaced by the
question of feasibility. This then is the great challenge facing Catholic
universities: to practice science within the horizon of a rationality different
from that which dominates today, in keeping with a form of reason open to the
transcendent, to God."

Benedict XVI called on the teachers and students to cast out their nets "into
the high seas of knowledge, trusting in the Word of Christ, even when you
experience the fatigue and disappointment of not having 'fished' anything. In
the great sea of culture, Christ always has need of 'fishers of men,' in other
words, of people of conscience, well prepared people who place their
professional expertise at the service of the Kingdom of God. And university
research, if carried out from the standpoint of faith, is also part of this
service to the Kingdom and to mankind."

In closing his address, the Pope referred to the "Paul VI International
Scientific Institute of research on human fertility and infertility for
responsible procreation," which was founded in November 2000. "It is, he said,
"an eloquent example of that synthesis of truth and love that constitutes the
living center of Catholic culture."

The Holy Father pointed out how the institute, "which came into being in
response to the appeal launched by Paul VI in his Encyclical 'Humanae vitae,'
aims to give a secure scientific foundation both to the natural regulation of
human fertility and to the commitment to overcome infertility by natural means.
Echoing my venerated predecessor's grateful appreciation for this scientific
initiative, I trust it may find the necessary support in continuing to carry
out its important research activities."

Following his address, Benedict XVI bid farewell to the academic authorities
and the students, before returning to the Vatican by car.
BXVI-VISIT UNIVERSITY/.../GEMELLI VIS 051125 (740)

SUMMARY

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