College Presidents Meet with Pope

When Catholic educators gathered at the Catholic University of America, April 17 for a meeting with Pope Benedict, the presidents of Georgetown University, Loyola College, Saint Joseph University, the University of Scranton and Wheeling Jesuit University were in the audience.
            They said later that they found inspiration and hope in the pontiff’s remarks.
            Julio Giulietti, SJ, of Wheeling, said he found the talk “very Ignatian.”
            “As an educator himself Benedict XVI spoke of the need for research and study; the patience needed in sewing seeds with young people; and the challenge of looking beyond where we are to the wider world. His talk was very Ignatian,” Fr. Giulietti said.
            “I am pleased with the gratitude Pope Benedict VXI expressed to leaders of Catholic higher education in the U.S. for the work that we do on our campuses,” said Saint Joseph’s Timothy R. Lannon, SJ. “His own background as a university professor gives him a particularly keen understanding of the academy.
            “The Pope was very clear in his challenges – including our shared responsibility for maintaining our Catholic identity and for making Catholic education accessible, especially to the poor,” Fr. Lannon added.
            “His statement that educating young people to find truth is an act of love shows his deep support for Catholic education,” said John J. DeGioia of Georgetown. “As a university president I especially appreciate Pope Benedict's affirmation of the importance of the research, teaching and service that takes place on our campuses. His remarks about intellectual charity were a particularly beautiful way of capturing the generosity of spirit that has been present throughout his visit and serve as an inspiration to continue our work to fulfill Georgetown's promise and potential.”
            Loyola College President Brian F. Linnane, SJ, found himself sitting beside Nashville’s superintendent of Catholic schools and couldn’t help catching the excitement she felt. The Holy Father’s words, he said, “were an affirmation about Catholic education, the great things it does and the things it accomplishes. There was a sense that our faith is not inconsistent with what we can learn through the sciences and the other disciplines.” Hearing the message from a man who came from the academic world, Fr. Linnane felt it was a great affirmation for the work of the United States’ Catholic colleges and universities. “I felt very affirmed. This is a document I need to share with my cabinet,” he said, noting that he gave it to Loyola’s academic vice president and recommended that it be discussed with new faculty.
                       "It was a privilege to meet with Pope Benedict XVI alongside Catholic college presidents from throughout the country,” added Scott R. Pilarz, SJ, president at the University of Scranton. “I found the meeting and address to be an affirmation of Catholic education in general and of Catholic colleges and universities in particular. His message emphasized the vital role Catholic schools play in the moral, spiritual and civic life of our nation. As a professor himself, he expressed solidarity with us. I was inspired by the meeting and grateful for Pope Benedict’s embrace and endorsement of the work that we do."