In front of the Temple of the Los Jerónimos Monastery, full of colour because of the headgears of the academic doctors, UCAM Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia celebrated, this morning, its Solemn Opening Ceremony for the 2019/20 academic year. The event was presided over by José Luis Mendoza, president of UCAM, accompanied by Josefina García Lozano, chancellor of the institution; Fernando López Miras, president of the Community; Miguel Motas, member of the Regional Ministry of Employment, Research and Universities; Antonio Montoro, Honorary chancellor, and cardinal Aquilino Bocos, who presided at the initial Eucharist.

“Such a big and prestigious” university

Lucio Adrián began the inaugural lecture, by cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary of the Synod of the Bishops (who could not attend the event) by thanking for the possibility to give this speech in UCAM, “such a big and prestigious university”, about which he said that, for today’s Church, it is a profound richness the fact of “being able to contemplate such a big and complete work, born, promoted and carried on by lay persons”.

The Amazon forest under threat

The Secretary of the Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See presented the main conclusions of the Synod of the Amazon, reporting that people suffers from the consequences of a progress that is beneficial only for a few persons and that is frequently supported by governments. The document outlines that the attacks against nature have consequences against the life of people, and it demands “international solidarity in the care of the Amazon Biome”, and it claims that “the human being should be the custodian of the Hearth, not its predator”.

Society support

The president of UCAM, José Luis Mendoza, highlighted that this university is a source of wisdom, knowledge and culture, “we try to make present the love of God and his mercy among our students”. During the past academic year, it made a 17 million Euro investment in research and it has 22,000 students, 4,600 of which are foreign, so “the estimate value of the human capital generated by UCAM during the 2017/2018 academic year is of 747 million of Euro”, according to the estimates of the prestigious international consultancy firm Price WaterHouse Cooper, which also sets the growth of its environment far above the regional average. The president of UCAM showed his confidence in the fact that the problems pending with the regional administration will be solved to continue providing service and generating wealth.

The chancellor, Josefina García, highlighted the need to resume a dialogue with the regional government, “without intermediaries”, to resolve the “unbearable asphyxiation in the development of new infrastructures, introduction of degrees, mismanagement of hospital internships, incomprehensible inequalities in the treatment and consideration of the right of the students”. And she highlighted that “UCAM is supported by society, as it can be seen in the increasing number of students and families who trust this institution”.

Fernando López Miras, president of the Region of Murcia, said that he does not conceive a higher education that is not diverse and plural, “and the contribution of UCAM is absolutely necessary, because of the quality of its training programmes, the level of research, the work as ambassadors of the Region of Murcia that it carries out through sport, the values that it transmits in the light of Christian humanism”. And he added that “your effort is not only acknowledged in the Region of Murcia, nor only in Spain, but in the entire world”.

Far beyond scientific work

Cardinal Aquilino Bocos, who presided at the initial Eucharist, pointed out, during the homily, that “UCAM wants to be a centre of communion, far beyond its scientific work. It would not make any sense to limit its work to the fulfilment of the academic record”. Furthermore, he celebrated the announcement that UCAM will manage the centre of the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute in Madrid: “It’s a challenge, and it allows this university to grow in its attitudes to go out for a mission and to carry out communion in study and in research; including now the biggest efforts to bring to families the joy of love and of Gospel, especially to those who live in a situation of fragility”.