International Conference ‘to listen to Africa’

May 15, 2012: "Our intention is to bring us together to listen to Africa especially in her own present context, her expectations and her potentialities in the global transformation of the modern world, according to the spirit of the Gospel, said Prof. Alberto TREVISIOL, the Rector of the Pontifical Urban University, while talking about the International conference at the University, which began on Monday.

The 3-day conference, from 14 to 16 May, focuses on ‘what does it mean to listen to Africa?’ Africa wants to talk about herself in order to let the world know not only about her problems and difficulties but also to discover and share her values, explained a press release issued on Monday.

For many years, Africa has been thought to be an 'Appendix of the world’. Often, even in the Church, we are still tempted to believe that Africa is a new edition of the Christian thought of our own image. The testimonies of African theology and philosophy instead show us clearly that Africa is not a photocopy of the West, and should not be. We have to listen to Africa to find out her real and concrete values ", added the statement.

For the occasion, an exhibition was inaugurated from May 14 (until June 2) at the Urban University Library, entitled "Ecclesia in Africa and Africa in Ecclesia: the faces of the evangelization of Africa." Most of the materials are presented for the first time to the public, including the famous "Arabian Sacred Bible" of the Vatican Polyglot.