Holy See: A Mariology Course for Foreign Ambassadors

A report on this original initiative organized by the Pontifical International Marian Academy was published in the Italian issue of Vatican News on April 17, 2018.

The session was held at the Antonianum, the Catholic university of the Franciscan Brothers Minor in Rome where the Marian Academy has its headquarters. Rev. Fr. Stefano Cecchin, president of the Academy, directed the seminar.

“The Mariology course for the Holy See diplomats is far more than a simple cultural seminar,” explained the priest. For the Church, it is a way of fighting against “fragmented war”, an expression used by Pope Francis to describe the new types of conflicts that threaten humanity and that can be seen in the attacks against life from its conception to its natural end, or in the Gender theory.

Fr. Cecchin added that the Marian course also mentioned the “feminine dimension” in its religious and societal aspects, opening the door to reflections on vaster fields such as the family, the difference between man and woman, etc. Let us hope that this was not also used as an opportunity to mention certain demands to exercise more authority in the Church and participate in the priestly ministry.

On May 24, 2018, a ceremony will bring to a close this course for diplomats stationed at the Vatican.