By assigning Chiara Lubich Honoris Causa Degrees, many universities, both Catholic and public, have been giving recognition to the influence that the spirituality of unity is having on various fields of study.

• SOCIAL SCIENCES
  The Catholic University of Lublin, (Poland, June, 1996)
  "Inspired by the charisma of Gospel unity, Chiara Lubich has created a new phenomenon of social integration through the Focolare Movement. This charisma brings out new psychological, social, economic, religious and spiritual dimensions. It is a live inspiration and an example of how a new, interdisciplinary paradigm of unity can constitute a Copernican revolution for the social sciences. In this difficult, post-communist period, the paradigm of unity gives the social sciences a new force of application capable of curing and preventing social pathologies."
  (from the laudatio of the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Adam Biela)
  
  

•  SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS
  St. John's University of Bangkok (Thailand, January, 1997)
  "For the extraordinary perseverance and wisdom used to proclaim the Word of God through the new telecommunications and media technology." 
  (from the motivations read by His Excellency, Monsignor George Phimphisan)
  
  

• THEOLOGY 
  Pontificia Università San Tomas of Manila (Philippines, January, 1997)
  "… for the prophetic Movement she founded; for the theology which nourishes her movement in the Christian life; for the spirituality translated into life by the members of the Movement; for her writings which have brought innovation into the life of the Church and have inspired millions of Christians throughout the world … I would liken her to three important women who shine out as theologians in the Church: Mother Teresa, Teresa D'Avila e Catherine of Siena (…)" 
  (from the laudatio of Father Braulio Peña, Dean of the Faculty of Sacred Theology)
  
  

• SACRED THEOLOGY 
  Fu Jen University of Taiwan (Taipei, January, 1997)
  "The central idea of Chiara's thought is in profound accord with the essence of Chinese culture - 'Love of fellow man and respect of nature'. It is also consonant with the objectives of this university: 'Develop the spirit of goodness, proceed towards universal brotherhood' and promote dialogue, communion and inter-religious co-operation." 
  (from the motivations read by Chancellor of the University, Dr. Peter Tuen-Ho Yang)
  
  

• HUMAN LETTERS 
  Sacred Heart University of Fairfield (USA, May 1997)
  for the contribution given to Jewish-Christian dialogue. "Chiara and the members of her Movement are trying to create a world laboratory which actually experiments that which we are trying to realize on a theoretical level. The work of the Focolare and Chiara will continue in the future because it is based on two foundations: the idea of love and that of unity."
  (Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director of the Centre for Jewish-Christian Understanding)
  
  

• PHILOSOPHY
  "San Juan Bautista de la Salle" University, Mexico City (June, 1997)
  "Chiara Lubich is one of the most important religious and social leaders of the 20th century. She has contributed in a relevant way to the formation of contemporary man, to Gospel values, as the foundation for a civilization of peace, progress and love." (from the motivations)
  "The Wisdom which we want to acknowledge today in Chiara is a light which she received and offers to the world, enlightening and penetrating all of the sciences; it gives the world a new way in which to live human dignity." 
  (from the laudatio of the Vice-Chancellor, Father Rafael Martinez Cervantes)
  
  

• Interdisciplinary LAUREATE
  University of Buenos Aires (Argentina, April, 1998)
  "Chiara Lubich gives us an extraordinary example of a prophetic and liberating humanism in which thought, sentiment and action are integrated. Because her message goes beyond social and cultural differences, and overcomes religious differences and frontiers as well, it generates the conditions necessary to establish a real dialogue. Her ideal is one of totality in which bridges are built between the diverse forms of knowledge and where the right of plurality of theories is preserved as an expression of the unlimited creative richness of human thought. It is exactly the ideal that the university institution which is open, pluralist, tolerant and democratic must incarnate." 
  (from the laudatio of Prof. Alicia de Camilloni)
  
  

• HUMANISM AND RELIGIOUS SCIENCES 
  Catholic University of San Paolo (Brasil, May, 1998)
  "A spirituality that is sowing the seeds for a new humanism, 'radicalising love', as the Pope has stressed, which grows into the economy of communion, little cities, ecumenical, inter-religious and cultural dialogue, as well as many social initiatives to renew the society with love." 
  (from the laudatio of Prof. Elizabeth Nazar Carrazza)
  
  

• ECONOMICS
  Catholic University of Pernambuco (Recife, Brasil, May, 1998)
  "The Economy of Communion is the fruit of a rich spirituality in which the Gospel is lived so intensely that it overflows into the socio-economic sphere and transforms water into wine, that is, the ferocious, competition of capitalism into a humane symphony of communion." 
  (from the laudatio of the Chancellor, Father Peters S.J.)
  
  

• ECONOMICS
  Sacred Heart Catholic University of Milan - (Piacenza, Italy, Jan. 1999)
  "For having fully integrated altruism back into economic analysis so that individual and social well being is not considered solely on the basis of the utility derived from goods, but rather within the comprehension of their social dimension and tending towards the realization of the human person."
  (from the laudatio of Prof. Vito Moramarco, Principal of the Faculty of Economics)
  
  

• LITERATURE AND PSYCHOLOGY
  University of Malta (Feb. 1999)
  For "the significant contribution given in the field of human thought, in as much as she has turned the nucleus of the Christian message into practice as well as into a method of research. This has offered the humanistic disciplines an original, hermeneutic key of the subject. Thus she has contributed to the cultivation of an integrated vision of the human person in the field of psychology and has promoted the development of new pedagogical methods in the field of education."
  (from the Motivations of Conferment )
  
  

• EDUCATION
  American Catholic University, Washington (Nov. 2000)
  "The fact that Chiara Lubich was born and raised in the city of Trent, so important for the historic renewal of the Church after the Reformation, lays the premises for a contemporary renewal from within the people of God.
  Jesus' prayer, 'That they may all be one', continues to inspire numerous men and women of every religious tradition to make that prayer their life's programme.
  In all her travels, by way of all her works of charity, in all her conversations, in all the foundations she has instituted, in all her encounters with the leaders, as well as with the least, of society, Chiara Lubich has remained faithful to that first, divine inspiration which touched her heart so many years ago.
  And therefore, it is with great affection and admiration that the American Catholic University of Washington D.C., wants to pay tribute to the marvellous lessons which Chiara has given to the world with her word and example and confers her with the Laureate - honoris causa - in Education"
  (from the Motivations)

(02-2002)