Above, Rev. José Maria Abrego de Lacy, S.J., the Rector of the Biblicum, is greeted by Pope Benedict XVI at a special audience celebrating the Centenary.

November 2009: Contents

The Biblicum Celebrates Its Centenary

Gregorian Holds Evolution Conference

Fr. O'Toole Gives Borromean Lecture on Civility

Trustee John K. Figge Passes Away

Former Trustee Dr. James B. Peter Passes Away

Estelle Ciriano Passes Away

Notes From the Greg

A Word from the President . . .

The Biblicum Celebrates Its Centenary

In May this year, the Pontifical Biblical Institute celebrated its 100th anniversary.

The Biblicum was created by St. Pius X in his letter "Vinea electa" of May 7, 1909, for he wanted in Rome a center dedicated to advanced studies in Sacred Scripture and related disciplines.

Since 1927 the Biblicum has had a Jerusalem campus which is an extension of its activity in Rome. For years, until it was no longer feasible, this campus sponsored academic tours ("caravans") of the biblical lands and archaeological excavations. The Biblical Institute in Jerusalem still houses a small but interesting and well laid out museum, and its library grows every year in response to academic needs. In 1976, the rector, Rev. Carlo Maria Martini, S.J. (later made a cardinal) developed a program in collaboration with the Hebrew University; and for a semester students go to that university to study; another program was set up with the Dominican École Biblique. This time in Jerusalem provides an excellent opportunity for students to see and study the geography and archaeology of the Holy Land. Obviously, these programs also promote good Jewish-Christian relations.

Today, the Biblical Institute, with its two faculties, the Biblical Faculty and that of the Ancient Near East Studies, remains unique and offers a well-integrated and complete program in biblical studies; the Institute provides an ideal environment for study and research and forms students in the Jesuit tradition of fidelity to Church teaching, academic integrity and openness to the whole of God's creation.

Since its foundation, the Biblical Institute has graduated more than 6,000 students coming from 100 countries, included among these are 215 Bishops and 26 Cardinals and many world-renowned scholars. Most of its graduates are professors of Sacred Scriptures in seminaries and universities throughout the world or Church officials responsible for biblical studies and academic formation in a given diocese or country.

The Biblicum in Rome houses one of the best, if not the best, biblical libraries in the world, numbering over 190,000 volumes and including over 500 scholarly periodicals.

Most recently the participation of 80 bishops who were graduates of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in the Synod on the Word of God, and many more bishops who were graduates of the Pontifical Gregorian University or the Pontifical Oriental Institute, reveals the faithful service that the Biblicum and its sister institutions continue to render the Church.

Gregorian Holds Evolution Conference

Charles Darwin

The Gregorian University, in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame (Indiana), hosted a five day conference in March called "Biological Evolution Facts and Theories: A Critical Appraisal 150 Years after The Origin of Species." The conference was sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture and is part of the Vatican-sponsored project called Science, Theology, and the Ontological Quest (STOQ).

The Gregorian has a long history of scientific involvement — Galileo lectured there, and the Gregorian calendar, which is used by the entire western world, was created by the university's astronomers.

As Gennaro Auletta, professor of Philosophy at the Gregorian, said in an interview with the Vatican daily, L'Osservatore Romano, "Neither the Catholic Church nor her most important exponents have ever condemned Darwinism or the theory of evolution." Auletta observed in another interview that "The STOQ project is facing what we think is the most relevant challenge the Church has today: continuing to play a guiding role in our society as it is becoming more dependent on scientific developments. This requires the Church to a real dialogue with the natural sciences. This does not mean renouncing its own strong and well-grounded philosophical and theological background but, rather, enriching and deepening it, thanks to that dialogue."

The conference, whose speakers were largely from secular institutions, followed the Jesuit tradition of intellectual rigor. As a result, "intelligent design" was not a formal part of the agenda. Rev. Marc Leclerc, S.J., Professor of Philosophy at the Gregorian and director of the conference, said of intelligent design: "We think that it’s not a scientific perspective, nor a theological or philosophical one. This makes a dialogue [regarding intelligent design] very difficult, maybe impossible."

The conference speakers included Francisco Ayala (UC, Irvine), Simon Conway Morris (Cambridge University), Jeffrey Feder, (Notre Dame), Douglas Futumaya (SUNY, Stony Brook), Scott Gilbert (Swarthmore), Stuart Kauffman (University of Calgary), Lynn Margulis (UMass, Amherst), and David Sloan Wilson (SUNY, Binghamton).

Fr. O'Toole Gives Borromean Lecture on Civility

Dennis J. Cavello, principal of St. Charles Preparatory School, left, with Fr. Robert O'Toole, S.J., prior to Borromean Lecture.

Rev. Robert F. O'Toole, S.J., president of the Gregorian University Foundation and professor emeritus at the Biblicum, recently addressed a large and varied audience at St. Charles Preparatory School on the topic of civility. His presentation was in the school's annual Borromean Lecture series sponsored by a 1961 St. Charles alumnus, Robert J. Dilenschneider, a nationally known public relations executive and author who now works in New York. (Click here to read a transcript of Fr. O'Toole's lecture.)

Fr. O'Toole reviewed the challenging times in which we find ourselves and pointed to the general deterioration of civility in society today. Nonetheless, we are all created in God's image and so have an inherent dignity. The New Testament command of love of the neighbor surely also applies to the question of civility, and St. Matthew instructs us not to be more severe with our sister or brother than with ourselves and not to be vengeful. St. Luke in Acts of the Apostles pictures the Church under God's guidance as harmoniously solving its problems. St. Paul's argument at Antioch in Syria with St. Peter demonstrates how courageous we have to be to defend the truth, but more important than even arriving at what one sees as the truth is to recognize God in the other and to show him or her Christ's love.

The inaugural presentation in the series was delivered by Michael Novak, a nationally known theologian and former U.S. Ambassador. Since then, the school has been privileged to welcome Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., an internationally known author and lecturer, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Ph.D., D.D, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and world-renowned human rights activist; Joel I. Klein, the Chancellor of N.Y. City Schools, F. Russell Hittinger F. Russell Hittinger, Ph.D.; Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; Father John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of the University of Notre Dame; and Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

Trustee John K. Figge Passes Away

John K. Figge, a very generous member of the Board of Trustees of the Gregorian University Foundation, was called to God on October 9.

He earned degrees from the College of the Holy Cross and the Graduate School of Banking of the University of Wisconsin.

He was active in community banking in eastern Iowa and western Illinois for many years and served as Chairman and CEO of Davenport Bank and Trust Company, Davenport, Iowa, until its sale to Wells Fargo. He then ran his own private investment company.

Mr. Figge served as a trustee of the College of the Holy Cross, Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, Loyola Retreat House in Faulkner, Maryland, and St.Ambrose University where he also received an honorary degree. He was a member of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Rev. Robert F. O'Toole, S.J., president of the Foundation, said "John was a man whose Catholic faith touched every aspect of his life; he was profoundly committed to his family and friends and to doing good. His substantial support of many charitable organizations was impressive."

Mr. Figge is survived by his wife, Patricia, their six children and twenty grandchildren.

Former Trustee Dr. James B. Peter Passes Away

Former Gregorian Foundation board member and exceptionally generous benefactor Dr. James B. Peter has been called to God in October 2009.

Dr. Peter had earned degrees from Creighton University and St. Louis University and then worked and taught at UCLA for many years.

As Rev. Robert F. O'Toole, president of the Foundation said, "Most of us who knew Jim were well aware that in addition to being a remarkably talented man, he had a deep faith and commitment to God, his family and loved ones and to providing assistance to recovery programs and good Catholic education in our schools, especially, intercity elementary schools."

Dr. Peter's obituary in the Omaha World-Herald described his work this way, "Faith and Family were his bedrock. In recent years he devoted all his energy to his decades-long passion: inner-city Catholic schools. Jim and Joan founded the Specialty Family Foundation in 2006 in an effort to help ensure a Catholic education for demographically disadvantaged children. That focus was narrowed further with the January 2009 launch of the Catholic Schools Consortium. A key component of the Specialty Family Foundation, the Consortium consists of 12 inner city Catholic schools involved in a three year capacity building pilot program that will serve as a replicable template for resuscitating Catholic schools in distress."

Dr. Peter is survived by his wife, Joan, their six living children and their families, including 12 grandchildren.

Estelle Ciriano Passes Away

Estelle Ciriano, secretary to Gregorian University Foundation presidents Rev. Del Skillingstad, S.J. and Rev. Eugene J. O'Brien, S.J., was called to God on May 2nd.

As Foundation vice president Tom Trott said, "Estelle was a mainstay of the Foundation for twelve years from 1987 until her retirement in September 1999. In addition to being secretary, Estelle also tracked the finances for the Foundation during a period of significant growth."

After retiring from the Foundation, Estelle moved to Florida where she worked part-time at Covenant House.

NOTES FROM THE GREG

Rev. Joseph Daoust, S.J. is now Fr. General's Delegate for the inter-provincial houses and so the major superior of the Gregorian, Biblicum and Orientale. Fr. Daoust was previously the president of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, CA.

Orientale's Rector Named to Congregation for Eastern Churches

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Rev. Cyril Vasiľ S.J. as the new Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Until this appointment, he had been Rector of the Pontifical Oriental Institute. The Holy Father has also appointed him titular Archbishop of Ptolemais in Libya.

New Pro-Rector Named for Orientale

Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus appointed Rev. Sunny Thomas Kokkaravalayil, S.J., Pro-Rector ad interim of the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. Fr. Sunny Thomas' new appointment is effective as of June 15, 2009.

Biblicum Celebrates Centenary at American Bible Society in New York

Fr. Dan Madigan Speaks at the New York Yacht Club

Rev. Dan Madigan. S.J. with Irene Soden at the Yacht Club event in June 2009. Fr. Madigan spoke about what he had learned from Jews and Muslims while he taught at the Gregorian.	Rev. Joseph O'Hare, S.J., Honorary Chairman of the Foundation, with Peter Mullen, Chairman of the Foundation, and Ann Eagan.

A Word from the President . . .

Dear Friends,

The older I grow the more thankful I am to God for putting up with me and always being there to support me; of course, much of my thanks relates to how God has worked through each of you for the support the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute.

The low tuition rates of these institutions and their very impressive service of the Church we all love witness to the truth that there are very few other charities where you can make such a significant difference with your caring support that reflects your personal religious values and truly benefits your fellow Catholics and others.

An article in this issue speaks of the centenary that the Pontifical Biblical Institute ("Biblicum") is celebrating this year; and at the Oct. 26th papal audience for the occasion, Pope Benedict XVI said, "I greet and thank . . . the benefactors who have and continue to make available the resources necessary for the upkeep of the buildings and for the activities of the Pontifical Biblical Institute." For the Biblicum, we still need $47,500 to match a challenge pledge for the new heating system and the renovation of the fathers' room and $250,000 for the full funding to renovate their Aula Magna (biggest classroom and auditorium).

There are other challenges. How best to convince all of you, our truly generous benefactors, to put the Gregorian University Foundation in your wills? Also, although a goodly number of our alumni do all they can to assist us, how can we engage the others, despite other commitments, to be as supportive as reasonably possible. They received a great education, and the tuition covered about half of the actual expense of this education.

The Gregorian University always requests scholarship assistance and like any university requires constant support. Presently, they are asking for $191,000 to complete some necessary renovations. About a third of the Oriental Institute's expenses are covered by the Vatican, but their tuition does not cover the remaining expenses. You have responded to these real needs, and that explains why I am so grateful but still asking for your thoughtful and solicitous support.

But let me return to my sincere thanks to God and to caring benefactors like yourselves; without you, our students would not be able to get the kind of formation necessary to serve the Church as she deserves. We are most appreciative of your friendship, Christian goodness and considerate support. All of you, your loved ones and everything you do are in my prayers. May God reward your generous goodness and let you experience the personal satisfaction that comes from giving as he gives abundantly to us.

If you're interested in highlights from our previous issues, please click here.