Pope Francis commemorates the twentieth anniversary of northern Italy’s Theology Faculty of Triveneto by calling on educators and pupils to “spread the message of Christ in the world, faithful to the genuine tradition, but open to reading the signs of the times.”
Pope Francis has called on educators to faithfully and effectively transmit Christ’s message and the Church’s mission in contemporary times. The Holy Father did so in a letter commemorating the 20- year anniversary of the Theology Faculty of Triveneto. The text signed by the Pope on 28 January was sent to the institution’s Rector, Father Maurizio Girolami. The Theological Faculty of Triveneto, whose center is in Padua, connects a network of five theological institutes and seven superior institutes of religious sciences in the northern Italian regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto-Adige.
It was established in 2005 where several institutes gave academic theological formation to laymen and laywomen, clergymen, seminarians, and religious. In his letter, the Holy Father noted that the Faculty’s twentieth anniversary provides him with the opportunity “to join in the common thanksgiving to the Lord for the good accomplished in these years, especially for the benefit of the younger generations in the region.”
Bringing Christ to the world
“I encourage,” the Holy Father underscored, “the entire academic family to persevere in its collaboration with the mission of the Church, to spread the message of Christ in the world, faithful to the genuine tradition, but open to reading the signs of the times.” “I encourage the entire academic family to persevere in its collaboration with the mission of the Church, to spread the message of Christ in the world, faithful to the genuine tradition, but open to reading the signs of the times” “This,” the Pope explained, “means courageously taking on new challenges to effectively bring the truth of the Gospel to contemporary man.”
To achieve this goal, the Pope called on the Faculty “to be an increasingly important place of formation, not only through the study and deepening of theology, but also through the Christian witness of each individual.” “I hope,” he said, “that the teachers will especially help the young to realize themselves based on the truth, goodness, and beauty that have their source in God.” With these sentiments, Pope Francis concluded renewing his gratitude for their ongoing educational mission and commitment, while invoking upon them and their pursuits the protection of Mary, and imparting his Apostolic Blessing.
