Conference "Towards a polyhedral vision" on Pastoral Care in Catholic Universities

For the first time, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, headed by Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça, held a Congress on University Pastoral Care in Catholic Universities in Rome on 23 and 24 November, with the theme "Towards a polyhedral vision".

The meeting, which was attended by around 200 university pastoral leaders and university chaplains from Catholic universities, representing 44 nationalities, was an opportunity to analyse and reflect on the purpose and mission of university pastoral care and a moment to listen to what is happening in different realities, as well as to share best practices in this area.

The Universidade Católica Portuguesa was represented by the chaplains of Braga, Porto and Lisbon, Fathers Eduardo Duque, Zé Pedro Azevedo and Miguel Vasconcelos, as well as Carmo Themudo from the Unit for the Integral Development of the Person.

At the opening conference, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, current Prefect of the newly created Dicastery for Culture and Education, shared the theme "Announcing the Gospel in a University Context", offering reflections on the polyhedral vision. "I believe this is what Pope Francis is talking about when he challenges us to replace the sphere with the polyhedron. He says: "The model is not the sphere... The model is the polyhedron, which reflects the confluence of all the partialities that maintain their originality within it? and which truly incorporates everyone (EG 236)" 

The meeting ended with an audience with the Pope, in which Pope Francis recommended three attitudes: appreciating differences, accompanying with care and acting with courage.