To mark the 5th centenary of the birth of Luís de Camões, the João Paulo II University Library (BUJPII) is organizing a documentary exhibition that will be on display in the lounge from June 11 to August 14.

The exhibition features a manuscript by Manuel Severim de Faria, from the late 16th or early 17th century.

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On January 30, 2025, between 4 pm and 7 pm, Cinemateca Portuguesa will host a screening of the film “Os Olhos da Ásia” (1996) by Portuguese director João Mário Grilo in the Luís de Pina Room. This event is part of the closing of the photographic and bibliographic exhibition “Kakure Kirishitan - Hidden Christians”, currently on display at the João Paulo II University Library.

The film, predominantly spoken in Japanese and subtitled in English, takes an in-depth look at the impact of Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in Japan between the 16th and 17th centuries. Based on the novel of the same name by Japanese writer Shusaku Endo, which also inspired Martin Scorsese’s “The Silence”, “Os Olhos da Ásia” takes a unique approach by exploring the intertwined stories of Cristóvão Ferreira and Julião Nakaura, figures who faced religious persecution during the times when Christianity was banned in Japan.

Through a narrative that combines faith, resistance, and the complexities of contact between cultures, João Mário Grilo's film distinguishes itself by treating both perspectives - those who renounce their faith and those who keep it until death - with balance and depth.

Please note that the session will be limited to the room's capacity. To guarantee a seat, we request a reservation via the library’s e-mail address: biblioteca.lisboa@ucp.pt.

The João Paulo II University Library and the Centre for the Study of Religious History (CEHR) are promoting the documentary exhibition "The democratic revolution in Portugal: sources and research projects at UCP", marking the 50th anniversary of the first free elections in Portugal.

The exhibition will be on display on the 3rd floor of the João Paulo II University Library building between April 7 and May 30, 2025.

The exhibition brings together archival sources available at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa on the democratic transition that began in 1974, highlighting the role of scientific research in the early days of the University. The documents on display were collected in the course of two research projects at the end of the 1970s, centred on the Ongoing Revolutionary Process (PREC) and Agrarian Reform.

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