CHICLAYO, Peru — Pope Leo XIV offered a mission statement for Catholic higher education as a bastion of truth-seeking and humanity in a world increasingly dominated by soulless technocratic utilitarianism.
Speaking Friday, Nov. 13, in his former diocese, the pope said a university is called to be "a forge of talents and a laboratory of meaning: a space where intelligence does not bow to utility but serves the truth faithfully" — above all, he added, "the Truth with a capital T, who is Christ, the Savior of the world."
"The Catholic university works to foster the fruitful encounter between faith and reason, and between religion and science," the pope continued. "This academic approach frees us from the temptation to produce only a skilled workforce for an exclusive and highly competitive market."
Leo made his remarks during a visit to Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University in Chiclayo, where as bishop he also served as the university's grand chancellor. Friday was his first time back in the city since his election as pope in May 2025.
The institution is named for St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, a Spanish missionary who served as archbishop of Lima from 1581 until his death in 1606 and who promoted the use of the Indigenous languages Quechua and Aymara in evangelization.
Leo has a particular devotion to St. Turibius and was scheduled to take part in a celebration closing the jubilee year for the 300th anniversary of the saint's canonization on Saturday, Nov. 14.
"Saint Turibius' great cultural work in this part of the world continues to inspire us," the pope said on Friday. "A university modeled on his example is called to use scientific innovation to bridge social divides and heal society's wounds."
He said such a university could be effective in dispelling what he called the mirage of transhumanism and posthumanism: "ideological currents according to which, sooner or later, technology will eliminate all disease and pain, as well as aging and even death itself."
Against such ideas, Christian anthropology "reminds us that a limitation is not a manufacturing defect, but rather the very condition of human grandeur," Leo said. While "the myth of self-sufficiency locks us in selfishness and leads us to discard the weak," he added, "recognizing our fragility makes us attentive to the needs of all."
Turning to the students, the pope urged them to see the opportunities of their time in the light of faith, which he called a bright beacon in "the confusion and darkness of loneliness, boredom and pain" and "a force that gives wisdom and strength, leading to what is essential."
