PRESS RELEASE

Andrea Riccardi, who is the founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, will be visiting the country from 12th –14th Of July, 2006.

Andrea Riccardi was born in 1950, in Rome, where he is living at present . He is a well –known scholar of religions in modern and contemporary society. He has been a professor since 1981. He taught at the University of Bari and at La Sapienza of Rome . He is a lecturer of Christianity and history of Religions at the Third University of Rome now.

After graduating in Law , he continued his studies in contemporary history and history of the church and also studied the Relationship between Muslims and Christians.

He did research on relationship between Christianity and modernity and published great books like Neo-Gallicanism and Middle- class Catholics in 1976, Rome ‘The sacred city’ and famous books like The Power of Pope from Pius Xll to John Paul ll. In total Andrea Riccardi has more than 20 books to his credit.

Andrea Riccardi was also the mediator in the peace negotiations that led to the end of 10 years of war in Mozambique.
The signing of the peace agreement took place in Rome on 4th October 1992 , and thereafter Prof Riccardi and other members of Sant ‘Egidio had been able to create war free government in Maputo together with the Guerrilla movement of RENAMO.

At present time,the community of Sant’Egidio and Andrea Riccardi are personally involved in political contacts meant to help the situations of other countires in conflicts. Some of the countries which are benefiting from Andrea Riccardi’s negotiating prowess are Sudan Burundi, former Yugoslavia, Albania and others.