Students from five Ateneo universities across the country will join a virtual meeting with Pope Francis on June 20. The event is part of the Building Bridges Across Asia Pacific initiative, a broader dialogue with university students from the Asia Pacific region. 

This meeting will provide a platform for young people to discuss shared social and spiritual issues directly with the Holy Father.

Participants include students from Ateneo de Manila, Naga, Davao, Zamboanga, and Cagayan de Oro. 

The event, hosted by Loyola University Chicago (LUC) and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, involves students from over ten countries, including Indonesia, Australia, and Japan.

The Building Bridges Across Asia Pacific event aims to foster international collaboration among young people. 

Ateneo de Manila University was chosen as one of six university partners in Asia Pacific for the event. This selection highlights the role of Filipino students in global conversations on important social issues.

Ateneo students have been preparing for this event through spiritual conversations and meetings to discuss social concerns. They will share their experiences and hopes with Pope Francis via Zoom. A representative will speak on behalf of the students during the meeting.

The event will be livestreamed at 8 p.m. Philippine time, allowing a wider audience to witness the dialogue. 

According to LUC, “Through the initiative, we facilitate the creation of student groups across large geographic regions, accompany those students as they engage in listening, dialogue, and discernment around shared social concerns, and then invite student representatives of those groups to a live streamed dialogue with Pope Francis where they can share with him their group’s experiences and hopes.”

This encounter is the fourth organized by the Building Bridges Initiative since February 2022. The initiative aims to create a space for students to engage in meaningful conversations about their concerns and aspirations.

The participation of Ateneo students underscores the Philippines’ significant educational and spiritual contributions to the Asia Pacific region. It also emphasizes the active role of young Filipinos in shaping the future of global discourse.