Pope sends support to Cube Radio’s Advent initiative

By Devin Watkins

It was a brief video message, but it surely meant the world to the students at the Salesian University Institute of Venice and Verona (IUSVE).

The Catholic university’s official broadcaster, Cube Radio, has put together an Advent reflection in an ecological key.

“Advent Green Dream” runs from the first Sunday of Advent, 29 November, until 24 December, and draws inspiration from the Sunday Gospels and Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’.

Papal gratitude and support

The Pope himself helped in the launch of the program, releasing a video message on Thursday.

“I express my appreciation to the young people of the Salesian University Institute who are part of Cube Radio, for preparing an Advent journey inspired by the Word of God for each Sunday and by the encyclical Laudato si’,” said Pope Francis.

He also invited other young people and netizens to get involved “in preparing for a holy Christmas by spreading – also through the social media accounts of Vatican News – the Word of God and inviting them to care for our common home”.

Thanking all those involved in “Advent Green Dream”, the Pope concluded his message, as he often does, promising to pray for them and asking everyone for their prayers for him.

Multilingual initiative

The program takes listeners on a journey through Advent, and includes daily inspiration drawn from 26 quotes from Laudato si’ along with images produced by students at IUSVE.

Though Cube Radio broadcasts in Italian, this initiative also includes English-language and Portuguese-language versions, available on the Facebook page of Don Bosco Green Alliance.

Fr. Nicola Giacopini, the university’s director, called the Advent Green Dream a “message of hope” which aims to reach “the ends of the earth, in both the physical and digital realms.”