On the occasion of the opening of the first edition of the John Paul II Days at the Pontifical Universities of Rome, a briefing was held on November 26, 2024, at the headquarters of the Holy See Press Office with the participation of representatives of the organizers and universities. The meeting was led by Matteo Bruni, Director of Sala Stampa.
The participants included:
- Rev. Paweł Ptasznik – President of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation, which, along with the Church of St. Stanislaus B&M in Rome and the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, is one of the co-organizers of the event
- Michał Kłosowski – representative of the Church of St. Stanislaus B&M in Rome
- Rev. Prof. Dariusz Kowalczyk S.J. – representative of the Pontifical Gregorian University
- Prof. Diego Contreras – representative of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
- Sr. Mary Angela Woelkers S.C.T.J.M. and Fr. Benedict Croell O.P. – representatives of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)
This year’s first edition of the Days is held under the theme: “Faith and Reason in the Thought of John Paul II”.
Rev. Ptasznik outlined the history and idea of the John Paul II Days in Krakow, the context of organizing a similar event in Rome, and its goals, among which the engagement and education of young people are particularly important. Michał Kłosowski invited everyone to the intergenerational debate organized as part of the Days by the Church of St. Stanislaus B&M in Rome, with the participation of, among others, Prof. Hanna Suchocka and Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. Rev. Prof. Kowalczyk from the Gregorian University spoke about the necessity of the dialogue between faith and reason in the current post-truth era, while Prof. Contreras from the Holy Cross referred to the dialogue between religion and science in the history of the Church. Finally, Sr. Woelkers and Fr. Croell highlighted the strong connection of the Roman Angelicum with the legacy of St. John Paul II.
The detailed program of the John Paul II Days at the Pontifical Universities in Rome can be found here
