Pope Benedict XVI’s Discourse to the Members of the Pontifical North American College
(January 9, 2010) “In the century and a half since its foundation, the College has
offered its students an exceptional experience of the universality of the Church,
the breadth of her intellectual and spiritual tradition, and the urgency of her mandate
to bring Christ’s saving truth to the men and women of every time and place,” said
Pope Benedict XVI. At the same time the Holy Father expressed his confidence that,
by emphasizing the hallmarks of a Roman education in every aspect of its program of
formation, the College will continue to produce wise and generous pastors capable
of transmitting the Catholic faith and enabling America’s Catholics to be a leaven
of the Gospel in the social, political and cultural life. Pope Benedict said this
in his discourse to the Rector, Faculty, Alumni and Students of the Pontifical North
American College, in Rome on Saturday, 9th of January, on the Occasion
of the 150 years of the founding of the College by Blessed Pius IX. He expressed
his appreciation to their fidelity to the founding vision by training generations
of worthy preachers of the Gospel and ministers of the sacraments, devoted to the
church in Rome and America. In this year for priests, this reunion is an opportunity
to express their gratitude to their alma mater, to reaffirm your filial affection
for the Church of Rome, and to recommit themselves to the high ideals of holiness,
fidelity and pastoral zeal, he said. The Pope recalled his invitation to the Church
in America given during his Pastoral visit, to cultivate an intellectual ‘culture’
which is genuinely Catholic, and to be prepared to bring the richness of faith’s vision
which will affect the future of American society. Finally the Pope referred to the
portrait of Mary with Saints Gregory the Great, Pius X, John Mary Vianney and Vincent
de Paul in their Chapel in Rome and called on them to live under their patronage.
Then he gave his Apostolic Blessing.