Pope Leo: Catholic universities should not ‘bow to utility,’ but serve Truth
November 14, 2026
Pope Leo XIV said last evening that the Catholic university is called to be a “place where intelligence does not bow to utility, but rather serves the truth faithfully.”
“Above all, it is called to serve Truth—with a capital ‘T’—who is Christ, the Savior of the world,” Pope Leo said during a visit (video) to the St. Turibius of Mogrovejo Catholic University in Chiclayo, Peru. “In this way, the Catholic university works to foster the fruitful encounter between faith and reason, and between religion and science, by engaging in humble dialogue, conducting rigorous inquiry and always seeking the common good. This academic approach frees us from the temptation to produce only a skilled workforce for an exclusive and highly competitive market.”
As the former bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Pope Leo was once the university’s grand chancellor. The Pope recalled that “during my years as Grand Chancellor of this institution, you helped me to understand that authority means service, that governance requires listening, and that education is a noble act of hope.”
The Pontiff warned that “the most deadly risk is that of submission to the technocratic paradigm, which reduces reality to material data, considering efficiency to be the supreme value. Both professors and students are called to exercise critical thinking, and I encourage you always to seek that wisdom which neither machines nor computer programs can possess.”
“Only in this way will technological progress be at the service of our integral development, safeguarding the dignity of every person and promoting the common good,” he said.
Pope Leo said that St. Turibius (1538-1606) “lights the way for us for us as an example.”
- “In his time, when indigenous peoples were often subjected to exploitation and discrimination, he defended their human dignity with evangelical fervor ... A university modeled on his example is called to use scientific innovation to bridge social divides and heal society’s wounds.”
- “Today, the promises of transhumanism and posthumanism are multiplying. These are ideological currents according to which, sooner or later, technology will eliminate all disease and pain, as well as aging and even death itself ... In the face of this mirage, which promotes the illusion of human beings perfected by cybernetics and biotechnology, Christian anthropology reminds us that a limitation is not a manufacturing defect, but rather the very condition of human grandeur ... Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo experienced physical limits during his grueling journeys; he fell ill, suffered from exhaustion and faced the misunderstanding of the powerful. Moreover, it was precisely through a life so sorely tested that he transformed the ecclesial and social history of an entire country. “
The Pontiff concluded by addressing administrators and faculty.
“I encourage you to discover, with wonder and passion, that your work is a lofty expression of intellectual charity,” he said.. “As you accompany these young people in their classes and research, offer each one a consistent witness through your lives. Be free thinkers, for whom truth takes precedence over opinion, and justice over self-interest.”
He added:
Together with your students, tenaciously seek wisdom so that you may share it in your daily lives, among your colleagues and within Peruvian society. As you cultivate your scientific expertise, translate it into works of social justice, especially for the benefit of the poorest, and in the care of creation, which today is so wounded by profiteering that disregards the common good.
Dear friends, I encourage you to move forward with renewed vigor in your educational endeavors. For this reason, I entrust you and your work to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Sedes Sapientiae [Seat of Wisdom]. May she, who welcomed the eternal Word into her womb, teach you to journey through this time with courage and faith. May God bless you always!
Following his address at the university, the Pope went to the Colegio Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, an elementary and secondary school; there, he thanked the volunteers who prepared for his visit and had supper with diocesan priests.
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Further information:
- Apostolic Journey to Peru: Meeting with the Academic Community (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 11/13/26)
- Meeting with the University Community of “Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo” Catholic University (Holy See Press Office, 11/13/26)
- Pope in Peru: Search for truth in universities becomes service to humanity (Vatican News, 11/13/26)
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