VATICAN - October 28, inauguration of 2009-2010 Academic Year of the Urbaniana Pontifical University; address from Archbishop of Kinshasa on “Reconciliation, Justice, and Peace in Africa: Missionary Challenge for the Universal Church”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and Grand Chancellor of the Urbaniana Pontifical University, will preside a Mass “De Spiritu Sancto” on October 28, at 9am, in the Chapel of the Pontifical Urban College, for the inauguration of the 2009-2010 Academic Year. At 10:30am, in the Aula Magna of the University, there will be an Academic Event with a Greeting from Crdinal Dias and an address from the Rector Magnificent of the Urbaniana Pontifical University, Fr. Cataldo Zuccaro. Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) will give a speech on “Reconciliation, Justice, and Peace in Africa: Missionary Challenge for the Universal Church.” There will then be a students' award ceremony.
The Urbaniana Pontifical University was endowed with the title “Pontifical” with the Motu Proprio “Fidei Propagandae” of Blessed Pope John XXIII, on October 1, 1962, but its roots date back to August 1, 1627, when Pope Urban Urban VIII decided to establish the Urban College with the Bull Immortalis Dei Filius. From its beginnings, the Urbaniana has always been an academic institution with a missionary character that has served the Church through the formation of missionaries or experts in the area of Missiology or other disciplines, always necessary in the evangelizational activity of the Church. Since 1966, the Urbaniana has accepted affiliations and additions from Seminaries and Institutes of Philosophy, Theology, Missiology, and Canon Law from all over the world. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 21/10/2009)