Visit to the Portuguese Catholic University (14 May 1982)

On Friday, 14 May 1982, the Holy Father visited the Portuguese Catholic University in Lisbon. In his address, the Pope reminded the Cardinal Chancellor, Professors and students that “in a Catholic University, every activity, with the indispensable seal of intellectual honesty and academic seriousness, is located within the evangelizing mission of the Church.”

Mr. Cardinal Grand Chancellor,
Mr. Rector, Professors and students
of the Portuguese Catholic University,
beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Be always strengthened by the Holy Spirit, may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, and be filled with all the fullness of God” (cf. Eph 4, 16ff)!

1. It is a source of joy for me to be able to greet you personally here, in the headquarters of the Portuguese Catholic University. Joy of the one who feels at ease among young people and places so much hope in them; joy for your joy, by which I feel infected; joy because the Catholic University is part of my life, as perennial gratitude, for what it has given me and offered me the opportunity to give, especially in Krakow, and as regret. Here, somehow, I'm erasing regrets. Thank you!

In you and through you I see the numerous Catholic professors and students, who left your homeland, who teach and study in the various universities and institutes of higher education. My affectionate greeting goes to everyone, with sympathy, appreciation and esteem, for all of us being attuned to the same ideal, that of walking together with Christ and contributing to establishing his kingdom in our own environment.

And speaking especially to young people, I would like to tell them: looks full of hope converge on you, which you certainly do not want to disappoint. You are a source of legitimate pride for your parents, relatives and friends; Firmness is expected from you in the integral conception of man, of life, of society, not separated from moral and religious values, for the radiation of Christian culture and civilization. You, for what you are, constitute the promise of a more just, more human and more fraternal world; promise that you will keep, if you are conscious and committed to living your choice, your commitment to Christ, to "be leaven in the mass" (cf. 1 Cor 5, 6).

2. We meet today in this young University. It was an institution that was needed "in a country of Catholic tradition and in which Christianity is the prevailing spiritual climate which feeds the conscience of the Portuguese", wrote my brother Bishops, on the occasion of the solemn inauguration in 1967. Young in age, it immediately took charge from the birth of an ancient tradition and a precious legacy, which was at the same time the glory of the Nation, always linked to the fame that the Schools of Philosophy and Theology of Coimbra and the Theologians had gained in the world who had spoken at the Council of Trent.

By virtue of this legacy, the Catholic University was certainly founded in Portugal also as an act of clairvoyance, something that the Episcopate himself expressed in these terms in 1965: it was decided to create the Catholic University, "in the face of what already is been designated as the "spiritual defeat of Europe", in order to be able to present on a university level and with the rigor of the scientific method, the total and universal truth, to which our heart aspires, and to offer the keys that open the "mystery" that man continually wants to know, when he asks himself who he is, where he comes from and where he is going; the entire problematic of human culture - humanism, the social order, the sense of history - depends on the answer to these questions" (Note of 16 January 1965).

Despite the difficulties, not only financial - which I became aware of while preparing this meeting - divine Providence came to the aid of the good will of those who trusted in it. And I hope that this continues to be the case, so that the Catholic University continues its path and establishes itself more and more in everyone's esteem, achieving its objectives.

3. Immediately at the beginning of my pontificate, as you well remember, I addressed to the whole Church an apostolic constitution - Sapientia Christiana - which contains the definition of objectives and some guidelines for Catholic institutions of higher education. The research and teaching activity at this level, introduced into the life of the ecclesial community and integrated into the conditions of the current world, in which rapid and profound transformations are taking place, will have to converge in a constant rethinking of the scientific field, in order to inform the culture.

And if it is true that a University has the aim of training men for man and towards man, a Catholic University must also have the aim of training men who, maintaining a position in favor of man, lead us to encounter Christ, for whom and by whom everything was created, since "it pleased God to make all fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile all things to himself, making peace with the blood of his cross" ( Col 1, 19-20).

