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Pope Leo’s address to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Consistory Hall – Thursday, 25 June 2026
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Pope Leo’s address,
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am pleased to welcome all of you here this morning, Presidents and representatives from the Jesuit Colleges and Universities of North America, and I thank you for your presence.
I trust that your visit to Rome and to the Vatican will serve to strengthen your bonds both with the Successor of Peter as well as with the leadership of the Society of Jesus, which has been involved in the field of education for centuries.
While we can look to the past with gratitude for all that has been accomplished in the history of each of your educational institutions, we are also well aware of the multitude of challenges facing humanity today.
Indeed, our time has called an age of epochal change.
Societies are becoming even more secularized, with many seeking to push any mention of God out of the public sphere and beyond popular culture.
Political systems frequently do not respond to the cry of the poor, migrants and those whom the world considers to be outcasts.
Often times young people are left without hope in a world that seems to lack the promise of a better future, and the natural environment continues to be degraded by those who would use the planet’s resources for their own interests instead of for the common good.
Our world is also increasingly aware of the growing impact of artificial intelligence, and the wider-ranging effects it can have on humanity.
In this regard, the Society of Jesus’ four Universal Apostolic Preferences, which were confirmed by my predecessor in 2019, propose paths that might help to address these challenges at the level of higher education.
A. To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment;
B. To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice;
C. To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future;
D. To collaborate in the care of our Common Home.
I would like to reflect on these four Preferences with you.
The first preference of the Society, To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment;
Whether they realize it or not, those who conduct research, pursue studies, and seek the truth are ultimately seeking God.
Therefore, it is essential to provide ways for members of your academic communities to come to know the One who is Truth.
Indeed, as I recently observed during my visit to Spain, many young people and adults are rediscovering the Christian faith after having drifted away from God.
Given this palpable and growing hunger for God among the youth, I encourage you to continue making opportunities for participation in the Exercises available on your campuses.
In this way, members of your academic communities may have a personal encounter with our Lord and freely choose to serve him in their daily lives.
Likewise, the principles of the Exercises regarding discernment can be helpful tools to open you to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in your daily decision-making.
The second preference of the Society – To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice;
For various reasons, such as war, religious or political persecution, hunger, and the effects of climate change, many are ultimately forced to leave their homes.
Your institutions are called not only to educate your students about the injustices faced by the marginalized, but also to promote systemic change by proposing new models rooted in solidarity and the common good.
It is also important to provide immigrants, refugees, and individuals of lower socioeconomic statuses with opportunities to receive an advanced education. This will enable them to integrate more fully into their host societies and enrich the wider student body with their diverse experiences and perspectives.
The third preference of the Society – To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future;
Students typically start their academic careers full of idealism and energy, often eager to help others. The studies, friendships, and opportunities to encounter the thoughts and research of great scholars, both past and present, that take place on your campuses can bring a sense of hope and the promise of positive change.
I invite you to foster that sense of hope among your community members through opportunities for dialogue, service, and prayer.
Remember that the resurrection of Christ is the ultimate source of hope
(1 Peter. 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,)
and that with him, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 –Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”).
The fourth preference of the Society – To collaborate in the care of our Common Home;
This is a task that is particularly important given the realities we are experiencing daily of the effects of climate change, as well as the exploitation of resources by a few at the expense of the common good.
In this regard, I encourage you to persevere with your efforts to educate those on your campuses regarding these current dangers, but also to let your communities be examples of ecological sustainability, simplicity and gratitude for God’s gifts.
In this way, your institutions will be able to instruct by example, and not solely in theory.
Finally, we are living in a time when artificial intelligence is having an increasingly significant impact. Other new technologies are opening up horizons in directions that are imaginable but not yet fully predictable.
It is crucial to start addressing the positive and negative consequences of these advances now.
Colleges and universities have a special role to play in this regard, particularly by breathing new life into the principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine in a way that is relevant and effective in addressing the digital revolution.
My dear friends, I express gratitude for all that you do in your important educational endeavors with these thoughts.
With the help of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s prayers, may you continue the Jesuit tradition of educating those entrusted to your care to become “men and women for others.”
I gladly impart my apostolic blessing to each of you and extend it to your loved ones and the communities of the institutions you represent.
Thank you.
