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Behind every Catholic teacher, there is a believing community.
Pope Francis has given this reminder to the community of the Catholic University of Portugal, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its founding today, Oct. 26, 2017, in the Vatican.
In his remarks, the Pope regretted he couldn’t visit the university during his May 12-13, 2017, visit to Fatima, for the Centenary of the Apparitions, and expressed his joy to be with them today.
The Holy Father affirmed the value of Catholic universities and institutions.
“By design and grace of God, you are a Catholic university, a characteristic that in no way harms the university; on the contrary, it enhances its value to the maximum.
Catholic academic institutions, Pope Francis said, are distinguished by the Christian inspiration of its members and of its own communities, “helping them to include the moral, spiritual and religious dimension in their research and to value the achievements of science and technology from the perspective of the human person as a whole.
“Behind the Catholic teacher there is a believing community, in which, throughout the centuries of its existence, a certain wisdom of life has matured; a community that conserves within it a treasure trove of knowledge and ethical experience that is important for all humanity.
In this sense, the Pope said, the teacher speaks not so much as a representative of a belief, but above all, as a witness of the validity of an ethical reason.
The Holy Father concluded, saying he accompanies those present with prayers, and reminded them to pray for him.
Below is the Vatican Press Office-provided translation of the Pope”s address to those present:
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 © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
