Homily mass by Card. Sandri for the opening ceremony of Accademic Year

“The beginning of the academic year is an opportunity, it is kairòs above all to pray“, saied Card. Sandri in the homily delivered during the mass, celebrated with the Latin rite, which he presided at the inauguration of the Academic Year. A moment of prayer that gathered the entire academic community in the Basilica of Santa Prassede. It was relevant the prayers of the faithful dedicated to peace and read by students from countries suffering from the perpetration of conflicts in those areas of the world.

The same card. Sandri stressed how important it is to speak of peace and that “A time will come when the children of the same baptism no longer have to use the word” enemy “to call each other, but return to pronounce and live that word in authenticity. of “brother”.” Finally, the reference to the missionary dimension of academic life is significant: “The Pontifical Oriental Institute has a mission entrusted by the Supreme Pontiffs, the teachers above all the Jesuits are here having received a mission, the students are sent here to prepare for the mission: all these aspects are lead back to the proclamation of the Gospel. If our Institution does not live from the dynamics, that is, from the movement of the Spirit who calls and sends us, it becomes sterile and an end in itself ”.

Many priests concelebrating, present together with students and teachers of the institute. Together with the cardinal also concelebrated the Archbishop Secretary of the Dicastery, His Excellency, Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro, the Auxiliary Bishop of Ternopil in Ukraine His Exc. Teodor Martynyuk, the Rector of the Oriental Institute Father David E. Nazar SJ and the Delegate of the Superior General for the Interprovincial Houses and Works of the Society of Jesus in Rome, Father Johan Verschueren SJ.