Pope Francis shares the keys to success for pontifical universities

Pope Francis shared some keys to the success of pontifical universities during an audience at the Vatican with members of the Dicastery for Evangelization participating in the plenary assembly to reflect on the future of the Pontifical Urbaniana University.

At the beginning of his speech, the Holy Father expressed his disagreement with the project to “dissolve” Urbaniana along with the other universities: “No, it cannot be done,” the Pontiff stated.

Next, Pope Francis reflected on the identity and mission of this center. For the Pontiff, the vocation of this academic institution “means that its identity has always coincided with its mission.”

“Training, teaching, research and the vitality of the University are part of the mandate we have received to announce the Good News to all people,” he continued.

Likewise, he highlighted the importance of the university’s heritage “translating into appropriate answers to the questions that today’s reality poses to the Church and the world.”

He also noted that, even though we do not live in a Christian society, “we are called to live as Christians in today’s plural society.”

Regarding the expectations and future of this university, Pope Francis highlighted “the discernment required of the university institutions of Rome, especially dependent on the Apostolic See.”

“Here the need to raise the quality of the educational and research offering, and the necessary rationalization of human and economic resources, must converge,” he noted.

“This requires a vision capable of looking beyond today, that is capable of considering the ecclesial and social situation, the vitality of ecclesial structures and their sustainability, the needs of local Churches, vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, and the demographic indices of the various regions,” he went on to say.

Later, he encouraged the members of the Dicastery not to be afraid of creativity and urged them to work for “a renewed model of the University, as a community of knowledge and learning” that avoids the risk “that studies are reduced to the mere fulfillment of classes, credits and exams.”

“For an academic institution to be attractive and competitive requires dedicated faculty, scientific research, and the ability to make a significant contribution to doctrine,” he noted.

Making good use of resources means, according to the Pontiff, “unifying equal paths, sharing teachers among the six institutions, eliminating waste, planning activities sensibly and abandoning obsolete practices and projects.”

In the specific case of Urbaniana, he pointed out that it is important “that its missionary and intercultural specificity emerge even more in the quality of the training offered, so that those trained are able to mediate the Christian message with originality in relation to other cultures and religions. ”.

“How much need we have for pastors, consecrated people and lay people who know how to embody the missionary impulse to evangelize cultures and thus inculturate the Gospel! These two things always go together: evangelization of culture and inculturation of the Gospel, he exclaimed.

He also expressed his desire that “more research centers can be created for the different geographical and cultural regions and reinforce the existing ones” and finally asked that “the Holy Spirit, with the gift of wisdom, inspire your reflections.”