Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - Stefano Borgia, who was born in Velletri in 1731 and died in Lyons in 1804, was one of the greatest humanist Cardinals in recent centuries. He united a passion for all branches of human knowledge with a passion for the missionary world. He was under many aspects a precursor of modern missiology and the methods of evangelisation used today; he gave new impulse to the College Propaganda Fide of which he was Prefect, as the engine for all missionary activity; he helped lay the basis of the missionary movement. As part of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of his death on 23 November during Pope Pius VII journey to Paris for the coronation of Napoleon, the Pontifical Urban University dedicated a solemn academic act during which the European Stefano Borgia Award was assigned to Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples for his ardent zeal for the missionary cause, his qualities as a man “who follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Stefano Borgia to spread the Gospel message in every corner of the earth”. Special bicentenary awards were also assigned to professors Paola Davoli of Lecce University, Giangiorgio Pasqualotto of Padova University and Claudio Strinati special superintendent for Rome.
In his address Cardinal Sepe said that Cardinal Stefano Borgia “cultivated with lively intelligence and singular concern the history, civilisations and languages of people far from Rome. He built bridges between Latin European tradition and Islamic, Indian and Tibetan tradition”. Secretary of Propaganda Fide from 1770 to 1789, Pro-Prefect from 1798 to 1800 and Prefect from 1802 to1804, Stefano Borgia “worked with farsightedness to free European missionaries of political ties in within which their respective countries tried to close them. Borgia, with providential farsightedness, was of the opinion that it was necessary to appoint native bishops to form local ecclesiastical hierarchies and celebrate rites in the vulgate languages in order to bring the Gospel to peoples of customs and cultures very different from the west”. Cardinal Borgia realised that fruitful missionary activity could not be separated from knowledge of the people’s culture and religion. This is why he wished missionaries to form native clergy who could proclaim the Gospel to their own people. “Two hundred years after his death -Cardinal Sepe said-, we cannot fail to recognise him as an enlightened man of the Church, a precursor of relations of reciprocity between science and faith and a promoter of inter-cultural values”.
The Academic act started with a joyful African song performed by the University Choir followed by an introduction by Prof. Giuseppe Cavallotto, Rector of Urban University who underlined that Cardinal Borgia was ahead of his times especially with regard to local hierarchies and the formation of local clergy. In a telegramme for the occasion signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano on his behalf, Pope John Paul II greeted the participants and praised the initiative aimed at increasing dialogue between culture and religion. The Bishop of Velletri-Segni, Bishop Andrea M. Erba, illustrated the figure and role of Stefano Borgia, secretary and prefect of Propaganda Fide, “with new ideas”.
Two sessions during the day will reflect on various topics concerning the figure and work of Stefano Borgia: his profile in the historical context in which he lived, his missionary commitment, his private letters, collection of Indian art, the Borgian archives of Propaganda Fide. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 11/11/2004 - Righe 42; Parole 599)
