Legionaries of Christ announce opening of new university in Rome

Published: 2004-10-01

ROME (CNS) -- The Legionaries of Christ have announced the opening next year of a Rome university aimed at renewing the Christian content of European education. The European University of Rome will open to students in October 2005, Legionary Father Paolo Scarafoni said at a press conference in Rome Sept. 30. The recently constructed complex on the outskirts of Rome will host up to 7,000 students, offering degree courses in philosophy, historical sciences, psychology and juridical sciences. The program will include specialized courses in bioethics. Father Scarafoni said the university program is designed to emphasize classical humanism and the contributions of Christianity. It will prepare students to deal with ethical and other questions arising in modern Europe "in the face of fears of cultural decadence on the continent," he said. The ultramodern campus will include facilities for major international conferences and teleconferences, as well as ample computer facilities for students. The new institution is one of 12 universities administered by the Legionaries of Christ, a religious order that originated in Mexico. The order also runs 10 other university-level formation institutions and 158 schools. The Rome university will be state-recognized, which means it will become eligible for state funding after a period of review.

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