HOLY FATHER PRAYS ROSARY WITH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

VATICAN CITY, 10 OCT 2009 (VIS) - A Marian vigil entitled "With Africa and for Africa" was held this evening in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, for the occasion of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. The event was promoted by the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and the Office for Pastoral Care in Universities of the Vicariate of Rome.

  Among those participating in the vigil were the Synod Fathers, Roman university students and, through satellite link, university students from eight cities in Africa: Cairo, Egypt; Nairobi, Kenya; Khartoum, Sudan; Johannesburg, South Africa; Onitsha, Nigeria; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Maputo, Mozambique, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

  The Holy Father prayed the Rosary with the participants, then pronounced some brief remarks.

  "As on previous occasions, this evening too, we have used modern communications technology to 'throw out a net' - a net of prayer! - connecting Rome to Africa", he said.

  The Pope then went on to recall a recent conference held in Rome, organised by the Office for Co-operation in Development of the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Vicariate of Rome, on the theme: "For a new culture of development in Africa: the role of university co-operation". He expressed his appreciation for such initiatives and highlighted their importance for "the education of young intellectuals and scientific and cultural exchange between universities" and for "integral human development in Africa and on other continents.

  "In this context", he added, "I ideally entrusted to you, dear young people, the Encyclical 'Caritas in Veritate', in which I recall the urgency of creating a new humanist synthesis re-establishing the link between anthropology and theology".

  "Dear university students of Rome and Africa, I ask you to be - in the Church and in society - workers of intellectual charity, which is so necessary if we are to face up to the great challenges of the present time. At university you must be sincere and passionate seekers of truth, building academic communities of the highest intellectual standard, where it is possible to exercise and enjoy that open and all-embracing rationality which paves the way to the meeting with God".

  He went on: "Build bridges of scientific and cultural collaboration between your various universities, especially with African universities. And, dear African students, I invite you in particular to live your period of study as a preparation to carry out a service of cultural animation in your countries. New evangelisation in Africa also depends on your generous efforts".

  Having concluded his remarks, the Pope gave copies of his Encyclical "Caritas in Veritate" to a number of Roman and African university students, After the vigil the cross was carried in procession from the Paul VI Hall to the nearby LUMSA University (Libera Universita di Santa Maria Assunta).
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