The frontiers of knowledge” “

No to a university “subordinate to and dependent on” on the needs of production and the market. Yes to a university capable of restoring the “reasons for believing” to contemporary man, through a language endowed with “a profound cultural quality” but at the same time not abstract or “divorced” from the realities of daily life. That’s the kind of university called for in the instrumentum laboris of the Symposium promoted by the CCEE (Council of European Episcopal Conferences) to be held in Rome from 17 to 20 July, on the theme “University and Church in Europe”. We discussed it with Miguel Matas Gassiot , president of the FECU (Federation of European Catholic Universities), which represents over 40 Catholic universities in both Eastern and Western Europe. Over 1000 delegates, from 40 countries, are due to attend the important meeting. What is the “state of health” of European Catholic universities, and what’s their relation with the national Churches? “The state of health of the Catholic universities in Europe is good. In spite of that, the great diversity between the European university systems is reflected in the various situations of these universities in the various countries of Europe: from those ‘tolerated’, as in France, to those considered on a par with the State universities, both from an institutional and funding point of view, as is the case in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. European society is greatly indebted to the service that the Catholic universities provide for the higher education of our youth, and their graduates are often preferred due to their excellent preparation. The relation of the Catholic universities with the national churches is one of loyal but critical cooperation, in conformity with an institution whose main function is the promotion of knowledge and its transmission, as also research, at the higher level. Living on the frontiers of knowledge is a challenge that we believers must assume. But it is not absent from tension and suffering. It is understandable that misunderstandings should sometimes arise; a careful reading of ‘Ex corde Ecclesiae’ and fidelity may help us to overcome them”. How has the relation between the universities of Western and Eastern Europe changed, and how will it change, following the process of EU enlargement? “Various new Catholic universities have arisen in Eastern Europe in recent years. They can count on important institutional support by the State: FECU has received two new membership applications from these countries this year. It should also be recalled that the situation of the Catholic universities in Hungary and Poland is actually far better – in terms of the financial support they receive from the State – than in France, Spain or Italy. The relation between the universities of Eastern and Western Europe is not easy. However, the exchange of students and professors may contribute to the dismantling of psychological barriers. All the Catholic universities of the new Europe have the great merit of rediscovering the great values that flow from Christianity, and that are the real safeguard of human dignity and solidarity”. What contribution can the Catholic universities make to the debate on the “Christian roots” of Europe and to the reinforcement of the continent’s identity? “The Christian roots cannot be ignored in the text of the European Constitution. The point of departure for the Enlightenment, for Human Rights, even for Marxism, is found in the New Testament. Only ignorance or sectarianism may explain the reluctance to recognize the fundamental role of Christianity in the construction of the European consciousness. The great cultural, philosophical and legal heritage of Greece and Rome, in which the contributions of other cultures and religions were assimilated, was ‘humanized’ by Christianity. That substratum provides the identity of our continent and represents the greatest heritage of humanity. It is a grave historical manipulation to confuse the Gospel legacy with the errors, sins and ambitions of Christians and their structures of government and power. Europe’s undeniable Christian identity and legacy, recognized in a global and non-sectarian way, is the basis for the peaceful coexistence between various cultures and beliefs in our continent”.