SYMPOSIUM OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS: FAMILIES IN EUROPE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 8, 2004 (VIS) - "The family in Europe: Foundations-Experiences-Perspectives" is the theme of a European symposium of professors from universities from all over the continent which will take place on June 24-27 at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. The conference is organized by the Office for the Pastoral Care of Universities of the Vicariate of Rome in conjunction with the Italian Ministries of Education and Labor and Social Politics.

  According to a communique made public today, the objective of this interdisciplinary academic conference "is to open up new perspectives for research on the problems and the role of the family in modern society, with the perception that Europe is built on the life of the community which shows the roots of the history and culture of peoples."

  The symposium will begin with an introductory talk on the topic "The person, marriage and family," followed by talks by professors, including Janne Haaland-Matlary of the University of Oslo in Norway. On Friday June 25, Archbishop Carlo Caffarra of Bologna, Italy, will give lead a session entitled, "The family: truth and history." Later, an audience with the Pope is scheduled. In the afternoon, the experiences and problems of the family in Europe will be discussed. The following professors are scheduled to address the assembly: Pierpaolo Donati of the University of Bologna; Rafael Navarro-Valls of the Complutense University in Madrid, Spain; Paul War of the University of Dublin, Ireland; Richard Puza of the University of Tubingen, Germany; Alicja Grzeskowiak of the Catholic Unversity of Lublin, Poland and Johannes Strangas of the Panteion University in Athens, Greece.

  Saturday June 26 will be dedicated to sessions on various topics: family and law; family, society and institutions; family and education; family and health care; family and commerce; family and the elderly; family and communication and family and artistic and literary expression.
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