Christian World | Pope Leo XIV told an international congress at the Vatican on Thursday that Catholic schools and universities must be a "home" where young people feel loved and seen

ACW | October 23, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, October 22, urged Catholic schools and universities to be places where young people feel loved and seen, Vatican News reported.

According to Vatican News, the Pope spoke in the Paul VI Hall to participants in the International Congress for Pastoral Care in Schools and Universities, organised by the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education from October 22 to 23, 2026.

The Pope said many young people are paralysed by fear of failure in what he called a "performance-driven" culture. "Beneath the armor that so many teenagers build around themselves to avoid suffering lies the desire to love and be loved," he said.

He described Catholic schools and universities as "first and foremost, a 'home'" and spoke of students' "digital loneliness." "We must educate the heart in compassion, gratitude, and the ability to be moved by the suffering of others," he said.

He asked educators to "help the young people you meet to become protagonists of a new way of inhabiting the world," through service to the poor, volunteering, care for creation and prayer.

Background: Pope Leo XIV has returned to public duties after lung surgery; his doctors said on October 21 that no further treatment is necessary (Pope Leo XIV needs no further cancer treatment, doctors say).

Why it matters: According to Vatican News, the Pope asked Catholic schools and universities to nurture both students' minds and their encounter with Christ, setting the direction for the Church's pastoral work with young people in its schools.

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Source: Vatican News — Pope urges Catholic schools to help young people find new way to live in world

Photo: Vatican Media