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Catholic World News News Feature

Pope Lauds Work of Pontifical Urban University December 02, 2002

VATICAN, Dec 2, 02 (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II met on November 29 with the faculty of the Pontifical Urban University, to celebrate that institution's 375th anniversary.

The Urbanium, the Pope pointed out, is different from other pontifical universities in its commitment to the missionary work of the Church. Because of that commitment, the university is under the aegis of the Congregation for Evangelization. The Pope remarked that the school is committed to "consider carefully the problem of inter-religious dialogue and its theological, Christological, and ecclesiological dimensions." While engaged in that inter-religious dialogue, the Pontiff continued, the Urbanium cannot compromise its equal commitment to "important duty" of evangelization. The Pontifical Urban University derives its name from its founder, Pope Urban VIII, who set up the new institution to support missionary work during the era of European colonization. Pope John Paul reminded his audience that Pope Urban VIII "was concerned with keep the Church free from the influence of the colonial powers," so that evangelization could be carried out without restraint as the Christian world came into closer contact with Asia, Africa, and the New World.