Pope Leo XIV urges \u2018thinking the faith\u2019 amid risk of cultural emptiness Pope Leo XIV on Friday urged academics to \u201cthink the faith\u201d in order to confront what he called an increasingly pervasive \u201ccultural emptiness.\u201d The pope spoke at a ceremony inaugurating the academic year at Rome\u2019s Pontifical Lateran University, the ecclesiastical university under the direct control of the Holy See, an event that brought together more than a thousand students and professors. In his address, Pope Leo XIV highlighted what he called the Lateran University\u2019s unique and \u201caltogether special\u201d bond with the successor of Peter, a characteristic that he said has shaped its identity and mission from the beginning. He recalled the contributions of various pontiffs since its founding in 1773 and described the Lateran as \u201ca privileged center where the teaching of the universal Church is elaborated, received, developed, and contextualized.\u201d \u201cToday we urgently need to think the faith so that we can express it in contemporary cultural settings and challenges, but also to counter the risk of cultural emptiness, which in our time is becoming increasingly invasive,\u201d he said. The pope noted that the faculty of theology is called \u201cto reflect on the deposit of faith and to manifest its beauty and credibility in today\u2019s diverse contexts,\u201d while the study of philosophy \u201cmust be oriented toward the search for truth.\u201d Turning to the university\u2019s canon and civil law faculties, he encouraged students and professors \u201cto consider administrative processes in depth, an urgent challenge for the Church.\u201d He also pointed to the cycles of study in peace sciences and ecology and the environment, instituted by Pope Francis, describing them as \u201can essential part of the Church\u2019s recent magisterium.\u201d The \u201cformation of people,\u201d he said, is at the heart of the Lateran University\u2019s mission. For this reason, he urged its members to keep \u201ctheir eyes and hearts directed toward the future\u201d and to face contemporary challenges with courage. The pope encouraged the academic community to be a \u201cprophetic sign of communion and fraternity,\u201d and said authentic academic formation serves as an antidote to individualism, self-reference, prejudice, and what he called \u201csolitary leadership.\u201d He also underlined the importance of scientific rigor, noting that it is \u201coften not appreciated as it should be\u201d because of \u201cdeeply rooted prejudices that unfortunately persist even within the ecclesial community.\u201d Scientific research and intellectual effort, he said, are indispensable. \u201cWe need well-prepared and competent laypeople and priests,\u201d he added. \u201cThe purpose of the educational and academic process must be to form people who, guided by the logic of gratuity and the passion for truth and justice, can become builders of a new, fraternal, and solidary world,\u201d the pope said. He concluded by insisting that Catholics must take seriously the task of \u201cthinking in faith,\u201d and invited the university to explore the mystery of Christian belief with passion and in dialogue with the world. \u201cThe Lateran University holds a special place in the pope\u2019s heart,\u201d he said, \u201cand the pope encourages you to dream big, to imagine new spaces for the Christianity of the future, and to work with joy so that all may discover Christ and in him find the fullness they seek.\u201d This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Almudena Mart\u00ednez-Bordi\u00fa Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Theology Students of Pope Benedict XVI Meet at the Vatican Two Years of War in Ukraine Pope Francis: Self-sacrifice, humble service are key to good leadership EXPLAINER: Everything you should know about relics What does a general audience with Pope Francis consist of? The Papal Vestments and Symbols of Pope Leo XIV: Tradition, Relics, and Meaning Explained<\/p>\n