Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Last minute preparations for traditional annual meeting between university students of Europe and Asia and the Pope on the occasion of the 5th European University Studay Day on the theme “Intellectual Charity for new cooperation between Europe and Asia” (see Fides 20/1/2007). The arrival of the Cross in the Paul VI Hall at 4pm will mark the start of a Marian Prayer Vigil led by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope’s Vicar general for the diocese of Rome. At 5pm Pope Benedict XVI will arrive to preside the recitation of the Rosary after which he will present copies of the apostolic exhortations Ecclesia in Europe and Ecclesia in Asia to student representatives. A live TV link with various other countries will enable students from other universities to take part.
In Bologna the students will gather for prayer with Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, archbishop of Bologne; in Calcutta, Indian students will gather for prayer with Archbishop Lucas Sircar at the tomb of Mother Teresa in the crypt of the House of the Missionaries of Charity; a Coimbra (Portugal) students will gather for prayer with Bishop Manuele Cleto; in Krakow (Poland) students will gather for prayer with Cardinal Stanislao Dziwisz; in Hong Kong students will gather for prayer with Cardinal Joseph Zen; Manchester students will gather for prayer with Bishop Terence Brain; a Manila students will gather for prayer with Archbishop Fernando Filoni, Apostolic Nuncio, at Santo Tomas university (Cardinal Rosales, archbishop of Manila, will be present in the Paul VI Hall in Rome); in Prague students will gather for prayer with Cardinal Miloslav Vlk; a Tirana (Albania) by Archbishop Mirdita; a Turin students will gather for prayer with Cardinal Severino Poletto; in Islamabad (Pakistan), students will gather for prayer with Bishop Anthony Lobo. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 8/3/2007, righe 19, parole 254)
