Universities Have a Vocation, Says Pontiff

Must Educate, Not Just Transmit Knowledge, He Insists

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 4, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI cautions that universities will not fulfill their function if they limit themselves simply to transmitting knowledge, and forget that they also have a vocation to educate.

The Pope explained this Saturday to participants in a seminar, organized by the Congregation for Catholic Education, on the theme "The Cultural Heritage and Academic Values of the European University and the General Interest in European Higher Education."

The seminar was attended by representatives of 42 countries that, like the Holy See, have supported the Bologna Process, an initiative promoted by the European Center for Higher Education of the U.N. Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO-CEPES).

Benedict XVI said that universities are "asked not to be content with teaching, with transmitting technical and professional knowledge, which is very important, but not sufficient; they must also commit themselves to exercise an attentive educational role at the service of the new generations."

"Universities were born of the love of learning, of curiosity to know, to know what the world is, what the human being is, but also of knowledge that leads to action, which leads ultimately to love," the Pope indicated.

"But man cannot understand himself fully if he forgets God. This is the reason why the religious dimension of human existence cannot be neglected," the Holy Father concluded.

Participants in the congress, held in the Vatican , included education ministers, government officials and university presidents from 42 countries. Representatives of European and international organizations also attended.

Among other things, they discussed the role of universities in the making of Europe and the foundations for interdisciplinary, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, as well as scientific research and ethical responsibility.

At a Vatican press conference last Thursday, Jan Sadlak, director of UNESCO-CEPES, affirmed that Europe could be proud of its diversity, the source of inspiration in so many fields.

"And here we need to point out the role of the university which, in its modern form, is a European creation with almost a thousand-year history in which the Roman Catholic Church has played an important role," Sadlak said. "This needs to be recognized."