Carlo Maria Martini Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences 2000

The Jury for the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences 2000, convened in Oviedo, comprising Raúl Bocanegra Sierra, Íñigo Cavero Lataillade, Álvaro Cuervo, Eugenio Domingo Solans, Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, Valentina Gómez Mampaso, Manuel Jesús González, Luis Gómez Seara, María del Carmen Iglesias, Juan Iranzo Martín, Luis Martínez Noval, José María Mas Millet, Aurelio Menéndez Menéndez, José Manuel Otero Novas, Juan Urrutia Elejalde, chaired by Manuel Fraga Iribarne and with José López-Muñiz as secretary, unanimously agreed to grant the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences 2000 to Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, Jesuit Archbishop of Milan, expert in biblical studies and palaeographic analysis of the New Testament, prestigious intellectual not only in ecclesiastical circles but also in a wider cultural framework. He has directed some of the Catholic Church's most important centres for further studies, such as the Biblical Institute of Jerusalem, and the Gregorian Institute or Rome, and has been president of the Council of Episcopal Conferences for the European Community. "What do non-believers believe in?" (Dialogues with Umberto Eco), "Novum Testamentum graece et latine" and "Pilgrims for Peace" figure amongst his many publications.

In granting this award to the Cardinal, the Jury value the enormous contribution to the development of Social Sciences and Humanity made by his theological and biblical studies, and highlight the efforts that Carlo Maria Martini has made to create channels for dialogue with other religions, with non-believers, and between social groups with difficulties as regards understanding.

Oviedo, 24th May 2000