After Paris (2000), Mexico City (2004) and Manila (2008), the Fourth World Congress and General Assembly of COMIUCAP took place at St Augustine College in Johannesburg (South Africa) from 13-17 of November, 2013. The Keynote Addresses at the Congress were to be delivered by the following Speakers: Most Rev. Barthélemy Adoukonou (Bénin), Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture of the Vatican; Professor Philippe Capelle (France), of the University of Strasburg & Académie Catholique de France; Professor Joseph Agbakoba (Nigeria), of the University of Nigeria; Professor Bernard Feltz (Belgium), of the Catholic University of Louvain; Professor Vittorio Hösle (Germany), of the University of Notre Dame (USA); Dr. Salomón Lerner Febres (Perú), Rector-Emeritus of the Pontifical Catholic University of Perú. Professors from around the world presented their papers during the Congress. The General Assembly of the network dealt with important questions pertinent to both the present and the future of the organization. COMIUCAP aims at expressing in an Institutional Form some of the pragmatic implications to be derived from the impulses given to the Church and to the World by Blessed Pope John Paul II with the Encyclical Fides et Ratio. As a network, COMIUCAP is open to all major (and rigorous) philosophical expressions of the human spirit. We recognize, however, that the hermeneutical approach to Philosophy is at the heart of our self-understanding as network. Thus, mindful of the fact that our Congress and General Assembly took place during the year of the 100th Anniversary of the birth of a great Master of Hermeneutics and resourceful Philosopher of the in-between alliance of Faith and Reason, COMIUCAP took the occasion of its 4th World Congress to celebrate and acknowledge the lasting Memory of
Paul Ricœur (1913-2005).
After the welcoming remarks by the Rev. Dr. Michael Van Heerden, President of St. Augustine College, the Acting-President of COMIUCAP, given the unexpected absence of the Most Rev. Mons. Barthélemy Adoukonou, read to those assembled the Message that His Eminence Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, sent on the occasion of the Fourth World Congress and General Assembly COMIUCAP in Johannesburg. For us it was particularly important to have both the General Secretary of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, Professor Guy-Réal Thivierge, and the Honorary President of COMIUCAP, Professor Philippe Capelle-Dumont, intervene during our Proceedings, one during the Opening Ceremony and the other as one of the five Keynote Speakers we had the pleasure to listen to during the Congress. The papers presented in the Congress of Johannesburg will be published on due time. Regarding the General Assembly of COMIUCAP, the main novelties are the following: 1. Professor João J. VILA-CHÃ (Pontifical Gregorian University) was elected President of COMIUCAP for the term 2013-2017; 2. the following Nominations for Vice-Presidents were rectified and approved by the General Assembly that took place at St Augustine College on November 16, 2013: Professor Joseph AGABAKOBA (Madonna University, Nigeria) Vice-President for Africa; Professor Janis OZOLINS (Australian Catholic University), Vice-President for Asia-Oceania; Professor Miguel GARCIA-BARÓ (Universidad Pontificia Comillas), Vice-President for Europe; Rector-Emeritus Dr. Salomón LERNER FEBRES (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), Vice-President for Latin-America; Professor Brendan SWEETMAN (Rockhurst College), Vice-President for North-America. Pictures of the World Congress of COMIUCAP in Johannesburg are available here (by Dr. Dan Chitoiu) & here (by Dr. Wojciech Szypula). Memories of our Excursion to Soweto and the Apartheid Museum can be found here and here as well (video of the Offertory during the Mass at St Martin de Porres Parish). Enjoy the pictures and/or the memory of our time together in South Africa! − In theRevised Edition of the PROGRAM & ABSTRACTS of the Congress, the reader can find both the Annual Reports presented in Johannesburg as well as the Final Report on the Proceedings of the Fourth General Assembly of COMIUCAP.
Members of the network are kindly requested to answer our SURVEY as soon as possible. Further information on the main goals and objectives of the network is available on this site. With a simple Registration Form and easy ways for making Payments, the process of Becoming a Member of COMIUCAP is now easy and convenient. We welcome Feedback from our Members as of anyone interested in the causes of Philosophy. We also invite you to visit and LIKE our FACEBOOK Page. As a global (catholic) network of institutions engaged in philosophical research and teaching, we acknowledge the gift of our heavenly Protector and by means of one of the beautiful flower-arrangements we had in Johannesburg we also say: Together, striving for Goodness, Truth and Beauty, we shall serve better the causes of Philosophy and of a renewed Humanism for the global times of today!