Pope, in address at Sapienza University, calls for commitment to life and ecology

May 14, 2026

This morning, Pope Leo XIV made a pastoral visit to Sapienza University of Rome, where he delivered a wide-ranging address (video 1, video 2).

“Those who seek, those who study, those who seek the truth, in the end seek God, will encounter God, they will find God precisely in the beauty of creation, in the many forms in which God has wished to put his imprint, in all that we are, especially as sons and daughters of God, creatures made in his image, but also in his creation,” Pope Leo said in extemporaneous remarks in the university’s chapel, at the beginning of his visit.

In his Italian-language address, delivered in the university’s Aula Magna (Great Hall), Pope Leo discussed St. Augustine, “who was a restless young man: he also made serious mistakes, but nothing was lost of his passion for beauty and wisdom.”

“In this regard, I was pleased to receive a large number of questions from you: hundreds,” Pope Leo said. “Obviously, it is not possible to answer all of them, but I keep them in mind, wishing everyone to seek more opportunities to dialogue. This is also why there are chaplaincies in the university, where faith meets your questions.”

Reflecting on the anxiety experienced by so many, the Pope said that “the spiritual malaise of many young people that reminds us that we are not the sum of what we have, nor a casually assembled matter of a mute cosmos. We are a desire, not an algorithm! It is precisely this special dignity of ours that leads me to share two questions with you.”

Pondering the question, “Who are you?”, the Pope said:

“Who are you?” is the question we ask each other; the question that we silently ask God; the question that only we can answer, for ourselves, but which we can never answer alone. We are our bonds, our language, our culture: all the more so, it is vital that the university years are the time of great encounters.

Turning to the question “What world are we leaving?”,” Pope Leo lamented “a world unfortunately crippled by wars and words of war,” adding:

The simplification that builds enemies must therefore be corrected, especially in universities, with care for complexity and the wise exercise of memory. In particular, the drama of the twentieth century should not be forgotten. The cry “never again war!” of my Predecessors, so consonant with the repudiation of war enshrined in the Italian Constitution, spurs us to a spiritual alliance with the sense of justice that dwells in the hearts of young people, with their vocation not to close themselves between ideologies and national borders.

Decrying increased military spending in Europe, the Pope called for a twofold commitment to peace—a “radical yes to life”—and to ecology:

In the last year the growth of military spending in the world, and in particular in Europe, has been enormous: do not call “defense” a rearmament that increases tensions and insecurity, impoverishes investments in education and health, belies trust in diplomacy, enriches elites who care nothing about the common good.

It is also necessary to monitor the development and application of artificial intelligence in the military and civilian spheres, so that they do not de-responsibility human choices and do not worsen the tragic nature of conflicts. What is happening in Ukraine, Gaza and the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and Iran describes the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation. Study, research, investments should go in the opposite direction: may they be a radical “yes” to life! Yes to innocent life, yes to young life, yes to the life of peoples who cry out for peace and justice!

A second front of common commitment concerns ecology. As Pope Francis told us in the Encyclical Laudato si’, “there is a very consistent scientific consensus that indicates that we are in the presence of a worrying warming of the climate system” (n. 23). More than a decade has passed since then and, beyond the good intentions and some efforts oriented in this direction, the situation does not seem to have improved.

“Together with me and with so many brothers and sisters, be artisans of true peace: disarming and disarming peace, humble and persevering, working for harmony among peoples and for the care of the Earth,” the Pope added.

Turning to the university faculty, Pope Leo said that “teaching is an act of charity, just as much as helping a migrant at sea, a poor person on the street, a desperate conscience.”

The Pope asked, “What sense would it make to train a researcher or professional who does not cultivate his conscience, a sense of justice and respect for what cannot and must not be dominated? Knowledge, in fact, is not only used to achieve work-related goals, but to discern who one is.”

 

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Further information:

• Pastoral Visit to Sapienza University in Rome (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 5/14/26)