Pope Leo XIV Reminds German Pontifical College to "preserve...closeness and unity with the Successor of Peter and with the Faith of the Apostles that he proclaims." FULL TEXT

Pope Leo XIV addressed the community of the Pontifical Teutonic (German speaking) College of Santa Maria in Campo Santo on its 150th anniversary. The Pope on Saturday in the Vatican, recalled the long history of the Campo Santo as a privileged point of reference for pilgrims travelling to Rome from the territories of the Holy Roman Empire, dating back to the eighth century. In the nineteenth century, Pope Leo recalled, the site assumed particular importance for priests from those countries, at a time when the ministry of the clergy was severely impeded, if not rendered altogether impossible, as a result of the ecclesiastical policies of the Kulturkampf in the German Empire. Through the hospitality extended by the Archconfraternity of the Campo Santo Teutonico, the Pope explained, the site became “a place of refuge and study” for priests from the German-speaking regions.

GREETING OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO THE COMMUNITY OF THE PONTIFICAL TEUTONIC COLLEGE OF S. MARIA IN CAMPO SANTO,
ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDATION

Consistory Hall on Saturday, October 3, 2026    
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Your Excellencies, Reverend Monsignor Rector,
dear priests of the College,
dear members of the Archconfraternity,
dear sisters and brothers,

I am pleased to meet you on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of your College, and I extend a warm welcome. The origins of the Campo Santo as a privileged point of reference for pilgrims to Rome from the territory of the Holy Roman Empire date back to the 8th century. In the 19th century, this place assumed particular importance for the priests of their respective countries, when the activity of the clergy was significantly hampered, if not rendered entirely impossible, by the ecclesiastical policies of the Kulturkampf in the German Empire. Thus, thanks to the hospitality of the Archconfraternity of the Teutonic Campo Santo, it became a place of refuge and study for priests from the German-speaking world, later increasingly becoming an important center for Christian archaeology, Church history, and research into Christian origins. You can all look with gratitude at the rich fruits of this history.

Even today, the Priestly College aims to be a safe place of formation, where the clerics who live here can deepen their intellectual and spiritual journey, so as to then be able to respond to the questions of the people in their homeland in the face of the great challenges of our time and to give an account of the hope that is within us (cf. 1 Pt 3:15).

A distinctive feature of your College is its unique proximity to the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, which throughout the history of this Institution, from its very beginnings, has gone hand in hand with faithful adherence to the Roman Pontiff. This is evident in the title "Pontifical College," which Pope Benedict XVI conferred upon it in 2010. This honor also entails a commitment: to preserve this closeness and unity with the Successor of Peter and with the Faith of the Apostles that he proclaims.

This one faith in Christ is the principle of unity among the faithful, for which the Lord prayed for his disciples, since it constitutes an essential element for the credibility of our witness (cf. Jn 17:20-21). Make this heartfelt plea of ​​Jesus your own, ask for this gift, so that the community of your College may be a place where this unity can be concretely practiced and made visible.

To this end, I ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. I entrust you and your College, along with the Archconfraternity and the Society of Görres in Rome, to your patroness, Saint Mary of Mercy, and I bless you all from my heart. Thank you.