GREETING OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
Catholic University of Uruguay (Montevideo)
Saturday, 7 November 2026
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Dear brothers and sisters,
I am pleased to meet with you, who, following the example of Jesus, the Divine Teacher, have dedicated your lives to the service of education. I greet Cardinal Daniel Sturla, S.D.B., Grand Chancellor of this Catholic University. I also greet the Bishops, the Rector, Father Julio Fernández Techera, S.J., and the civil authorities. I extend a special greeting to the professors and students who have come from so many educational institutions throughout the country.
A little over thirty-eight years ago, Saint John Paul II visited this institution of higher learning, which at the time was just getting started. Today, I wish to express my sincere gratitude for the educational work you have done and continue to do in the communities dedicated to formation and teaching, at every level and stage of learning, in service of the proclamation of the Gospel and the dignity of the human person. This perseverance demonstrates that Catholic education in Uruguay has become “the concrete way in which the Gospel becomes an educational gesture, a relationship, a culture” (Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, 1.1). It also affirms for us that “the Gospel does not grow old, but makes ‘all things new’ (Rev 21:5). Each generation hears it as a regenerating novelty. Each generation… [discovers] its seminal and multiplying power” (ibid.).
The goal of the pastoral mission in education is for students, teachers and school administrators to hear, see, taste, touch and smell the Good News, allowing it to enlighten the senses, just as the vibrant murals on this university campus do. In this way, all who belong to the educational community can grow and recognize more fully their inalienable dignity as human persons. The same holds true in extracurricular and informal educational settings, as well as in educational communities and those focused on social reintegration and therapeutic care. In these contexts, the attentive presence and lived witness of credible, competent adults who collaborate with one another carry even greater weight than words.
In light of the global reality we are experiencing, I believe that to achieve this goal, “dualistic views must be overcome: the human being ‘though made of body and soul, is one.’ Reducing the body to an ‘object’ to be disposed of arbitrarily is always a denial of the dignity of the person” (General Audience, 9 September 2026; Gaudium et Spes, 14).
I therefore invite you to take a brief “journey” through our five senses and, by reflecting on them, to rediscover the beauty of the Gospel and the grandeur of our humanity.
Let us begin by reflecting on the following verse from the Psalms: “When I see the heavens” (Ps 8:4). The psalmist leads us to one of the most sublime operations of our eyes: contemplation. Today, contemplation is understood as looking attentively, almost in wonder, at something spiritual or material. Contemplating creation and encountering God awaken in us an awareness of our place in his plan and of our personal and collective responsibility to preserve the original harmony. We can also appreciate this in the twelve buildings on campus, which blend harmoniously into the surroundings of this neighborhood.
Contemplation is a form of evangelization within the cognitive process of attention, which is becoming increasingly difficult. As progress is made in this regard, our children and young people attain the depth they long for, find spaces for silence and discernment, and become more accustomed to engaging in dialogue with their conscience and with God (cf. Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, 10.3). I invite you, then, to give contemplation a prominent place in your educational work.
Secondly, in saying “the heavens, the work of your hands” (Ps 8:4), the psalmist advances in contemplation to the point of seeing the hands of God, like those of an artist, creating the heavenly lights, the angels and the living creatures that move in the firmament, on the earth and in the waters. Among all these beings, only humans will have fingers that, united with their hands, will cultivate the earth, bring forth fruit, greet their brothers and sisters, caress and embrace. Yet we cannot forget that today those human hands are producing the most terrible of “human works”: war (cf. Address at the UNESCO Headquarters, 25 September 2026).
The Catholic education you are fostering is called to aid the educational community in recognizing the importance of touch, of fingers and of hands in promoting peace. If our students can experience the “baptismal embrace which the Father gave us when we were little ones,” they will long for “yet another embrace, that of the merciful Father who awaits us in glory” (Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 144). Helping our children and young people “feel that they live in the midst of these two embraces is the difficult but beautiful task of the one who preaches the Gospel” (ibid.). Those who feel embraced by the Father will inevitably become peacemakers.
Continuing our journey, the Apostle Peter directs our attention to the sense of taste when he says: “You have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pet 2:3). This sense evokes the notion of flavor and, with it, the wisdom that comes from experiencing, reflecting on and savoring. I am speaking of the wisdom that draws us closer to God’s goodness; the wisdom that makes us brothers and sisters; the wisdom that makes us saints. Tasting is not limited to recognizing flavors, identifying foods or classifying meals. In the same way, someone who gathers information without discernment, reflection and understanding of context cannot be considered wise.
It is therefore pressing that education in our schools and universities contribute to the “judicious use of technologies and AI, placing the person before the algorithm and harmonizing technical, emotional, social, spiritual, and ecological intelligence” (cf. Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, 10.3). May our children and young people savor “what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2).
To consider the sense of smell, we can turn to the story of the anointing at Bethany as recounted by John the Evangelist: “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (Jn 12:3). Saint Augustine reminds us that “the world has been filled with good reputation, for a good reputation is a sweet fragrance” (Commentary on Saint John, Treatise 50, 7). Today, however, people’s reputations are under constant attack, to the point that discarding, rejecting and belittling others have become a foul odor to which our sense of smell has grown accustomed.
Indeed, the process of dehumanization we are experiencing poses a challenge to our schools and universities. “The paradox has become increasingly evident: while ‘intelligence’ is attributed to computational systems, we struggle to recognize the inalienable dignity of human persons, whose lives are judged according to the criterion of efficiency and, when deemed no longer productive, are rejected and discarded” (Address at the UNESCO Headquarters, 25 September 2026).
It is essential that we defend the sweet fragrance of the human person, grounded in the sweet fragrance of the Messiah. We need to proclaim anew that human life must be respected at every stage and in every condition. No one is to be rejected.
As we draw our reflection to a close, let us consider the sense of hearing by recalling the words of the evangelist Matthew: “Let anyone with ears listen” (Mt 13:9). We conclude here with the hope that the reflections shared today at this institution of higher learning will be heard and, subsequently, heeded in your educational establishments. Fine-tuning our hearing is important in today’s world. Discerning what we hear makes all the difference. “Saint Augustine, grafting biblical wisdom onto the Greco-Roman tradition, understood that the authentic teacher arouses the desire for truth, educates freedom to read the signs and listen to the inner voice” (Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, 2.2).
Our Catholic education cannot be confined to a closed circle. Rather, it must learn to listen to families, civil society, political and administrative authorities, as well as representatives of the various economic sectors and professional groups. Today, our children and young people “listen” when they participate in volunteer service, missionary activities and community projects. Those who listen recognize others as a blessing, not as a threat. In Sacred Scripture, listening to the Lord is seen as an act of wisdom, prudence and justice (cf. Prov 1:2-5; 2:1-9). Our educational initiatives must embody these three virtues, bearing in mind that generations are changing far more rapidly than in the past and that keeping pace with the times — without abandoning sound tradition — is a real challenge.
Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to continue on your journey, evangelizing and contemplating the whole person: “body and soul, heart and conscience, mind and will” (Gaudium et Spes, 3). We must not stop. Let us continue walking with him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Once again, I express my appreciation for the educational work you carry out. Entrusting it to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, I cordially impart to you my Apostolic Blessing.