Pope to Hebrew University of Jerusalem: 'Be artisans of true peace'
Pope Leo XIV met with the Board of Governors of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at the Vatican and urged them to act as artisans of true peace. He highlighted the role of universities as privileged places for dialogue, encouraging respectful encounters among diverse cultures and viewpoints. The Pope stressed that peace begins with individuals, urging the university community to promote harmony within their own circles. He expressed hope that the university will serve as a beacon of hope and unity in a world increasingly divided.
3 months ago
Pope Leo XIV met privately with the board of governors of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on 18 June 2026, urging the academic community to become “artisans of true peace” and to serve as a beacon of hope, unity and dialogue in a world marked by violence and division. 1
Pope XIV welcomed the university representatives to the Vatican, recalling the historic role of universities as places of encounter and exchange of ideas. He stressed that, while “not always easy,” institutions must continually create opportunities for meaningful dialogue. 2
He described universities as “privileged places for dialogue,” where respectful conversation allows everyone to grow by learning from differing viewpoints and lived testimonies. 4
Drawing on his January message for the 59th World Day of Peace, the Pope said peace is not a distant ideal but a concrete task that begins with personal transformation. He urged the university community to reject the notion that peace is impossible and to promote it within their own circles. 3
He framed this work as a divine calling, noting that God asks believers to be “instruments of peace” and that such work starts with self‑examination before reaching out to the wider world. 4
Leo XIV expressed hope that the university’s members would embody artisans of peace, thereby becoming a “beacon of hope and unity” amid growing global polarization. He linked this vision to the broader mission of higher education to break down barriers of misunderstanding and distrust through patient perseverance. 1 2
The address fits within Pope XIV’s ongoing emphasis on dialogue across faiths and cultures, echoing his recent outreach to young people from Gaza and his calls for Catholic universities to pursue truth and authentic engagement. These parallel initiatives underline the pontiff’s consistent advocacy for education as a catalyst for peace. 2 3*
Universities must be artisans of true peace
“Universities must be artisans of true peace” is not merely a slogan about “good intentions.” In Catholic teaching, peace is a moral and spiritual work—built from the heart outward—and education has a direct responsibility to form persons who can choose truth, justice, and authentic dialogue, rather than become instruments that intensify conflict.
The Holy Father frames “true peace” as something unarmed and disarming—a peace that does not stabilize violence by escalating it. In his meeting at Sapienza University, he connects “artisans of true peace” with a peace that is:
“unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering”
So, “peace” here is not passive. It is active and requires a posture: humility, perseverance, and a commitment to harmony among peoples and care for creation.
He also situates this work inside the Jubilee fruit of “disarmament of heart, mind and life,” so that the response to conflict is not only political but also interior and moral.
Universities are described as “a place of study and a centre for experimentation,” historically fostering critical thinking.
But the key Catholic point is that knowledge is not neutral: it must be ordered toward the person, justice, and truth.
The Pope explicitly calls teaching a form of charity, insisting that the university must love human life “always and in all circumstances,” and not train professionals who lack moral formation:
“Teaching is a form of charity… speaking the truth… What sense would it make… to train a researcher or professional who does not, however, cultivate their own conscience, a sense of justice and respect for that which cannot and must not be dominated?”
In other words, universities become artisans of peace when they connect study to moral discernment—linking “study and life” and “means and ends,” so that research does not become an engine of dehumanization.
The same Sapienza address identifies a modern risk: the way knowledge and research can be diverted into an arms spiral. The Holy Father warns against calling military expansion “defence” when it:
He also urges attention to artificial intelligence:
“keep a watchful eye on… artificial intelligence… to ensure that they do not absolve humans of responsibility… [or] exacerbate… conflicts.”
This matters for the phrase “artisans of true peace” because universities shape the next generation of scientists, engineers, policymakers, and ethical norms. If research culture normalizes “responsibility-free” systems or technologies that intensify conflict, education stops being a builder of peace and becomes part of the problem.
Accordingly, the Pope calls for research and investment to move “in the opposite direction,” as a “radical ‘yes’ to life”—including “innocent life” and the lives of peoples who invoke peace and justice.
Catholic peacebuilding is structured. In a message to the diplomatic corps, the Pope teaches that peace is built:
He then adds that religious experience and dialogue help foster peace, provided there is full respect for religious freedom.
Peacebuilding also requires justice and truth, not slogans:
Universities are uniquely positioned to form these capacities: they train people to handle words (argumentation, research communication), to practice justice (ethical frameworks, social responsibility), and to seek truth (method, evidence, integrity). This is precisely the “artisanship” implied by the phrase.
“Artisans of peace” in Catholic teaching also include genuine fraternity across religious boundaries. The Holy Father highlights the Church’s approach: the Church “rejects nothing of what is true and holy” in other religions and acknowledges that they can reflect rays of truth.
Authentic unity and communion require hearts open to encounter and dialogue, grounded in the Holy Spirit’s work.
A university that fails at interreligious literacy risks producing graduates who cannot cooperate in plural societies. Conversely, universities can become training grounds for fraternity by cultivating respectful dialogue and truth-seeking—exactly the qualities linked to peace in the Pope’s diplomatic and interreligious messages.
Catholic teaching in these texts points to several concrete “peace-making” imperatives for university life:
Teaching must foster conscience, justice, and respect for what cannot be dominated—not merely professional competence.
Avoid feeding the arms spiral (including through questionable “defence” framing) and ensure technologies (including AI) do not remove human responsibility or intensify conflict.
The Pope’s call includes peace, justice, and the care of the Earth—so environmental responsibility belongs inside the university’s peace agenda.
Because words can wound and even kill, universities must form people capable of honest, prudent, constructive speech and dialogue.
To call universities “artisans of true peace” is to demand a Catholic integration of knowledge and conscience, research and justice, dialogue and truth, and technology and responsibility. The goal is a peace that is “unarmed and disarming”—built from the heart, expressed in words that heal, and realized through education that genuinely supports life, harmony among peoples, and care for creation.