Rome (Fides Service) - "A time for reflection and for re-launching dialogue between Church and University" this is the aim of European Symposium "University and Church in Europe", promoted by the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) with the collaboration of the Italian Bishops' Conference Commission for Education, Schools and Universities. The Symposium will take place in Rome from 17-20 July 2003. It is the first time in the history of Europe that such an event is taking place. Delegations will arrive in Rome from all the European nations and from cities with university seats. It is predicted that there will be more than 1,000 participants. Each delegation should include bishops, teachers, students, chaplains, technical and administrative personnel, and directors of colleges and university centres involved in pastoral work connected with universities. Political institutions, Catholic universities, theology faculties, movements and associations, and Institutes of Consecrated Life working in this field, representatives of other churches and Christian communities will also be represented.
"At this delicate time in Europe's life, dialogue on major questions about European civilisation and new citizenship, human life (biotechnology…), models of economic development, forms of political action, the aspects of social living side-by-side, cultural pluralism and identity, must be deepened. Out of this dialogue new models of development and a new sociality can be born, to avoid the risk of the undisputed power of "a technocratic market, with its anonymity and its (claims of) ethical neutrality, from which neither justice nor solidarity may be expected" (from the Working Document). National Bishops' Conferences have recently received a working document in preparation for the Symposium. Both the provisional programme for the Symposium and the document are available on the website www.universitas2000.org. MS (Fides Service 19/2/2003 EM lines 23 Words: 297)