The culture of encounter as an antidote to division

Developing a culture of encounter and dialogue, an imperative for rethinking a divided world, a demand more pressing than ever in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. This is one of the main themes of the conference: “The Culture of Encounter: An Imperative for a Divided World” held on 27 and 28 May at Villa Malta in Rome, organized by Georgetown University and “La Civiltà Cattolica”. For the occasion, “L’Osservatore Romano” interviewed the president of Georgetown University, John J. DeGioia, who in 2001 became the first lay person to hold that position in the oldest Catholic university in the United States. President DeGioia, before we address the themes of the conference taking place in Rome, I have a personal question: What was it like to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican? Very moving and ...