Pope meets Pontifical Polish Institute’s community of Rome

(January 17, 2011) Pope Benedict on Monday received the staff and resident priests of the Pontifical Polish Institute of Rome and wished that the love and devotion for the figure of the Pope urge priests to generously serve the communion of the whole Church. The Pope met the community of the Pontifical Polish Institute on the occasion of 100 years of its foundation. He said the Church needs priests who are well prepared and rich in wisdom acquired from the Eucharist and the Gospel. These two irreplaceable sources, he said, must lead to a sincere love for the truth, which they are called to delve into through study and scientific research today and to share it with many in the future. This quest for truth, the Pope stressed, is urged and enriched by their closeness with the Apostolic See. Pontifical Polish Institute was formally inaugurated in 1910 as a hostel for Polish priests arriving in Rome for their studies. The Pope hoped that the institute would continue to maintain its original purpose of offering resident Polish priests an ideal atmosphere for study and brotherhood during their formation days in Rome.