VATICAN - 20 February 2008 - 270 words
European
and American university students to meet Pope
On Saturday, 1 March, the Holy Father will preside at a Marian
prayer vigil in the Paul VI Hall to mark the Sixth European Day
for Universities. The theme of the vigil will be: "Europe
and the Americas together to build a civilisation of love".
The day has been promoted by the Council of European Episcopal
Conferences (CCEE) and the vicariate of Rome's office for pastoral
care in universities.
The students gathered in the Paul VI Hall will be linked by satellite
to other students in various European and American cities: Naples,
Italy; Bucharest, Romania; Toledo, Spain; Avignon, France; Minsk,
Belarus; Washington DC, USA; Mexico City, Mexico; Havana, Cuba,
Aparecida, Brazil, and Loja in Ecuador.
At 5pm the Holy Father will lead the Rosary, then address some
words to the participants before distributing copies of his Encyclical
"Spe salvi" to a number of student representatives.
There will also be a European Day congress at Rome's Pontifical
Gregorian University from 28 February to 1 March on the theme:
"Europe and the Americas together towards integral development".
The event has been promoted by the vicariate of Rome's office
for pastoral care in universities together with the European Commission's
office in Italy, and the Italian ministries for communication,
for university research and for foreign affairs".
The congress will begin with opening addresses on the theme of
"The shared roots and historical ties of the relationship
between Europe and the Americas" to be given by Florencio
Hubenak of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina "Santa
Maria de los Buenos Aires", and by Bianca Maria Tedeschini
Lalli of the "Universita degli Studi Roma Tre".
The meeting will continue with three main sessions on: "Europe
and the Americas in the global society"; "The role
of university formation in facing development challenges",
and "University cultures and models in globalisation".
The meeting will end on the morning of 1 March with two round
table discussions on "The brain drain problem: USA - Latin
America - Europe" and "Experiences of and prospects
for university co-operation for integral development".
Source: VIS
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