The sign of the icon

“The handing over of the icon of the Virgin Sedes Sapientiae from the Rumanian delegation to the Australian one reminds us that this great ‘network’ of young people all over the world is always up and running”. It was said on the December 11 by Benedict XVI, during his meeting with the university students in Saint Peter’s basilica. After the meeting, the icon of the Virgin Sedes Sapientiae, donated by John Paul II to the university students of the world, will be handed over by the Rumanian delegation, led by the archbishop of Bucharest, Ioan Robu, to the young Australians, led by cardinal George Pell. “Since I first heard about the Icon of Sedes Sapientiae, that is given in turn to different Countries, I perceived it had a special significance, like a sign from the Bible or a sign of the times”, declared the Archbishop of Bucharest Ioan Robu, thus conveying the significance of the Icon of Mary Sedes Sapientiae for Romania’s academic communities. In an interview with SIR Europe, archbishop Robu addressed the situation of university pastoral care in Romania and the role of pastoral care in Romania and Europe.This year the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community promoted a meeting of the national delegates of university pastoral care in Bucharest. What is the current situation of university pastoral care in Romania? “In order to address university pastoral care in Romania it must be acknowledged that we’re just at the beginning of this pastoral activity. The meeting in Bucharest with the national delegates of university pastoral care was an opportunity to reflect once more over this urgent task. At the same time we had to admit that we have a lot of work ahead of us before we attain the levels of those Countries that never experienced Communist rule and that therefore, speak from the standpoint of university pastoral care tradition. Indeed, immediately after the fall of Communist regime in 1989 the Church sought to recover the tradition that had been suspended in 1948 across many Romanian universities. Nonetheless, we’re still at the beginning of this activity.” Are there joint university pastoral initiatives under way between Romania’s Catholic and Orthodox Churches? “I wouldn’t go so far as to talk of joint Catholic-Orthodox pastoral initiatives. However, there are ongoing contacts with Orthodox university chaplains, some rare moments of communal prayers, but that’s all. We hope that in time we will reach the point of developing joint pastoral actions in the universities. However, before this happens, each of the two Churches needs to develop further; each ought to identify its needs and only after, will it be possible to undertake joint endeavours in a number of areas. Nature doesn’t progress by leaps. And this is true also in the realm of universities, which is stimulating under many different angles”. What is current role of university pastoral care in Romania and in Europe? “Like in other parts of Europe, also in Romania, university pastoral care serves to help students and teachers attain the state of fulfilment and maturity that is offered by faith. We ought to agree that reason and faith, far from excluding one another, do in fact complete one another; the authority of Church Magisterium regarding the teaching of the truth – of man, of his origin and his destiny – must be accepted, without surrendering to nihilism, but rather believing in the redeeming message of Christ conveyed through his death and resurrection”. What is your message to European university students?“To honour and to love the Blessed Virgin Mary and invoke her in all the circumstances of their lives. And to believe with all their hearts in the teaching of the Church that we derive from that is: one, holy, Catholic and apostolic”.