Overview
- Pope Leo XIV, who visited the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy on Monday for its 325th anniversary, called pontifical diplomats messengers of peace tasked with serving the whole human family.
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Academy must help chart concrete paths of peace built on principles, rules and structures as the global order faces renewed uses of force and disregard for international law.
- The Academy, the Holy See’s school for future envoys, was restructured under Pope Francis as an Institute of Higher Formation in Diplomatic Sciences that now grants Licentiate and Doctoral degrees.
- Recent changes gave the program autonomy to overhaul studies in law, history, political science, economics and languages, while stressing priestly virtues like listening, humility and closeness.
- Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio said the Pope’s visit encourages trainees preparing to represent the Holy See, reinforcing a model where diplomats first bear witness and only then negotiate.