João Duque, Pro-Rector of UCP, receives Árvore da Vida Award

João Duque, Pro-Rector of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) and President of the Braga Regional Centre (CRB), received this Thursday, 15 September, the "Árvore da Vida - Padre Manuel Antunes" Award, given by the Catholic Church, at the Vita Auditorium, Braga, in recognition of his contribution in the field of Theology.

João Loureiro, full professor of the Faculty of Law of Coimbra University, presented the session and highlighted the Pro-Rector of UCP as a crusader between tradition and innovation, and between memory and future, "capable of revisiting classic themes, but also of confronting the challenges of cyberculture, with its neo-gnostic dimensions and the apocalyptic of the post-human".

As the first theologian awarded in this category, João Duque recognised this prize as "a style of theology that does not limit itself to reflecting the internal life of the church", but that "renders a service to the relationship of Europe with itself and with others, in the search for a common world": "And there is no better context for this work than the University, whether Catholic or not".

The honoree has predominantly given voice to university theology, without denying the importance of the Christian and ecclesial tradition. "I have above all two fundamental objectives: to make the theological voice heard in the concert of knowledge and cultural achievements; and to make the voice of knowledge and cultures heard within the theological voice," said the President of the CRB.

The award was presented by the President of the Episcopal Commission for Culture, Cultural Goods and Social Communications, Bishop João Lavrador, and is composed of a sculpture that symbolises the "Árvore da Vida ", by Alberto Carneiro, and 2500 euros, sponsored by the Fundação Ilídio Pinho.