Pope Francis, in Audience with Notre Dame Leaders, Encourages University’s Support for Catholic K-12 Schools

Pope Francis, speaking in Rome on Jan. 30, 2014, to a delegation from the University of Notre Dame, expressed gratitude for the University’s support of Catholic K-12 schools.

“From its founding, the University of Notre Dame has made an outstanding contribution to the Church in your country through its commitment to the religious education of the young and to serious scholarship inspired by confidence in the harmony of faith and reason in the pursuit of truth and virtue,” said the Pope, according to an English text provided by Vatican Radio.

“Conscious of the critical importance of this apostolate for the new evangelization, I express my gratitude for the commitment which the University of Notre Dame has shown over the years to supporting and strengthening Catholic elementary and secondary school education throughout the United States.”

The Pope made his remarks in Italian during an audience he granted to the Notre Dame delegation, as detailed by The National Catholic Reporter.  Pope Francis greeted Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, president of the University of Notre Dame, along with ACE founder Rev. Timothy Scully, CSC and other members of the University Board of Trustees.  In addition to creating the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), Fr. Scully is also the Hackett Family Director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives. Since the inception of ACE and the Institute, Notre Dame has reached out to ensure educational excellence and provide resources to strengthen Catholic identity and student achievements in schools, especially in service to under-resourced and the children they serve.

This meeting of the Board of Trustees in Rome coincided with the opening of the University’s new Rome Center and the granting of honorary degrees to ecumenical leaders.  Prominent among the participants in the papal audience was His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC.

To view video of Pope Francis' meeting with the Notre Dame delegation, please click here.