Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, where the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences is located. / Credit: calu777/flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Vatican City, Nov 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The Pontifical Lateran University, the historic institution founded in 1773 by Pope Clement XIV, will inaugurate the academic year on Nov. 14.
The ceremony — the traditional “Dies Academicus” (“Academic Day”) in university parlance — is held every autumn as the official opening of university activities, but this year it will have a very special guest: Pope Leo XIV.
The rector of the Lateran University, Archbishop Alfonso Amarante — the only rector of all the pontifical universities directly appointed by the pope — emphasized that the Holy Father’s visit not only evokes the long tradition of the bond between the popes and the university but also highlights his “pastoral care for the formation of the future of the Church and society.”
“The pope is very clear that formation is the future of the Church. His visit will be a very important moment for the entire university community and also a sign of the pontiff’s commitment to education as a path to peace and hope,” Amarante told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.
The rector said Pope Leo’s presence at the Pontifical Lateran University, which boasts over two and a half centuries of intellectual work, “is as if he were visiting all the pontifical universities.”
“Certainly, he will also visit others in the future, but starting from here means recalling this special bond with his university and, at the same time, sending a message of hope to the world of education, as he did during the Jubilee of the World of Education,” the rector noted.
‘This is his home’
“This is his home, according to the statutes,” the Italian archbishop pointed out, noting that the Pontifical Lateran University is the only university with a special title indicating that it is the pope’s university.
It was founded after the closure of the historic Roman College, where priests were initially formed. “The aim was to ensure continuity to the formation of the Roman clergy,” he explained. “At first, it was spread out across various parts of Rome, but since the beginning of the 20th century, it has been located here.”
The bond between this pontifical university and the Apostolic See of the Vatican was strengthened above all by Pope Pius XI. On Nov. 3, 1937, he inaugurated the new headquarters for the Athenaeum, which had been built under his papacy. Furthermore, “he wanted this to be the first university to implement the new norms for the reform of Catholic universities,” he noted.
“With John XXIII, this relationship intensified even further,” he pointed out. The rector also recalled that before being elected successor of Peter, Pope Paul VI taught here. “It has always been the place of formation for the Petrine magisterium,” he emphasized.
A living papal tradition
The rector remarked that all the popes of the modern era have visited the Lateran University, but Leo XIV’s presence at the opening of the academic year is a first.
“All the popes I can recall have come to the university. But the pontiff’s presence at the opening of the academic year is a gesture full of meaning. It makes us understand how important the formation is to him, not only for future priests but also for the laity. Because this university has a dual soul: Here philosophy, theology, and canon law are studied but also civil law and a new discipline called peace studies, a kind of degree in politics with a focus on the subject of peace,” he explained.
Enthusiasm and hope in the academic community
In the days leading up to the pope’s visit, anticipation and joy fill the Lateran University. “There is a great deal of enthusiasm here,” Amarante noted.
“There is joy and hope. We trust that we will hear his words at the beginning of the academic year, not only to be encouraged in our work but also to receive guidance on where he wants us to make progress, on what we should focus on more,” he emphasized.
Currently, the Pontifical Lateran University has around 1,100 students, of whom more than 40% are laypeople, according to the rector. This diversity, he noted, reflects the current mission of the pontifical university: a place for formation at the service of the universal Church and society.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
