What
is UNIV?
UNIV 2006: the Pope, with students from 200 universities throughout the world
On Monday 10 April, at 11:20 midday, about 5,000 young people who are taking part in the 39th UNIV meeting will be received in audience by Pope Benedict XVI in the Pope Paul VI Hall (the Vatican).
This university meeting in Rome gathers together students from 32 countries
from all over the world.
The event will include songs of welcome for the Pope, an address by
the president of UNIV 2006, Anthony Njugi Gichiki, who holds a degree
in Public Accountancy from Strathmore University, Kenya, and an address
by the Holy Father.
This is the first audience that Pope Benedict XVI has given to the students
of UNIV. The UNIV meetings, organised by the Institute for University
Cooperation (ICU) began in 1968 under the inspiration of St Josemaría
Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei. They provide an occasion for an exchange
of cultures for students from all places, and an opportunity for them
to be with the Pope, who has received them from the beginning: first
Paul VI, then John Paul II, and now Benedict XVI. The addresses by the
Popes can be found on the web: www.icu.it/univ
Opus Dei organizes the activities of Christian formation that appear
in the general program. Those attending also take advantage of the meeting
to see the city of Rome, and the mark that Christianity has made from
the earliest centuries.
Every year the meeting is organized around a central topic which the
university students discuss. The title for this year's conference is:
"Projecting culture: the language of the means of communication".
The participating university students, from more than 200 countries
worldwide will present their analysis and proposals at different UNIV
forums: conferences, seminars, debates, study groups and round tables.
In the words of Carlo De Marchi, Secretary General of ICU and coordinator
of the meeting, "For the university students, it is always a great
joy to be received in audience by the Pope". He added that, "it
is beautiful to be listened to, truly moving and besides, as it is the
first audience with Benedict XVI, we want to bring to the Holy Father
the affection and love of ourselves and those of our colleagues from
200 universities worldwide".
The topics from the previous 39 UNIV meetings, as well as other data
of interest can be found on the internet: www.icu.it/univ