4. There is an indispensable platform, which I have already presented on other occasions, resting on the "cornerstone" Christ, "center of the cosmos and of history" (John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis , 1 ) on which the work of a University or institute of higher education that qualifies for the definition of "Catholic".

The first element or foundation of this entire platform will be constituted by the competence and seriousness of research and teaching , with a complete sense of man as a person, in his relationship with God and with nature and inserted into the human family; this reality, which requires an adequate sense of history and a serene and critical realism, in the analysis of facts and problems, without ever losing sight of the genuine good of the community and of society as a whole.

The second element must consist in the common intent on which the dynamism of these Universities and Institutes must be centered: to provide those who attend them with a solid preparation , made up of first-rate scientific and technical knowledge, together with Christian formation, which will lead them to make a personal synthesis of culture and faith and enable them to responsibly assume important roles in society, in which they must live the Christian testimony.

Finally, a condition for the two previous elements to become reality, Catholic universities and similar institutes must succeed in establishing among their population - teachers, students and those who serve here - more than a community spirit, authentic communities in which a Christianity that is active and capable of winning over everyone's sympathy: a community in which serious application to study and scientific research, aiming at the truth, takes place in a space and environment of shared Christian life.

I am sure that this sense of your identity animates you, of what distinguishes you as "Catholic", which can never remain a pure social qualification, but must translate into life and testimony. The affirmation of God and his rights as Creator and Lord, of his revelation and of the Catholic Church as guardian and interpreter of this revelation, equipped with a living Magisterium, constitute the foundation on which he builds who wants to "be united" with Christ and “do not be dispersed” (cf. Luke 11:23). The continuous awareness of the ecclesial nature of your Institutes must lead you to live the concern of always satisfying the greater good of the universal Church and of your local Churches, in whose orbit you live and work.

5. On the basis of a long experience lived during many years of university teaching, I would never tire of highlighting the University's task in the two "work benches" where its work is carried out and its vitality is manifested: that of research and that of scientific education. Both activities correspond to the desire to know, to a profound aspiration that is in the heart of man: for greater truth, for fullness in love.

To achieve these objectives, the University will have to make use of adequate working tools and continuously update its methods, to deserve the esteem of the world of culture, maintain its credibility and offer in the scientific field that contribution that the world of culture itself and Church await.

Truth and authentic science can never be expected from random factors; they are achievements that must be made using suitable means, following the paths of seriousness and application, in continuous, patient and coordinated research. Furthermore, when the object of research is man - I have underlined this several times - one can never lose sight of the spiritual dimension in the globality of his nature, at the risk of falling into an impoverishing vision of man himself. And, for the Christian, in his research, as in his teaching, it is necessary to reject any partial vision of. human reality and allowing oneself to be enlightened by his faith in the creation of man by God and in the redemption achieved by Christ.

As is well known, the Church, faithful to its divine Founder, who indicated the truth as the path to authentic freedom (cf. Jn 8, 32) has always supported institutions that are dedicated to the teaching and research of truth and conquering the world through science; it can even be said, from a historical perspective, that she holds the honorable title of founder of the Universities which, over time, became famous and exemplary prototypes for similar institutions.

There is therefore no contradiction between culture and faith, as the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council insistently underlined; on the contrary, there can be mutual enlightenment and enrichment. From here we derive a particular responsibility of Christian scholars and Catholic institutions of higher education: that of contributing to eliminating a great imbalance between general culture and the deepening of faith which, in quite a few cases, seems to have become ankylosed prematurely, with inevitable reflected in Christian behavior and presence in the world.

7. In a Catholic University, every activity, with the indispensable seal of intellectual honesty and academic seriousness, is located within the evangelizing mission of the Church. This evangelizing mission - as you have had the opportunity to see in the aforementioned apostolic constitution Sapientia Christiana - has as its aim "to bring the Good News to all classes of humanity. . . and penetrate their works, their initiatives, their whole life with the light of the Gospel" (cf. John Paul II, Sapientia Christiana , Prooemium, 1). Thus, it would be appropriate here to place each of the protagonists of university life in the context that belongs to them in this common work. But I know that you are aware of this task of yours and that, to help you walk with Christ in the Church, there will also be initiatives among you, in a line of pastoral care of intelligences; and I am sure that Bishops, priests, religious, committed lay people - in short, all pastoral workers - will dedicate their best interest to the human and Christian elevation of university students, bringing God back into the planning and implementation of academic activities, so that from here he can raise the religious praise of Wisdom.

