Vatican City (Fides Service) - Today, 11 October with a solemn Concelebration of the Eucharist and an invocation of the Holy Spirit presided by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, the Pontifical Urban University opens its academic year 2004/2005, the Cardinal is also Grand Chancellor of the University . The Mass starts at 5pm in the College chapel followed by an academic act in the Aula Magna of University to declare the academic year officially open.
The college, founded by Pope Urban VII with the Bull Immortalis Dei Filius on 1 August 1627, was given the title of Pontifical University by Blessed Pope John XXIII on 1 October 1962. From the very beginning the college has focused on missionary studies helping the Church to carry out her mandate to evangelise all peoples, forming experts in missiology and other disciplines necessary for missionary activity. Since 1966 Urban University has various affiliated colleges, seminaries, institutes of philosophy, theology, missiology and canon law mainly in Africa and Asia, but also in the Americas, Oceania and Europe. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 11/10/2004 - Righe 15; Parole 190)