The Metropolitan Archbishop of Braga argued yesterday that a Catholic university must contribute to the construction of the world through faith.
D. José Cordeiro, who presided over the Mass of the Holy Spirit, celebrated in the Chapel of the Faculty of Theology, to mark the solemn beginning of the new academic year at the Portuguese Catholic University Regional Centre of Braga, maintained that, as the university is the place of deepest reflection, the place where the most diverse world views are presented and debated, the Church cannot dispense with its presence in these places. "Thus, a Catholic university must be able to present the contribution of the Christian faith to the construction of today's world. For this reason, the Catholic University cannot only educate in the rational aspect, it must educate human beings in a coherent whole. And, above all, coherent with the Gospel, so that each disciple of Christ may be what the Master asked them to be, salt of the earth and light of the world," he emphasised.
In his homily, the prelate quoted part of the message sent by Pope Leo XIV to the participants in the 28th General Assembly of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, held in Mexico. In it, said D. José Cordeiro, the Holy Father maintains that ‘Christ does not present himself as a stranger to rational discourse, but rather as a cornerstone that gives meaning and harmony to all our thoughts, all our desires and our projects to improve our present life and to give meaning and transcendence to human endeavour.’ "Thus, Jesus Christ is the key to reading the signs of the times today. Christ must always be the key to a hopeful outlook, the compass that guides the study and reflection of every member of this university, whether in theology, philosophy or social work. This will be our identity, which distinguishes us and leads us to want to be in the world, placing ourselves at the service of transforming that world, collaborating with the true Master, until the world is transformed into the Kingdom of God, where tolerance, peace, justice and fraternity are put into practice and at the service of the common good," he added.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Braga emphasised in his homily that the Eucharist is the great horizon of hope, the place where we listen to the Word and experience the Mystery of the Bread and the Angels to nourish the path of truth, trust and peace. For D. José Cordeiro, the university is called to be a sign of hope. Referring to the fact that yesterday's Eucharist commemorated the Holy Guardian Angels, the prelate maintained that ‘everyone can be angels, travelling companions, with one another, never against one another and never without one another’.
At the end of the Eucharist, the new chaplain and spiritual assistant of the Portuguese Catholic University Regional Centre of Braga was announced, who will be Father Carlos Miranda, replacing Canon Eduardo Duque.
