Address Upon the Conferral of the ‘Gold Medal’, Comenius University Bratislava, 1 October 2017
Dear Magnificent Rector,
Distinguished members of the Academic Senate,
Dear teachers and students,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you very much, Rector Karol Mičieta, for your kind words and for the prestigious ‘Gold Medal’ conferred upon me by you on behalf of the Comenius University. It is a great honour for me to be welcomed by your Academic Senate and to have received this award, which has been bestowed upon so many illustrious recipients, including Cardinal Angelo Sodano and Cardinal Ján Chryzostom Korec. I will keep this medal as a cherished memory of my visit to this beautiful city of Bratislava.
Your university is named after Jean Amos Comenius, a 17th century pastor from the Hussite tradition, considered to be one of the fathers of modern pedagogy, and sometimes also a precursor of ecumenism. In this year in which we commemorate the Reformation, this name obviously cannot leave me indifferent.
Aware of the extent to which Comenius suffered from the religious intolerance of his time, I would first like to rejoice in the positive ecumenical relations in Slovakia today. The recent agreements between some of the churches in your country on the issue of ecclesiastical property confiscated during the communist era or on the mutual recognition of baptism are often cited as examples. Last night, at the magnificent International Ecumenical Concert organized by the NAPS – Our Activities pro Slovakia Institute, I was able to see how ecumenism is a foundational value and a reality lived in your country. I also do not forget that your university comprises a faculty of Catholic theology and a faculty of Lutheran theology. Good ecumenical relations are not only a sign of Christian maturity, but also, I am sure, a valuable social testimony in your country.
Building a common future is impossible without first reflecting on the past. In this regard, I would also like, with reference to Comenius, to acknowledge the work of reconciliation that has been undertaken on the long-contested figure of Jan Hus. This exemplary process enabled even the signing of a joint declaration between Catholics and Protestants rehabilitating the historical and spiritual heritage of this important but long divisive figure of Christianity in this region. The work of the ‘purification of memory’ which enables the process of reconciliation relies on scholarly historical studies. It is here that the university can and must play a role in ecumenism by promoting a common rereading of history, which has become an integral part of the ‘dialogue of truth’ between our churches.
In referring to the figure of Jean Amos Comenius, I would finally like to refer to the field of education, in which he left a remarkable trace. The educational work of the Reformation was largely based on the conviction that an educated population could directly access the sacred texts. Comenius, for his part, founded his pedagogical principles on a true religious philosophy, a ‘pedagogy of unity’: “omnia ab Uno, omnia ad Unum, all from one and all towards one”. Without wishing to discuss this approach here, I would say that modern ecumenism has changed the way we teach. The Decree on Ecumenism ‘Unitatis redintegratio’ of the Second Vatican Council demands that “[s]acred theology and other branches of knowledge, especially of an historical nature, must be taught with due regard for the ecumenical point of view, so that they may correspond more exactly with the facts” (UR 10). In other words, it is not only a teaching of ecumenism that must be promoted, but also a genuine ecumenism of teaching enabling the critical integration of different points of view. Indeed, to “correspond more exactly with the facts” is an objective of ecumenism, but also of all academic undertaking.
To conclude, I cannot fail to mention here a recent event and that is most likely dear to many of you. Two days ago, Cardinal Angelo Amato celebrated in this city the beatification of Don Tito Zeman as a martyr, persecuted for organizing the clandestine passage to Turin of young Salesians so that they could continue their formation there. May the example of Blessed Tito inspire and encourage us in our concern for the formation of the younger generations!
Dear Rector, and dear faculty members of this venerable university, I thank you again for your warm welcome and for the honour you have bestowed upon me. It is a source of great joy to be able to visit your country and to meet with representatives of the different churches, the State and civil society. On behalf of the Holy See and on my own behalf, let me extend my most sincere wishes for your undertakings devoted to teaching and scholarly research, a work that is so precious for the promising future of your noble nation.