The group of research 'Science, Reason and Faith' and the high school of Anthropology and Ethics of the University of Navarra organized the workshop 'Faith in the University', on the occasion of the Year of Faith.

position Luis Romera, President of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross; Leonardo Rodríguez Duplá, professor of Philosophy of the Complutense University of Madrid; and Ignacio López Goñi, Dean of the School of Sciences of the University of Navarra.

Msgr. Luis Romera began his intervention with an address to reference letter to the document prepared by Ratzinger for the Second Vatican Council, on the "challenges of the modern world". Romera highlighted four ideas: the experience of the unity of humanity, technology, modern faith in science and the cultural force of ideologies.

He explained that these challenges continue to exist in today's world, which is characterized to a large extent by globalization, the strong technical mediation in intimacy staff and in social relations, the fragmentation of the vision of man as a consequence of the multiplicity of scientific knowledge, and the new ideologies that try to fill the void of answers about the meaning left by the 'explosion' of the scientific knowledge .

He also recalled that the then Cardinal Ratzinger pointed out at that time three great themes that are still valid today: the miracle of love, the experience of guilt and the need for redemption and the yearning for the infinite that beats in the depths of the human heart.

The University, a 'unit of intellectuals'.

In this context, Bishop Romera reflected on what the University is. He pointed out that it must be universal and cannot be a mere "agglomeration of experts", but must be a "unity of intellectuals". Thus, he indicated that, although specialization is required to advance knowledge, training in a general sense and multidisciplinarity are also necessary.

"In the University, a reason is developed manager, which knows how to give answers", he emphasized. For this, he pointed out that it is necessary to develop the sapiential (wisdom, sophia), which is distinguished from the sectorial (sciences, episteme). This openness to the multidisciplinarity occurs on two levels: that of the Philosophy (sensitivity to the Philosophy in each discipline) and that of faith (the Philosophy opens to the wisdom proper to faith).

Romera said that faith financial aid raises questions and, in addition, gives answers: "Faith in the University is not simply assumed, but is a faith that is thought out".

"That 'faith becomes culture' means that faith orients, inspires and encourages creativity. Reason opens up to it because it is driven to find definitive answers," he said.

Reason, an ally of Christianity

For his part, Leonardo Rodríguez-Duplá highlighted two ideas: on the one hand, that the presence of faith in the University is a requirement that stems from Christian self-understanding, from Christian identity itself; and the need for an institutionalized presence of faith in the University.

He also addressed the relationship between science and religion (between reason and faith) and compared how this relationship has often been thought of in disjunctive terms: either freedom of the rational knowledge or loving obedience to the Bible. In other words, either life according to reason or life according to Revelation.

"On the other hand, Christianity has always shown great interest in Philosophy. It has always seen reason as an ally, not as an enemy," he said. In this sense, he pointed out that this is precisely one of the characteristics of the thought of Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI.