Three esteemed pontifical universities, renowned for their teaching and research in the field of communication, are joining forces. They are set to mark the 60th anniversary of the ‘Inter Mirifica’, a pivotal document borne from the Second Vatican Council, which falls on December 4, 2023. The universities share a scientific aspiration to both commemorate and reinterpret this document, considering the modern media landscape’s shift towards the principles of digital culture, as noted in the official press release.
The event in question is the “60 Years of Marvels: Historicity and Modernization of the Inter Mirifica Conciliar Decree” inter-university conference. Scheduled to unfold in Rome over the course of November 7th, 8th, and 9th, this conference is a collaborative effort by the Faculty of Institutional Communication of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, the Pastoral Institute of the Pontifical Lateran University, and the Faculty of Social Communication Sciences of the Salesian Pontifical University. In the spirit of networking and activating synergies, as advocated by Pope Francis in the Apostolic Constitution Veritatis gaudium regarding Universities and Ecclesiastical Faculties, these institutions have chosen to join forces for this event.
The initiative, as detailed in the press release, will span three afternoons, each commencing at 3:30 PM.
The opening session, taking place at Santa Croce on November 7, aims to explore Inter Mirifica from a historical-institutional lens. On November 8, the dialogue continues at Lateranense, focusing on the theological-pastoral aspects and the Decree’s interplay with media studies. The final afternoon on November 9, hosted by the Salesian, will seek to contextualize the Document in light of the sweeping changes brought about by digitalization in the realm of communication.
Endorsed by the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication, the conference will feature a diverse array of scholars. Their contributions are expected to provide a multidisciplinary perspective on the document. As elucidated by the trio of organizing professors—Daniel Arasa of Santa Croce, Massimiliano Padula of the Lateranense, and Fabio Pasqualetti of the Salesian—the objective is to “facilitate analyses and reflections that traverse two major axes: one historical and historiographical, emphasizing the document’s integral role in media research; and the other prospective, accentuating its ongoing relevance in relation to the evolving media and technological landscape.”
