Europe: Salesian Catholic University Must Spread Culture of Cross on Continent

Fr. Pascual Chavez, speaking at the Pontifical Salesian University, suggests an alternative to the culture of individualism

Rome (Italy), 15 October (VID) – In front of Europe, a continent which is living, as the Pope describes it, a silent apostasy, the task of a Catholic university is indicate an alternative culture capable of re-proposing horizons of solidarity and of hope to all humankind especially to the most needy, said Fr. Pascual Chavez, Major Rector of the Salesians, while speaking at the inauguration of academic year at the Pontifical Salesian University.

Fr. Chavez added practical conclusions by a biblical reflection on the meaning of the cross in a culture, like that Europe breathes, which moves toward living as if God does not exist.

It is necessary to conscious of the European context in which “we are sent, to help it rediscover hope and future. We are not the only ones responsible for this mission but there should be no space for indifference or a lack of commitment. All can be protagonists in this Europe in an accelerated and profound process of the change”.

The problem is cultural, and it is worth saying”, according to Fr. Chavez, “because a new culture has been implanted and the solution will be found in creating a new culture that responds to the most profound needs of the human person”.

“The refusal of the cross that comes from a culture of egoism, individualism and epicurism” is the refusal of God Crucified who is the God of Love. The visceral repugnance of the cross that we sometimes feel is the clearest expression of paganism. The crose “is only one in respect to the transcendence of God”.

“In it, in fact, God reveals himself in a way that man does not like to see God, as he never would have imagined him. With the cross, Jesus touches the bottom not only of humiliation but of total defeat from which it seemed he could never be lifted up. But from his death, this death on the cross, came life, from an ignoble fall came supreme glorification”.

In the light of this sign of the Crucified “all our preconceived ideas are destroyed. The behavior of the Servant will be exactly the contrary to that of the greats of history, who raise their power on the ruins of cities and the dead bodies of their enemies. He will come with the power of conviction, slower to act but more secure in its effects, never violent but always efficacious”.

“To attempt to build the city of men without God is to repeat the story of the Tower of Babel – the sin of hubris, from where dispersion, incomprehension and exclusion all began. It is important to enter into the design of God, in his logic with his grammar to build communion and peace, peace with ourselves, with alters and with God”.

“Perhaps reading the Post Synodal Letter we feel at a disadvantage either because the image presented there seems excessively pessimistic or because we are aware of an unbalance between these great challenges and insignificant solutions”.

The task of the Catholic university and a Salesian university is that of offering its own contribution at this time in the history of the continent, “above all with the competence and scientific rigor united to an intense spiritual life and supported by it but also with the creation of cultural laboratories where there is a dialog between faith and culture, between science, philosophy and theology, and where ethics is as an intrinsic exigency for research and an authentic service to humankind”.

“Our University”, concluded Fr. Chavez quoting the Pope, “is called, at this time in history, to underline the “priority of the spirit over matter; the priority of persons over things; the priority of ethics over technology; the priority of work over capital; the priority of universal destiny of goods over private property; the priority of pardon over justice; the priority of the common good over personal interests”.