The Academic Year 2018 – 2019 at the Augustinian Institute will commence precisely on Friday 5th October 2018. At 6.15pm the VR Provincial Fr. Leslie Gatt OSA, and Preside of the Institute, will preside the Eucharistic celebration which officially kicks off the academic year.
This year’s theme will be addressing Augustine of Hippo and some other Fathers of the Church as Bridge-builders for religions. The focus for this year will be on Augustine as model for ecumenism. Besides members from the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta, the newly-elected President of the prestigious House of Studies, the Holy Spirit College in Louvain, and President of Leo XIII Seminary, the Rt Revd Mgr Prof. Gabriel Quicke, will also be delivering a lecture.
Lectures will be held every Friday, starting from Friday, 5th October to Friday 7th December 2018. The time frame of every lecture is from 6.15pm to 7.15pm. Ample parking space will be available at the adjacent St Augustine’s College grounds. Fees will be received by post (cheque to be drawn on Revd Prof. Salvino Caruana), or on day of commencement of lectures. For further information one can write to Prof. S. Caruana OSA PO Box 61 Msida PO MSD 1000. Or send an email to Prof. Caruana on caruana.salvino@gmail.com. One can also contact him on his personal mobile phone on the number: 79294177 or the landline phone number: 2124 9407. One can also opt to contact the secretary of the Augustinian Institute, Ms A. Borg, by emailing her on: E.toineborg@onvol.net, or by phoning on one of the following numbers: 9945 0099, 7770 8700 or 2127 0827.
This new accademic year at the Augustinian Institute will celebrate a new publication on Martin Luther and the Reformation. In fact, on Friday, 12th October 2018, at 7.00pm at St. Augustine’s College, Pieta’, Revd Prof. Salvino Caruana’s new book on Martin Luther: “Jien s’hawn nista'”. (Martinu Luteru) Riforma jew riforma? will be presented to the general public. Throughout the event two local musicians will perform some musical pieces from the times of Martin Luther. Mgr Prof. Hector Scerri, Pro-Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta, will deliver an appreciation of Prof. Caruana’s book. The book will be on sale at a special price for the occasion. The VR Fr Provincial Leslie Gatt OSA will preside the evening. Drinks will follow. Ample parking spaces in the College grounds are available for those who plan to attend.
The input that will be given at these lectures will greatly help to better appreciate the interreligious dialogue, which the Catholic Church has been engaged in, particularly since Pentecost Sunday of 1964. The institution of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), which is the Catholic Church’s central office for the promotion of interreligious dialogue inspired by the Second Vatican Council spirit, especially by the declaration Nostra Aetate, helps to bring about that dialogue officially. In fact, the PCID is responsible of promoting mutual understanding, respect and collaboration between Catholics and the followers of other religious traditions; encouraging the study of religions and promoting the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue.
On the other hand, dialogue takes place in the day-to-day living. Thus, this year’s academic material that will be covered at the Institute, will surely help those who will be following it to be caring, attentive and responsible participants in the dialogue of life by the way they live their faith’s ethical principles in favour of solidarity, justice and peace among all religions and people of good will.
In his address to the representatives of different religions of Thursday, 3 November 2016, Pope Francis said:
“May there instead be fostered everywhere the peaceful encounter of believers and genuine religious freedom. Here, our responsibility before God, humanity and the future is great; it calls for unremitting effort, without dissimulation. It is a call that challenges us, a path to be taken together, for the good of all, and with hope. May the religions be wombs of life, bearing the merciful love of God to a wounded and needy humanity; may they be doors of hope helping to penetrate the walls erected by pride and fear”.
The Academic Year 1018-2019 wants to inculcate you with these essential values that single out a true follower of Jesus Christ in today’s world. Will you follow it?