Exploring what makes human beings unique

Federico de Montalvo, Vice Rector for Institutional Relations and University General Registrar's Office and lecturer at the Faculty of Law, took part in the XXIX Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, of which he is an ordinary member.

The academics were received in private audience by Pope Francis, who in his address highlighted the efforts of the academy's members to explore "what makes the human being unique". Reflecting on the prevalence of technology in all aspects of human life, he noted the impossibility of rejecting it as an opposition to human flourishing: " We need to situate scientific and technological knowledge within a broad horizon of meaning, in order to avoid the hegemony of the technocratic paradigm," the Holy Father said.

The meeting, held in Vatican City under the theme "Human. Meaning and challenges", provided an opportunity for academics to share knowledge and views. "Once again it can be seen that the Catholic Church is one of the few institutions capable of bringing together people with different worldviews to discuss the issues that really matter to us and from an interdisciplinary perspective," says De Montalvo.