Pope to Louvain students: 'Continue to hope and work for a better future'

By Lisa Zengarini

In the last public event of the second full-day of his Apostolic Journey to Belgium, Pope Francis met with students of the prestigious Catholic University of Louvain, which is celebrating the 600th since its founding. 

He was welcomed by members of the Rectoral Council, the Rector, Françoise Smets, and before entering the auditorium, he signed the Book of Honour.

The letter presented by the students

The students presented him a letter sharing their reflections on the themes of environmental responsibility, the role of universities in fostering awareness and change, and the need for a new cultural and spiritual approach to tackling current ecological and social crises.

The letter is the result of a collective effort involving professors, young researchers, and students who gathered to discuss his Encyclical Letter ‘Laudato si’’ on the care of our common home.

They focus on five themes: the philosophical and theological roots of the current climate crisis; the role of emotions and commitment; the issue of inequality; the position of women and attitudes of sobriety; and, solidarity in the face of the climate emergency.

Pope meeting the students of Louvain University

Hope never disappoints

In his address, Pope Francis warmly thanked the students for sharing their concerns for the future, and praised the “passion and hope” in their desire for justice and the search for truth.

He acknowledged the several issues raised in the letter, including war, the indiscriminate exploitation of resources and peoples in the Global South, and the Church's responsibilities in legitimizing Europe's past colonial domination over other peoples.

The Pope condemned any misuse of religion for domination as a blasphemous distortion of God's image.

In the face of these evils, he encouraged the students to continue to hope, because "hope never disappoints."

We are not masters of God’s-given creation

Turning to the central question raised in the letter on the relationship between Christianity and ecology, the Pope highlighted three attitudes to cultivate. 

First of all, he focused on gratitude for God’s creation, which has been entrusted to humanity, making us “not masters but guests and pilgrims on the earth.” 

The second attitude is mission, our duty to protect and cultivate creation for future generations.

Pope Francis again lamented that the preservation of the environment continues to be hindered by the prevalence of powerful economic interests over ecological concerns.

“We are guests, not despots,” he insisted, exhorting the students “to consider the cultivation not just of ideas, but also of the world.”

Pope Francis then mentioned fidelity both to God and humanity, urging a commitment to integral development that respects the physical, moral, cultural, and social dimensions of human life and "opposes all forms of oppression and rejection of others."  The Church, he said, "denounces these abuses, committing herself above all to the conversion of each of her members, each one of us, to justice and to truth."

In this regard, he warned against “manipulating nature instead of cultivating it”, pointing to eugenics, cybernetic organisms and artificial intelligence.

'The Church is woman'

Pope Francis went on to reflect  on another point addressed in the letter: the role of women in the Church and society, which also regards issue of gender violence and injustice, as well as ideological prejudices.

Recalling the significant role of women in the history of salvation, the Pope reflected on the essential nature of women in the Church and society, and rejected any notion of rivalry between men and women. He called instead for mutual respect and collaboration, rooted in dignity and shared humanity.

“In the Church, men and women have been called from the beginning to love and to be loved,” he remarked. 

We work to live; we don’t live to work

Pope Francis then spoke about the students’ academic formation. He encouraged them to follow their own individual style of study, while keeping in mind that they are part of a community, as education and culture are a collective effort.

He also invited the students to reflect on their motivations and invited them to study with the goal of living a fuller life, warning that work should not be the be-all and end-all of life.

Finally, Pope Francis reminded them that they should study not just for personal gain but to serve the common good.

Study makes sense if it seeks the truth that sets us free

Concluding, the Pope urged the students of the Catholic University of Louvain to always seek and bear witness to the truth in their studies, because, he said, “truth sets us free.”

Without it, he said, study becomes “an instrument of power, a way to control others; it no longer serves but dominates.”