Highlights from the cultural world of Rome
On 31 December, the anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's death, Mrs Clara Miyamoto, a student at the Lateran University and a frequent visitor and benefactor of the Benedict Library, passed away in Rome. Ms Miyamoto, a Japanese national, took an active part in the events of the Roman Institute. For example, she attended the conference in honour of Cardinal Kurt Koch and the recent conference ‘Popes and Vestments’. R.I.P.
This year, a new initiative of young academics (primarily non-theologians) has been formed in Rome, which is jointly engaged with the ideas of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI and is developing a range of other activities.
Since January, Dr Roberto Regoli, professor of church history at the Gregorian University (not a Jesuit), has been the new director of the Vatican's Ratzinger Foundation. He succeeds Father Federico Lombardi, who served as director for many years.
Our member Cardinal Kurt Koch, responsible for the ecumenical efforts of the Holy See, is being showered with honours on his 75th birthday. In the past year alone, he received three honorary doctorates in theology.
On 24–25 April, the Catholic Academy in Bavaria, in collaboration with the Hanns Seidel Foundation, is holding a small conference on the topic of women in Rome at the Archdiocese of Munich's ‘Casa Santa Maria’ on Monte Mario.
By Nikolas Möller
Progress is being made in Rome. Among other things, with the new Metro Line C. At the turn of the year, for example, the new ‘Colosseo / Fori Imperiali (Metro C)’ station was opened.
The Vatican Philatelic Office and the Luxembourg Philatelic Office have issued two almost identical stamps depicting Johann Peter Kirsch (1861-1941) in front of the building of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology.
The first member of the German priesthood at Campo Santo Teutonico since its foundation 150 years ago (1876) was Theodor Peters, who turned out to be a previously unknown saint (commemoration day: 24 April).
Since the Holy Year 2025, a beautiful leaflet has been circulating for Irish pilgrims, showing them the way to places of Irish remembrance, such as the Basilica of St. Clement near the Colosseum, which has been cared for by Irish Dominicans for centuries.
On the morning of 11 December, Pope Leo XIV received the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology in the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace and emphasised the importance of Christian archaeology in his short address.
Römisches Institut der Görres-Gesellschaft
