Pope Leo to Latin American Catholic universities: Be ‘journeys of the mind to God,’ forming critical intellects, faithful hearts, and citizens for the common good.
Newsroom (31/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo told members of the Organization of Catholic Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (ODUCAL) on Friday that Catholic higher education’s core mission is “to seek the integral development of the human person,” forming critical intellects, believing hearts, and citizens committed to the common good.
Speaking in the Vatican, the Holy Father described Catholic universities as “journeys of the mind toward God,” driven by the conviction that proclaiming Jesus Christ is “an integral part of the Christian message of salvation.”
“Catholic higher education proposes no less than to seek the integral development of the human person, forming intellects with a critical sense, believing hearts, and citizens committed to the common good — and all this with excellence, competence, and professionalism,” Pope Leo said.
Faith and Culture in Dialogue
He urged the network to advance Catholic higher education by fostering “encounters between faith and culture” to proclaim the Gospel within the university setting.
“This shared journey already speaks volumes,” the Pope noted, “because it expresses the very mission for which the university was born within the Catholic Church: to be an ‘incomparable centre of creativity and the dissemination of knowledge for the good of humanity.’”
Quoting his predecessor, Pope Francis, he added that the Catholic university “remains one of the best instruments that the Church offers our time” and an “expression of that love which animates every action of the Church, namely, God’s love for every person.”
Grace Amid Challenges
Acknowledging modern educational challenges, Pope Leo encouraged ODUCAL to pursue its mission with creativity, “firm in the knowledge that grace sustains you.”
He concluded by entrusting the group to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, and imparting his Apostolic Blessing.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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