number 47 - weekly edition in English
University is a
The Papal Audience featured sacred music sung by students from
the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and the Pontifical German-
Hungarian College, both of Rome.€The€pieces selected for the occasion
were: Veni Creator, Salve Regina, Ave Verum, Tu es Petrus, Pater
Study and prayer inseparable
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
feminine counterpart of the same
habit on numerous Dominican Sis-
ters teaching or studying at the
P.U.S.T. The strong number of non-
Dominican Angelicum professors was
also well represented.
It was similarly gratifying to note
numerous Angelicum students seated
in the ranks representing many dif-
ferent religious Orders, congregations
and institutes from around the globe
and diocesan priest-students from
dioceses throughout the world. One
capable of recognizing Angelicum
faces at this large assembly would al-
so have noted the presence of large
numbers of two groups of students
very highly prized in this Dominican
university: the ever-growing popula-
tion of lay students aspiring to pro-
fessional levels of theological compe-
tence and the less-obvious but
nonetheless vibrant presence of stu-
dents from the Third World. The in-
ternationality of the gathering was
itself a reflection of life at the An-
gelicum with its global, polyglot fac-
ulty and its student body represent-
ing over ninety nations.
There were two moments that
seem to have brought particular de-
light to the attendees from the An-
gelic Doctor's university. The first
was the Holy Father's enjoinder “to
remember that the study of the sa-
cred sciences must never be separat-
ed from prayer”. The Angelicum is
currently enjoying its ninth year of
daily Eucharistic Adoration at the
university, and this well-attended
practice is very close to the hearts of
many of its students and faculty.
The Holy Father's words seemed to
express encouragement and to note
the appropriateness in maintaining
Eucharistic adoration within the
halls of a university conducted in the
rigorous academic tradition of the
Dominican Order and in a universi-
ty named for the great scholar-saint
who wrote the liturgical texts for the
feast of Corpus Christi.
The second unique moment for
the Angelicum's constituency fol-
lowed the Holy Father's address, af-
ter the event was officially conclud-
ed, when a small number of digni-
taries in attendance were ushered in-
to the Pope's presence on stage with
L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO
Noster, Lobe den Herrn, Magnificat, Hebe deine Augen auf. Michele
Manganelli, Maestro from the Pontifical€Institute of Sacred€Mu-
sic,€explained that the music selection was based on Eucharistic and
Marian motives, in keeping with the spirit of the Liturgy.
the opportunity to greet him person-
ally. The recently-inaugurated new
Rector of the Angelicum, Rev.
Charles Morerod, OP, represented
the entire Angelicum community
when he went down on bended knee
to reverence the Fisherman's Ring.
There is pleasure in reflecting up-
on the significance of this year's Pa-
pal meeting to inaugurate the new
academic year with the Roman pon-
tifical university communities as it
seemed to me to underscore the An-
gelicum's prominent role in the life
of the Church. However, further re-
flection upon this phenomenon actu-
ally provides clearer insight into the
very fabric of the contemporary
Church itself. Surely, people from
every academic entity represented at
the papal gathering had reason to
take pride in the presence of many
of their administrators, professors
and students,€gladly€taking time from
heavy classroom and office responsi-
bilities to receive the Holy Father's
own mandate to proceed with the
new academic semester. The symbols
of the religious institutes sponsoring
or supporting any particular aca-
demic entity also instill a strong
sense of pride in its constituents, as
do the talents, backgrounds, gifts
and variety in the ethnic origins of
their diverse student bodies. And of
course, references to prayer and
study from any Pontiff are going to
Benedict XVI greets Rev. Charles Morerod,
find their way into the unique com-
bination of ingredients that inform
any Catholic educational institution.
