Pope Tells Universities to Serve Persons

PAVIA, Italy, APRIL 23, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Every university should be made for the person, placing the individual at the center and giving worth to interpersonal relations between students and professors, Benedict XVI says. [Attending a smaller university or college definitely makes this a little easier. . .]

This is what the Pope said Sunday during his meeting with students, professors and other guests in the Tersiano Courtyard of the University of Pavia. The Holy Father explained: "All universities should safeguard their identity as centers of study 'made to man's measure,' in which students do not remain anonymous but are able to cultivate a fruitful dialogue with professors, drawing incentives for their own cultural and human development."

"It is of fundamental importance," he continued, "that the commitment to academic research remains open to the existential question of meaning in peoples lives." The Pontiff said: "Only by valuing the person and interpersonal relations can didactic interaction become an educational relationship." Benedict XVI offered St. Augustine as a model for the dialogue between faith and reason. "From a life dedicated to searching for worldly success he passed to a life totally donated to Jesus Christ, the only Master and Lord," he said. "By the intercession of St. Augustine, may the University of Pavia always stand out for its special attention to individuals, for a marked community dimension in academic research, and for a fruitful dialogue between faith and culture."
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