VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholic universities around the world to cultivate a renewed “pᴀssion for the truth,” emphasizing that higher education must be more than professional training—it must help students seek wisdom, integrity, and a deeper understanding of the human person.

Addressing educators, researchers, and university leaders, the Pope praised Catholic insтιтutions for their unique mission of integrating faith and reason. He stressed that the search for truth should remain at the heart of academic life, encouraging scholars to pursue knowledge with intellectual rigor while remaining attentive to ethical and spiritual questions.

“Universities are called to form not only skilled professionals, but men and women committed to truth and the common good,” Pope Leo said. He warned against cultural trends that reduce education to economic success alone, arguing that authentic learning should foster critical thinking, moral responsibility, and service to society.

The pontiff also highlighted the importance of open dialogue between disciplines, urging Catholic universities to engage contemporary challenges such as artificial intelligence, social inequality, environmental stewardship, and global peace. By doing so, he said, they can help shape future leaders capable of addressing complex problems with both competence and conscience.

Concluding his remarks, Pope Leo encouraged students and educators alike to approach their work with curiosity, humility, and courage. A genuine pᴀssion for truth, he said, remains essential for building a more just, compᴀssionate, and hopeful world.