“At the present stage of European construction, a debate on the future of the Eu, its guidelines and objectives is essential”. That is the view of Comece (Commission of the episcopates of the European Community, in expressing its intention to “make a vital contribution to this debate through the revival of its summer university”. The university will re-open in September with three two-week courses. The project is a follow up to the Comece summer university that enjoyed great success between 1994 and 2004. Various sessions had been organized by the secretariat of the European bishops each year, the first at Souvigny (France), then at Menaggio (Italy) and at Goslar (Germany); later sessions were held in three of the ten countries that would enter the European Union in 2004: Celje (Slovenia), Leáyfalu (Hungary) and Smolenice (Slovakia). The programme offered young participants the chance to explore fundamental aspects of the European project with experts in theology, law, economics, politics, history and literature and enabled them to exchange and share their own experiences. But this project had to be interrupted after six years, mainly due to the lack of financial resources. However, following the numerous requests for the revival of the courses received by the Comece secretariat, the bishops began seeking ways of re-launching the programme and ensuring its continuity. They have welcomed with deep gratitude the decision of the diocese of Graz-Seckau and the Karl Franzens University of Graz, in Austria, to accept the challenge. So the summer university will be held in Graz for at least three years, beginning with the session on 2-16 September 2006. The programmes for the courses, which are expected to be attended by 80 graduates from all over Europe, have now been drawn up.
