In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Your Eminence, Your Excellency,
Monsignor Rector and Spiritual Fathers,
dear brothers and … a few sisters,

Good morning! Bom dia! Bem-vindos!

I am pleased to welcome you on this day that, 125 years ago, marked the birth of the Pontifical Portuguese College. Indeed, Pope Leo XIII, moved by the spiritual good that the Portuguese bishops, with the formation of their clergy in Rome, foresaw for their dioceses, founded it at the end of a process in which the Visconti of São João da Pesqueira played an important role. Looking back, therefore, and thinking about the foundation of your College, we find clerics and lay people together, united on the same path, committed to the same goals, so as to foster better the proclamation of the Gospel.

Always focused on the mission, the Church, today called upon to strengthen her synodal style, joyfully treasures these ecclesial experiences and, in preserving them as a spiritual heritage, finds in them an impetus to grow in communion. When, for human promotion and for the glory of God, we listen to one another and respect what the Holy Spirit inspires in each believer, we distinguish the signs of the times with greater clarity and confidence, working together to build the Kingdom of Christ. And the fact of being in Rome to further the study of theology or the human and social sciences implies training ourselves more and more in the art of listening, which is so important for unity between us, disciples of the Lord.

The founding of the College, precisely in the Jubilee of 1900, allows me to reflect with you on the two dimensions of your stay in Rome, to which the Holy Years make special reference: the dimension of the universality of the Church and that of divine mercy.

Jubilees allow us to witness the arrival of many pilgrims, thus intensifying our understanding of the universality of the Church, which you experience in this city in different ways, both by sharing the beauty of your cultures and by bearing witness to the richness of your local Churches and the pastoral experience you bring with you. Experiencing all this is a gift from the Lord, and the best way to thank him is to enter fearlessly into the vitality of this exchange, contributing to the polychromy of unity and the polyphony of communion.

Furthermore, we know that Jubilee years are an opportunity to attain a more intense awareness of the gift of mercy that flows from the Heart of Christ. And it is precisely the Sacred Heart that has marked of the history of the Portuguese College from the very beginning, even appearing in its coat of arms. In fact, the first students consecrated themselves to Him. Continue to do so! Continue to entrust your life to the Heart of the Lord; draw ever closer to Him and learn mercy from Him! A College consecrated to the Heart of Christ is a school of divine mercy, in which the students, imitating the beloved disciple (cf Jn 13:25), listen to the beating of God’s love and thus become true theologians. In truth, a priest, whatever the mission entrusted to him, always finds in it an opportunity to conform himself to the Good Shepherd: not only does he need a heart of flesh, a humane and wise heart, but he also feels the need for a heart like that of Jesus, always united to the Father, impassioned by the Church and full of compassion.

By pausing in the presence of the Lord after demanding days of work, you can find refreshment in Him and “mend” the unity of your life. Always ask Him for a heart capable of loving the Church as He does, He who “gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25); present your bishops and your diocesan communities to Him and, from this moment, pray for the faithful whom you will serve in your countries. Hold fast to the Lord Jesus in listening to His Word, in the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, in Adoration, in spiritual discernment, and in fraternal kindness among yourselves.

Dear brothers and dear sisters, while you are in Rome, also make yourselves a “home”, that is, a homely environment where, when you return from your academic commitments, you can feel part of a family. I would like to remind you of what Saint Paul VI said to the students of the College of Saint Peter: “What is this house?”, he asked. “How can we define this College? Perhaps it is not easy to say. It is not a hotel, where strangers come and go; it is not a simple boarding house, where one finds lodgings for other reasons, that it cannot pursue. … It is something more intimate and more personal. It is a College, which aims to produce collegiality, or rather, communion, friendship, a fusion of spirits, begun and enjoyed here in unity; and then to be remembered and relived in future years, when you are scattered throughout the world, in Catholicism” (Address to the College of St Peter the Apostle on the Janiculum Hill, 6 January 1970). Therefore, build a collegial home that is also welcoming, as the Church should be. We find this written in the history of the College, which received the title of ‘House of Life’ because of its welcome to Jews during the Second World War. This title is both a legacy and a responsibility in your daily construction of fraternity.

To achieve this, work together with the support of the Rector and the spiritual Fathers, and also with the valuable presence of the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories. Thank you, dear sisters, for your devotion to the priesthood, for the prayer that you raise to Heaven for them and for your maternal attitude! No-one can substitute closeness in spiritual motherhood, and you have been giving and refining it for fifty years: although it is discreet, it is not hidden from God. Thank you! With you, I also greet and thank the collaborators who complete the family of the College.

I will conclude by asking for prayer from you all. During this month, praying the Rosary, ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, also for me, for the Church, and for peace. God bless you!

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 20 October 2025