The traditional University and Grand Chancellor Festival took place at the Antonianum Auditorium, which this year involved participants in a journey through philology, philosophy, music, and acting.
The event, moderated by Prof. Ernesto Dezza, OFM, was opened by a musical performance by the Artemisia Quartet, in collaboration with the National Theater of Tuscany, followed by the words of greeting by Prof. Fr Agustín Hernández Vidales, OFM, Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University Antonianum, who welcomed all the authorities present.
The Rector listed several important events this year, including the eighth Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures and the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea; he recalled the various war conflicts that cause so many victims; he also emphasized the importance of poetry in the history of humanity and how Francis and how Francis linked poetry to God. In this regard, he said that the University promotes Integral Ecology on three fundamental concepts: the earth, the enterprise and the polis. Finally, he recalled the deceased friars of the University, amongst whom he highlighted Br. Giulio Barocco, who was Director of the Secretariat and Deputy Secretary of the PUA from 2021-2022.
Subsequently, the actor Luca Lazzareschi read the Canticle of the Creatures, which was then the subject of the intervention of Prof. Roberto Antonelli, President of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, (an institution of high culture that promotes and disseminates scientific knowledge in its highest expressions, within the framework of the unity and universality of culture).
Thereafter, Prof. Flavia Marcacci, of the University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", addressed those present with the theme of "Heaven and earth will meet, nature and creation will embrace: from the gaze of Francis to the gaze of the philosophers of nature", Fr. Massimo Fusarelli, Grand Chancellor of the PUA and Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, spoke with a report entitled "The Canticle of the Creatures: in the game of the relationships of living beings".
Br. Massimo focused on the close relationship between our relationship with creation and the new frontiers of technology or, in other words, between integral ecology and artificial intelligence – a theme very dear to Pope Francis, the Grand Chancellor recalled. The Canticle of the Creatures, in fact, focuses on the relationship: all creatures are presented as brothers and sisters and the new frontiers of technology, such as AI, invite us to reflect on what it really means to be custodians of creation, and therefore of the human being, in the digital age. Br. Massimo proposed three interpretations (relational, sacramental, ethical), emphasizing the importance of respect for the dignity of creation and the human person, within a "cosmic fraternity" in which technology must not separate humanity from nature, but must help to understand and protect it better.
The year 2025 marks ten years since the publication of the encyclical Laudato Si', the Minister recalled: the Holy Father spoke of integral ecology, of a holistic approach to the reality that surrounds us, which today also means focusing on the role of technology in the care of our common home.
"In this sense," concluded Fr. Massimo, "the Pontifical University Antonianum has an even more crucial mission: to promote research and train people capable of thinking and acting according to this integral vision, who know how to combine the ancient wisdom of the Franciscan tradition with the potential of new technologies. Our challenge is to translate Franciscan spirituality into concrete responses to the crises of our time, combining the contemplation of creation with active and intelligent care for its care."
Read the full text of Br. Massimo Fusarelli's speech
