Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides News Agency) – The human heart, created “restless” by God, as Saint Augustine described it, and the yearning for peace that pervades nations in a time marked by “continuous wars”; desire as a key to understanding the promises of the Gospel and its destiny in the face of the potential and manipulations linked to artificial intelligence: these are some of the perspectives that converge at the inter-faculty congress entitled “The Future of Desire: Between History and Transcendence,” which will be held in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Urbaniana University on Wednesday, April 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The congress will explore the themes of the inter-faculty conference entitled “The Future of Desire: Between History and Transcendence.” The first presentation, by theology professor Antonio Landi, anticipates the core of the meeting from its title: “And the desire of God became flesh. Desire as a Christological category in the Gospels,” highlighting how the longing of God’s heart and that of humankind are intertwined in the gratuitous mystery of the Incarnation. Patrologist Armando Genovese, in his second presentation “The Restless Heart: A Journey in Desire according to Saint Augustine,” will trace the spiritual journey of the Bishop of Hippo, who, following the yearnings of his own heart, came to encounter the grace of Christ. The third presentation, entitled “Desire for Peace: Towards a Generative Lifestyle,” entrusted to the theology of religions professor Carmelo Dotolo, will propose the shared desire for peace as the foundation for forms of coexistence among different peoples and as a form of resistance against the dynamics of permanent conflict. Following a discussion and a short break, philosophy professor Adrian Ndreca will present his reflection, “The Exploratory Distance of Desire as a Space of Encounter: Towards a Phenomenology of Incompleteness.” Meanwhile, Giambattista Formica, professor of the History of Contemporary Philosophy, will address the uncertainty surrounding desire in the digital age with his presentation, “Know Thyself: The Desire to Interact with AI.” The event will conclude with another discussion and a final synthesis of the presentations, which can also be followed via Zoom (information and link available on the attached event poster). (EG) (Fides News Agency, 21/4/2026)
