MELBOURNE, Australia, JULY 26, 2001 (Zenit.org).- The director of the newest John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family hopes it has far-reaching influence Down Under.
«If the experience of other countries is a guide here,» Dominican Father Anthony Fisher said, «we would hope to have better educated laity, who in places like the U.S. have become involved in politics, business and family life, and at the same time are totally loyal to the Church´s teachings.»
The latest campus of the John Paul II Institute was formally opened and blessed during a ceremony Sunday night.
Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, was on hand for the ceremony. Also present was Melbourne´s recently appointed archbishop, Dennis Hart.
The institute was established by John Paul II in Rome in October 1982, and since then has spread to campuses in Washington, D.C.; Vienna, Austria; Mexico City; Bombay, India; and other countries. This newest one will be responsible for Oceania and the Asia-Pacific region.
The campus in Melbourne will provide a range of degrees in the areas of marriage and bioethics. More information is at http://www.jp2institute.org.