8. Meanwhile, reflecting on the figure of the professor, in particular on the professor of sacred disciplines and above all on the theologian, I believe there is a common persuasion and expectation of encountering in him something more than a simple communicator of science: an educator of Christian life. Indeed, a man or woman educated in a Catholic institution of higher learning should normally feel prepared to face life with more than just professional competence and production capacity. We must feel Christian. In particular, Christians aware of the fact that the quality of their culture and competence, as acquired personal values, are a gift from God also to serve the community where they are called to work. And they should also be able to absorb this belief from the teaching and testimony of professors.

Referring in particular to theologians, I would like to once again take advantage of the opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation to them for their work. This work, also guided by the idea that theological knowledge is "a talent" (cf. Mt 25, 16) and by the social function of science, as a personal good, possesses a space of scientific autonomy and paths of legitimate freedom, of that freedom by which Christ freed us (cf. Gal 5, 1ff); but all these paths pass through faith, which acts through charity, in obedience to the truth.

This obligatory passage brings these paths together in the connection with the Magisterium and the Hierarchy, which does not take away the freedom of investigation, personal opinions and scientific debates between theologians. As we know, the Hierarchy, while giving the guidelines for Catholic unity, at the same time needs and can draw a lot from theological work.

The rights of the ecclesial community to be informed and formed in its sense of faith still determine these paths. Thus, hypotheses or positions freely discussed between experts and specialists, but which are not in a position to be accepted by the faithful without disturbance, cannot be launched among a non-specialist public. Although there is a connection between the plan of evangelization and the plan of theological research, it cannot be forgotten that there are pedagogy and imperatives in the gradual nature of the announcement.

Guiding the path of theologians in their work must therefore be the concern to serve the kingdom of God, with all love. When less constructive or clear purposes are superimposed on this love, exploiting this good that one possesses can turn into abuse, with repercussions in the field of charity, which is never inappropriate, nor does it seek one's own interest. . . “but delights in the truth” (cf. 1 Cor 13, 6). This obviously without calling into question the autonomy that belongs to science, which cannot be reduced to a simple auxiliary of faith.

The specific principle of expounding, with its practical implications, is valid not only for theologians and scholars of the sacred sciences, but for everyone: the greater someone's cultural "good", the more this must also be exploited as value "for others", in a conscious, active, responsible and Christian way. Thinking and producing intellectually is a responsibility; and an indeclinable principle for Catholic intellectual workers is to think well, in the light of human dignity and in that light that the Master, eternal Wisdom, gave us in himself when he told us: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness" ( Jn 8, 12).

Beloved brothers and sisters.

You certainly remember a question that I asked myself at the beginning of my pontificate, and that I wanted to share with the whole Church - with the conscience revived and developed by the Second Vatican Council - in the research phase, in many fields: "How will it be convenient to continue? ”. And I leave in the answer given then, and always alive in my spirit, the synthesis of everything I intended to convey to you: "the only orientation of the spirit, the only direction of the intellect, of the will and of the heart is this for us: towards Christ, Redeemer of man; towards Christ, Redeemer of the world” (John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis , 7 ).

Confirming to you the joy that this visit and meeting has brought me, I wish to assure you that I will continue to be present among you, with friendship; I hope that you too will continue to keep me present as a friend, and that we will cultivate this friendship of ours in prayer. And asking Our Lady, the Seat of Wisdom - whom Portugal venerates with particular love in the Sanctuary of Fatima, the destination of the apostolic pilgrimage that I am undertaking - to protect you with her maternal mantle, I give you, from my heart, my blessing.
 

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