“Let us not be afraid to speak to the world!” Welcome Day, Alphonsian Academy, Rome

(Rome, Italy) – The “Welcome Day” of the academic year 2018-19 took place on October 2, 2018, at the Alphonsian Academy, Rome, a day dedicated to welcome the new students who start their studies and come together to start the new academic year.

The Welcome Day of this year was inaugurated with the greeting of the outgoing president, Fr. Andrzej S. Wodka, followed by the presentation of the video of Pope Francis’s speech to the Congregation for Catholic Education in 2016, in which the Holy Father insisted on the true objective to which the service of teaching must tend, that is, the integral formation of the person, alternated with short clips concerning experiences of this approach carried out in various parts of the world.

“We must not be afraid to talk to the world! For this reason it is necessary to prepare for the difficult task of moral theologians, starting from a hermeneutics of complexity to correctly read the signs of the times “, with these words, Father Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R, Consultor General of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,  welcomed the participants on behalf of the Moderator General of the Academy, Fr. Michael Brehl.

“Administering a teaching and research centre, like the art of teaching, always requires a critical look at reality, to look for the best ways to make it a welcoming place for everyone and at the same time to reflect and produce knowledge in various fields of moral theology”, continued Fr. Gomes.

Followed by this, as part of the project to prepare for the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Alphonsus, Doctor of the Church, Fr. Seamus Enright C.Ss.R. gave a talk, in English, on the theme: “St. Alphonsus crossing the Alps. The beginning of reception of Alphonsian Moral Theology in Europe “. The theme was based on the interaction and fruitful link between the Alphonsian moral theology and pastoral practice in a period and in a region, during the nineteenth century in France, of crucial importance for the history of moral theology. The speaker explained that a fundamental role in the transition from a religion of “fear” (a legacy of Gallican rigorism) to one of love was played by the introduction of the Liguorian approach in the French Church, in particular, thanks to figures like Mons. Devie and Thomas Gousset, influences that were then applied eminently in the ministry of the Saint, Jean Marie Vianney.

During the afternoon session of the day, after the first part of the programme there were  meetings of various language groups, and meetings of the students at different levels of study: those of the first year of License were able to benefit from the presentation and visit to the Library premises; second-year students, on the other hand, witnessed the presentation on other important steps towards the achievement of the title, that is, the topic discussions, real lessons held by the candidates etc.; finally, the PhD students participated in the first meeting of the seminar dedicated to the structure of the Doctoral work, on the topic of “spirituality”.

During the day, the participants were able to know more about the Institute of Moral Theology and everything concerning the educational programme, the Biennium study program, the Library and the details for each group of students interested in the License or PhD.

Andrea Pizzichini

2nd year student

Alphonsian Academy