Pope Francis welcomes St. Olaf students in Epiphany address
Pope Francis welcomed “students from Northfield, Minnesota” — in this case St. Olaf College students taking Professor of Religion Eric Lund’s Catholic Rome, Lutheran Wittenberg Interim course — during his Epiphany address in St. Peter’s Square.
Lund regularly takes students in the course to the papal Epiphany mass. The pope welcomed the students as he addressed the crowd in St. Peter’s Square (you can hear it just after the 11-minute mark in this recording).
The Catholic Rome, Lutheran Wittenberg course examines religion in Italy and Germany at several decisive turning points in the past and today. Students analyze Catholic theology and church practices, from ancient times to the Renaissance, through site visits and events in Rome and Florence. They also examine the emergence of Protestantism through activities in the region around Wittenberg, birthplace of Martin Luther’s Reformation, and then compare the influence of religion in Italian and German culture.
St. Olaf offers a wide variety of off-campus programs during the January Interim, a four-week period of intensive study in one area. This January 536 St. Olaf students are spending Interim on 21 international and six domestic programs.