On Tuesday, May 27, at the Church of the Gesù, the Eucharist of Thanksgiving was celebrated, presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The liturgy was concelebrated by Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, the Rector Fr. Mark Lewis S.J., and the Presidents of the three Missions of the University: Fr. Pino Di Luccio S.J. (Collegium Maximum), Fr. Peter Dubovský S.J. (Pontifical Biblical Institute) and Fr. Sunny Thomas Kokkaravalayil S.J. (Pontifical Oriental Institute).
Recalling his own experience as a student, Cardinal Ravasi concluded his homily by recalling two voices that have connected faith and science. The first is that of Blessed Niels Stenson, scientist, geologist and bishop of Hamburg. «He left us his motto: "Beautiful is what is seen, but more beautiful is what is known, but much more beautiful is what is ignored". Therefore the value of wonder, knowledge and mystery. The second voice is that of Saint Augustine. «He truly invites us to the union between faith and reason. And he does so in a thousand ways, especially with his extraordinary play on words that he knew how to create: Credo ut intelligam et intelligo ut credam. A wonderful intertwining of intelligence and faith. Whoever believes, thinks. And thinking, believes. Faith, if it is not thought, is nothing».