“Present” nonetheless

“The Church should be present within universities, which are consequential for human formation, scientific research, and for the very future of humanity”. Thus stated card. Rheinard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, COMECE vice-president, during the meeting with the press on the occasion of the European Congress on University Pastoral Care, held in Munich, Germany, 27 to 30 January, organized by the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). 60 delegates of 23 bishops’ conferences and representatives of university movements and associations addressed the theme: “Formation, Education and the Gospel. Perspectives for university pastoral work in Europe”. His Eminence underlined that universities are the best place “to experience dialogue and coexistence”, Indeed, the effort made by our Christian university communities to organize encounters between students of different faiths, notably Muslims, help the two parties delve into their respective religious beliefs whilst preventing them from using their claims against one another”.Germany. During the congress attendees analyzed the situation of University Pastoral work, which varies from one country to the next. In Germany there are 100 universities and 270 Higher Education schools in specialized studies, 1 Catholic university, 9 universities of religious orders, and 6 Catholic-inspired academic faculties. In the whole Country there are 125 “Catholic University communities” and 240 pastoral care coordinators, 90 of whom are priests. Only 17% of German students are interested in religious subjects, many of them have never experienced traditional religious social interaction while their religious education is “scarce”. Mathias Haas, a priest working in Stuttgart University, president of Catholic University Pastoral care in Germany, said: “Catholic university communities have always been bishopric institutions with diverse structures and activities. Students cooperate within a large part of these communities, however there are also joint academic Forums of students and professors, as in Munich.” Fr. Haas pointed out, “Our work is marked by fundamental ecumenical cooperation with the Protestant Churches. The attitude of university institutions is always neutral and they relate to us only if we are cooperating”. Haas explained that German universities need Eucharist proposals for students along with “other proposals”, such as “afternoon prayer, spiritual exercises, meditation, pilgrimages and ‘ora et labora’ retreats’, which students appreciate in a special way, since these approaches help them in the organization of their academic timetables”. The “commitment for personality formation” is considered equally important, also with “socialization proposals to bring together young Catholics”.England. In describing the situation of universities in England and Northern Europe, (mostly secular universities) Fr. Christopher McCoy, member of the international Movement of Catholic Students, introduced the idea of a “market” that “offers various spiritual proposals to attract the youth”. According to McCoy, given the “crisis of traditional methods for the transmission of Christian faith, university pastoral care ought to question its methods and review them”. Another task is to react to those religious groups that view university as “recruiting grounds” by creating “a physical, emotional, psychological and intellectual space where students can explore their religious doubts without being afraid of being judged”.Spain. For Father Augustín del Agua Pérez, director of the Sub-Committee for Universities of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference “today it’s important that the permanent formation option is carried out across all universities, involving professors and students alike”. Fr. Pérez made known that meetings for professors were held in Spain, with interesting results also from the cultural angle. “University pastoral care must be introduced in the framework of the new Evangelisation – he added – employing new methods. Namely, culture must be integrated within the mission, within theological reflection and prayer”. Italy. Msgr. Sergio Lanza, Professor at the Lateran Pontifical University asked whether “it is possible that universities become ‘evangelization campuses”. The answer was yes, since “after centuries of tragic separation between faith and culture Christian communities have the opportunity to assume a prophetic role”. For Msgr. Lanza university pastoral work ought to become “the pastoral of the intelligence” of Christian thought, which faced with the “weak thought” and “the worrying slide of post-modernity towards indifference” will recover “its own cultural dignity”, “revisiting classical tenets of Christian thought”, “broaching at length modernity’s development and activity” whilst “probing into the reasons of the ‘masters’ of suspicion and into the intuitions of science, art and literature”.