Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi will be awarded an Honorary Degree by the Alma Mater
An Honorary Degree in Philology, Literature and Classical Tradition for Cardinal Ravasi, a biblicist, theologian, scholar and professor of biblical exegesis and Hebrew, author of over one thousand publications that celebrate goodwill and the interplay of different traditions.
On Saturday, 16 June at 11am, in the Aula Magna Santa Lucia (Via Castiglione 36, Bologna), Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi will be awarded an Honorary Degree in Philology, Literature and Classical Tradition by the Alma Mater. The ceremony will be attended by Rector Francesco Ubertini, prof. Francesco Citti (Director of the Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies) and prof. Ivano Dionigi, who will deliver the laudatio.
Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, Gianfranco Ravasi was created cardinal in 2010. A scholar and professor of biblical exegesis and Hebrew, Cardinal Ravasi is proficient in several ancient and modern languages, as well as an expert on many arts and disciplines; he has been conferred prestigious honours and prizes and is the author of many scientific publications and essays, ranging from biblical exegesis through philosophy and philology to music, poetry and literature.
As prof. Dionigi explained to the Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies when proposing this honorary degree, Cardinal Ravasi identifies the Bible and Judeo-Christian traditions as the great canon of Western literature and culture, together with the great, ancient culture of classical Athens and Rome.
Inspired by Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Ravasi has also established the "Cortile dei Gentili", a forum that fosters dialogue between followers of the Christian faith and non-believers.