In short, the papal audience last
Thursday specifically inspired the at-
tendees from the Angelicum precisely
in the same way it must have in-
spired the representatives of every
one of their companion pontifical
universities: individually and pro-
foundly. Each person would have
heard their own unique context be-
ing addressed uniquely by the Pope,
precisely because each person there
was a unique individual, as well as a
part of the universal Church. Each
person's story is part of the Church's
common story, for the Church her-
self lives with a membership that is
international; prayerful; studious;
served by native as well as foreign-
national clergy, Religious and lay
apostles; sometimes tempted to di-
vorce faith from culture; and always
ready to hear the wisdom of our
Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. It
was there, in the reality that each
university is a microcosm of the
Church itself, that each university
community felt uniquely welcomed
by the Holy Father in remarks di-
rected to the entire assembly of Ro-
man pontifical universities and FI-
UC participants last Thursday.
* Professor of Liturgy, Homiletics and
Spirituality at The Angelicum in Rome
OP, Rector of the Angelicum
Wednesday, 25 November 2009 - page 5
school
of brotherhood
JOANNE FORD
Seated in the front row with one of my
Angelicum friar-professors at my first Pa-
pal Audience in the Paul VI Hall, I was
more excited waiting for the Pope than I
would have been for a rock star! I was in
very good company – fellow pontifical uni-
versity students, together with our Rectors,
professors and administrators.
Before the Holy Father entered the hall,
Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, Secretary
of the Congregation for Catholic Educa-
tion greeted everyone as “dear friends”,
acknowledging that “an academic year is
always an adventure”. He invited us to
take part “in the grand adventure of dia-
logue between faith and human reason”
and to explore and savour the “natural
friendship” which exists between them.
Archbishop Bruguès rightly described
the opportunity for each of us studying at
a Catholic university as “extraordinary” –
to develop as human beings and as Chris-
tians and especially for the many who are
preparing to enter the priesthood in this
the Year for Priests under the patronage of
the Holy Curé d'Ars. The Archbishop's
words which have especially remained
with me are: “L'università è una scuola di
fraternità”, that is, university is a school of
brotherhood. What a gift it is to go to uni-
versity and experience the friendships that
naturally occur amongst priests, religious
and lay men and women! As a lay woman
with previous qualifications from a secular
university, I greatly appreciate that at the
Angelicum I am surrounded by people
who are genuinely concerned for my spiri-
tual as well as academic development and
who I expect will be friends for the rest of
my life.
Firstly as a Catholic and secondly as a
pontifical university student, it is a mo-
ment to treasure being in the presence of
the Holy Father who welcomed us with
such joy. In his Address, Pope Benedict re-
called how his Predecessor John Paul II's
Apostolic Constitution Sapientia Christiana,
“points out the urgent, ever timely need to
bridge the gap between faith and culture.
It calls for a greater commitment to evan-
gelization”. His Holiness urged us “to be
open to the ‘wisdom’ that comes from the
Gospel”, and “never to lose sight of the
objective to be pursued, namely, that of
being an instrument for proclaiming the
Gospel”.
The Pope also drew a comparison
between our years of ecclesiastical studies
and the Apostles who learnt the truth from
being around Christ. As Fr Luke Buckles
often reminds the Angelicum's spiritual
theology students (based on the teaching
of St Catherine of Siena), “we can only
say we know a truth when it changes the
way we live our lives”.
And in our Christian lives proclaiming
the truth takes many forms – our actions
being just as important as our words. In
this light I was overwhelmed by a gesture
of the Angelicum's new Rector who was
invited to greet the Pope at the Audience's
conclusion. After speaking with the Holy
Father, Rev. Charles Morerod, OP, came
directly to where I was and said, “You're
a student at the Angelicum, aren't you?
Here you are”. With that he reached into
his pocket and handed me the papal
Rosary beads he had just been given. The
Rector seemingly thought nothing of giv-
ing away a memento of the event that I
will always treasure and – as suggested by
the Dominican friar next to me – will be
able to hand down to my grandchildren.
This is part of the great delight of learning
at the Angelicum. Our leaders are just
that. In giving selflessly and serving, they
continually lead us to follow in the exam-
ple of Christ.