Federico Lombardi reminds the University of Navarra that theology is called to continue advancing at the service of the Church

"Ratzinger's work and example are a solid and open reference letter for the inexhaustible search for truth". This was stated by Federico Lombardi, president of the Joseph Ratzinger Vatican Foundation, in his message at the inauguration of the congress Evangelization. Believing, thinking, and celebrating according to J. Ratzinger / Benedict XVIorganized from April 28 to 30 by the School of Theology of the University of Navarra and the J. Ratzinger Vatican Foundation.

Lombardi, being so recent the death of Pope Francis, in his speech (read by Prof. Pierluca Azzaro) offered a brief testimony on the pontiff's gaze towards the Foundation. He emphasized that, over the past nine years, the Foundation has worked in continuity with both popes in a stage "not lived as a problem, but as a grace." 

He pointed out that "now, with a new pontificate on the horizon, a new stage in the journey of the Church guided by the Spirit is opening," he said, convinced that the theological and spiritual bequest of Joseph Ratzinger will continue to offer "a lasting and vital contribution" to the Church and that it continues to be a firm and open reference letter to face the great theological challenges of the present, such as the dialogue between faith and culture, the relationship with other religions and the reflection on human dignity and Christian hope. In this sense, he emphasized that theology is called to continue advancing at the service of a Church guided by the Spirit in the context of the Third Millennium.

From left to right, Gregorio Guitián, Dean of the School of Theology; María Iraburu, president of the University; and Pierluca Azzaro, executive director and manager of institutional and cultural relations of the Vatican Joseph Ratzinger Foundation.

Contributing to evangelization with a faith incarnated in knowledge

The Dean of the School of Theology, Gregorio Guitián, and the president of the University, María Iraburu, also took part in the inauguration ceremony. They, being so recent the death of Pope Francis, invited the attendees to keep him very much in mind. In this regard, Iraburu recalled that these are also times for the Church, individuals and institutions, "to consider more radically our commitment to the task of evangelization. 

In this regard, he shared new considerations on the university and evangelization, drawing on the experience of the University of Navarra and the teachings of the last two popes, "to whom we owe so much," he said.

To this end, he drew a portrait of the university project at the service of Catholic evangelization, highlighting five essential features. In the first place, he underlined the university as a space for dialogue among knowledge, where paradigms are questioned and new paths are opened, in line with Benedict XVI's vision of a reason open to the transcendent. He also vindicated the need to address the great questions, including the question of God, and recognized the contribution of the ecclesiastical sciences in the construction of a university that is truly open to transcendence.
He also defended the university as a place of transformative meeting between professors and students, where the shared search for truth engages and changes people. In this process, he pointed out the role of the professor as a guide capable of awakening the desire to know, in the style of the great masters. Fourthly, he claimed the role of beauty as a way of integral training and finally he emphasized the committed and solidary vision. In this sense, he emphasized the potential of universities to be "quarries of hope" and laboratories of dialogue, justice and human dignity, as Pope Francis has stressed.

Gänswein, currently apostolic nuncio to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, secretary staff to Pope Benedict XVI and prefect of the Pontifical Household (2012-2023).

Three conference with international experts from various Christian denominations

The event brought together international experts from various Christian denominations for three conference. The first of these, focused on ecumenism and evangelization, opened with the intervention of Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, who gave the lecture "Evangelization and Ecumenism in Benedict VI". This was followed by the first panel dedicated to the figure of Jesus of Nazareth, with three interventions. The first was by Professor Vicente Balaguer of the University of Navarra, who reflected on "Jesus of Nazareth, what history? Professor Sven Grosse, from the Staatsunabhängigen Theologischen Hochschule Basel, gave a Lutheran view with "The Sacred Scripture: Human Word and Divine Word". Finally, Professor Christos Karakolis of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens offered an Orthodox perspective on "The Relevance of the Historical Method in the Ecclesial Interpretation of the Bible: Reflections on the Preface to the Book of Jesus by J. Ratzinger". In the afternoon there was time for the presentation of various papers by the participants.

The second workshop of the meeting had as its main topic the liturgy and evangelization of the German pope and included the intervention of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, who spoke on "The Sacred Liturgy and the poor: true treasures of the Church". The second panel, degree scroll "The Spirit of the Liturgy", was followed by Professor José Luis Gutiérrez, of the Pontifical University of Santa Croce (Rome), who discussion paper on "The Cosmic Dimension of Christian Worship"; Professor Michael Lang, from St Mary's University (Twickenham, London), with his discussion paper "The vicarious representation (Stellvertretung) in the theology of the liturgy of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI"; and Professor Juan José Silvestre, from the University of Navarra, who gave the lecture "Participating in the paschal mystery, a dream to be realized". In the afternoon, in addition to the presentation of the papers of some of the participants, a Eucharistic concelebration was celebrated in the Church of St. Nicholas of Pamplona.

Georg Gänswein, Apostolic Nuncio to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, who spoke onmission statement and evangelization in the writings of Joseph Ratzinger". The third panel focused on "Faith, Truth and Tolerance". Professor Manuel Aroztegui, from the San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University (Madrid), with the discussion paper "Reason, Philosophy and antiquity according to Ratzinger"; Professor Tracey Rowland, from Notre Dame University (Australia), with a lecture on "Genealogy of modernity according to Joseph Ratzinger"; and Professor Pierluca Azzaro, from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, who reflected on "Who are we? Early sources on European identity in Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI". 

After the panel, there was a space for dialogue with the speakers, and the congress concluded with closing remarks and words of thanks position the School of Theology Professor Pablo Blanco, member of the organizing committee of the congress, and Professor Gregorio Guitián, Dean of the School of Theology.