Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Ivan Dias Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urban University, on Monday 8 October at 9am will preside a solemn concelebration of the Eucharist in the Chapel of the Pontifical Urban College for the inauguration of the Academic Year 2007-2008. At 10.30 in the Aula Magna of Urban University, after a welcoming speech by Cardinal Dias and an address by Mgr Ambrogio Spreafico, Rector of the Pontifical Urban University, Bishop Velasio De Paolis, Supreme Secretary Tribunal of the Apostolic Segnature, will give a prolusion on the theme “Mission universal and particular”.
The Pontifical Urban University, although only raised to the rank of Pontifical University on 1 October 1962 by Pope John XXIII, stems from Urban College, founded by Pope Urban VIII with the Bull Immortalis Dei Filius dated 1 August 1627. Since it was opened, Urban University has been an institution of a missionary character and it has served the Church in the fulfilment of her missionary-apostolic mandate preparing missionaries and experts in the sector of Missiology and other disciplines, necessary for the Church's evangelising activity. Since 1966 Urban University has accepted affiliations with seminaries and institutes of philosophy, theology, missiology and Canon Law mainly in Africa and Asia, but also in the Americas, Oceania and Europe. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/9/2007; righe 17, parole 223)
