UNIV'23: The search for true happiness, a challenge for young peoplePope greets UNIV youth in RomeIt was founded in 1968 under the impetus of St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, and this year will bring together more than 3,000 young people from all over the world. This year the UNIV university meeting will focus its annual reflection on the theme "Citizens of Our World" (on the practical and applied concept of citizenship and the common good).
Pope to UNIV: "how many reasons to give thanks to God!"
Together with the university congress, the young people will experience Holy Week and Easter in this Jubilee year in Rome, close to Pope Francis, who has sent a letter to the participants in which he encourages them to "give thanks to God and continue to walk enthusiastically in faith, diligent in charity and persevering in hope", given that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the priestly ordination of the founder of Opus Dei.
The pontiff also wanted to emphasize the request that "this time of pilgrimage and fraternal encounter may impel you to bring to all the Gospel of Jesus Christ, dead and risen, as a proclamation of the hope that fulfills the promises".
During these days, the students will participate in the liturgical ceremonies of Holy Week and in several meetings with the prelate of Opus Dei, Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz.
The university congress UNIV
Under this theme of reflection, participants will have the opportunity to attend academic meetings, such as the UNIV Forum y UNIV LabThe event, which will take place on April 15 and 16, will share suggestions, applications and ideas on issues such as the virtues and examples needed to promote the common good in our world, what citizenship means for today's youth and how to grow up in today's society.
To this end, the young people will have a program that includes conferences, colloquiums, artistic exhibitions, round tables with speakers such as Luis G. Franceschi, Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations; Karen Bohlin, director of the Practical Wisdom Project at the Abigail Adams Institute and researcher at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program; Michelle Scobie, professor of International Relations and Global Environmental Governance at The University of the West Indies (UWI); Ndidi Edeoghon, international lawyer, founder of the Ambassadors Initiative for Youth Development and Conflict Resolution (Nigeria), among others.
They will not only reflect but also act, as UNIV 2025 participants will promote various types of assistance (financial, welfare, etc.) for the benefit of UNIV 2025. Dicastery for the Service of Charity of the Pope.
