Pope cancels visit to university after students threaten protests

Published: 2008-01-15

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Following a letter of protest signed by 67 professors and threats of a demonstration by students, Pope Benedict XVI has canceled his planned visit to Rome's Sapienza University. "After the well-known events of these days in relation to the visit of the Holy Father," who was invited by the university rector to speak Jan. 17, "it was deemed opportune to defer the visit," said a Jan. 15 statement from the Vatican press office. The university, which claims to be the largest in Europe, was founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII and became independent in 1870. Andrea Frova, a professor of physics and one of the organizers of the professors' letter of protest, told the Italian newspaper Il Giornale that he and his colleagues were "offended by the fact that a pope hostile to science" was invited to give a major lecture at a formal university event. However, he said, the letter was written in November when there was still time to cancel the papal visit without fanfare and was meant to be an internal university communication. Frova said he did not know how newspapers got a copy of the letter, but "I want to be very clear on one point: It was not our intention to unleash protests, hostile actions or violence of any kind."

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