VATICAN CITY, MAR 11, 2006 (VIS) - This evening in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father presided at an evening prayer vigil held to mark the fourth European Day for Universities which is considering the theme: "Christian humanism, the path of a new cooperation between Europe and Africa." The Day has been promoted by the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) and the vicariate of Rome's office for pastoral care in universities.
During the course of the evening, there were satellite linkups with university students in the European cities of Bonn, Dublin, Freiburg Madrid, Munich, Salamanca, St. Petersburg and Sofia, and the African cities of Abidjan, Antananarivo, Owerri and Nairobi.
The Pope arrived in the Hall at 6 p.m. and led the recitation of the rosary. He then addressed some words to the young people present and those following the event via the satellite linkups.
"This Marian vigil so dear to Pope John Paul II," he said, "creates bridges of fraternity between the young university students of Europe, and this evening it extends those bridges to within the great continent of Africa, so that communion may grow among the new generations and the civilization of love may spread. For this reason, to our friends following us from Africa I wish to send a particularly affectionate embrace, which I would like to extend to all the dear African people."
After pronouncing greetings in Spanish, English, German, French, Russian and Bulgarian, the Holy Father referred to his recent Encyclical "Deus caritas est," copies of which he then distributed to ten student representatives. "In this way," he said, "I intend to give it symbolically to all university students of Europe and Africa, in the hope that the fundamental truth of Christian faith - God is love - may illuminate the journey of each of you and, through your witness, may come to irradiate the lives of those who study with you."
He continued: "This truth concerning the love of God - origin, meaning and goal of the universe and of history - was revealed by Jesus Christ with His Word and His Life, most of all in His Paschal death and resurrection. It lies at the base of Christian knowledge which, like leavening, has the capacity to ferment all human cultures, bringing them to express the best of themselves and cooperate in developing a more just and peaceful world."
The Pope invited the university students to read his Message for 21st World Youth Day which is being celebrated this year in various dioceses on Palm Sunday. As preparation for the Day, he encouraged them to participate in the traditional meeting in St. Peter's Square, due to take place on April 6. "We will welcome the pilgrim Cross which has cone from Cologne, Germany and, a year after his death, recall with grateful hearts my great predecessor John Paul II."
The Day concluded with the pilgrimage of the university students' cross from the Paul VI Hall to the Church of St. Agnes in Rome's Piazza Navona.
AC/.../UNIVERSITY STUDENTS VIS 20060313 (520)
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