Rome, May. 25, 2007 (CWNews.com) - A two-day conference on the future of the Latin language opened in Rome on May 25, with academics, politicians, and journalists discussing the role of the language in forming European identity.
The conference-- co-sponsored by the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences and the Italian National Research Council-- will highlight the contributions of Latin to the formation of a common scientific and cultural literature in Europe.
Although most of the conference participants are from Italy, the event has drawn interest from other countries, and the featured speakers include Jan Figel, the European education commissioner; and Wang Huansheng, a member of China's Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.
Before his closing address on May 26, Msgr. Walter Brandmüller, the president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, will announce the winner of the 2nd annual ad Fontes prize, inaugurated to reward journalists for articles that underline the influence of the Latin language in contemporary education.
Participants in the congress noted a recent revival of interest in Latin. For example, a Vatican Radio report noted that in the United Kingdom, the number of schools offering instruction in Latin has doubled since 2003.
