Rome (Fides Service) - On the occasion of the Convention "From Urban College to the Pontifical Urban University" (November 28-30) organised to mark the 375th anniversary of Urban College, Fides spoke with the Rector of the university Mons. Ambrogio Spreafico.
Mons. Spreafico, Urban University has always been a place of dialogue and cultural exchange. What is the difference between an ordinary university and a pontifical university? And what is different about Urban University, the only college which is specifically missionary?
With regard to study programmes, there is considerable uniformity among the Pontifical universities which have in common philosophical, theological and juridical curricula. Urban college however has always been marked by her missionary character, which means in the first place that it strives to discern how to go about communicating the Gospel today and therefore everything that this commitment entails: doctrine, faith etc. There are then the aspects of inculturating the faith and also dialogue, which require knowledge of religions and cultures. I would say that particularly in recent years Urban University has distinguished itself among the other pontifical university for this character reflected especially in the Faculty of Missiology, but which is present in the other faculties with attention to the complex problem of relations between Christianity cultures and religions. I would add relations between Christianity and secular culture. In fact in the past, Urban University had an Institute for the Study of Atheism, which is today the Institute for the Study of Cultures and Religions. These, I would say, are the characteristic aspects of Urban College.
Urban University proposes culture as a element of peace and civil co-existence. Do you think that this university can be a "laboratory of confrontation and co-existence"?
I am sure of this. Our students come from 110 different countries. Moreover we have 90 affiliated institutes in more than 40 different countries: these numbers suffice to show that the university is already a laboratory of confrontation and coexistence. We do have study subjects which regard peace and development, but this is a sector that must certainly be amplified. It is a pity that these subject are studied almost exclusively in non Catholic, or at least non pontifical universities, because it is a subject which the Catholic Church has truly at heart, as the Pope continues to demonstrate. Our qualification also in this field is I think a service that we can render the Church. (Fides Service 29/11/2002