Pope Francis sends blessings to
new JPII Institute of Culture
Pope St John Paul II |
Pope Francis sends a letter to the Rector of the Pontifical
Angelicum University for the inauguration of the St. John Paul II Institute of
Culture.
By Devin Watkins
As the world marks 100 years since the birth of Karol
Wojtyla, the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome inaugurates an
Saint John Paul II Institute of Culture within the Faculty of Philosophy in
JPII’s name.
Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope, studied philosophy at the
Angelicum from 1946 until 1948. The new institute is supported by two Polish
foundations, Futura Iuventa and Saint Nicholas.
JPII: Inspiration and architect
To commemorate the new cultural institute, Pope
Francis sent a letter on Monday to the Angelicum’s Rector, Fr.
Michał Paluch, O.P., who hails from Poland.
The Pope said JPII is both “the inspiration behind this
project and its first and most important architect.”
He added that the Polish Pope left the Church a “rich and
multifaceted heritage” due to “the example of his open and contemplative
spirit, his passion for God and man, for creation, history and art.”
Deep esteem for humanity
Pope Francis wrote that John Paul II always sought to
interpret historical events and personal sufferings in the light of the Holy
Spirit. This attitude, said the Pope, led him to reflect deeply on man and his
culture roots “as an essential reference point for every proclamation of the
Gospel.”
He recalled that JPII, in his first encyclical, Redemptor
Hominis, wrote that the “missionary attitude always begins with a feeling
of deep esteem for ‘what is in man’, for what man has himself worked out in the
depths of his spirit concerning the most profound and important problems.”
“We need to keep this approach alive,” said Pope Francis,
“if we wish to be an outward-looking Church, not satisfied with preserving and
administering what already exists but seeking to be faithful to our mission.”
Interpreting today’s cultural challenges
The Pope expressed his appreciation that the JPII Institute
of Culture is part of the Angelicum University.
“The Angelicum,” he wrote, “houses an academic community
comprising professors and students from throughout the world and is a fitting
place for interpreting the important challenges of today’s cultures.”
He said the Dominican tradition – which guides the
university – will certainly favor the project, “so that it will be
characterized by the courage of the truth, freedom of spirit and intellectual
honesty.”
In conclusion, Pope Francis expressed his best wishes for
the St. John Paul II Institute of Culture, and imparted his Apostolic Blessing
upon all those involved.
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