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This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of a delegation from Oriel College, University of Oxford.

The following is the greeting addressed by the Pope to those present at the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

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

Peace be with you!

Good morning to you all, and welcome.

Your Eminence, Dear friends,

On your pilgrimage to Rome, in the footsteps of Saint John Henry Newman, to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the granting of Oriel College’s royal charter, I am pleased to welcome to the Vatican the Provost, together with Fellows and other members of the College.

Oriel certainly has a long and illustrious history, which naturally, over such an extended period of time, has witnessed and experienced many changes, events and even upheavals.  Yet the College has remained firm in its Christian identity.  Your anniversary is therefore an opportunity to celebrate its Catholic origins as the “College of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”  Indeed, this identity is key to what has made and can continue to make Oriel not just an academic institution, but a true community of faith and scholarship in its deepest meaning.  The College can thus look with confidence to its past contributions as a sure foundation and guide for its future endeavors.

In this regard, Saint John Henry Newman stands as a shining example of a scholar who not only showed the inseparability of faith and reason in his works but even more admirably in his life.  There was a great concreteness to his ideas, since his religious convictions were rooted in his personal relationship with God, while his scholarship was both sublime and eminently practical.  The profound depths of both dimensions of his life were recognised in his Declaration as a Doctor of the universal Church and co-patron of the Church’s education mission.  It is surely providential that your anniversary pilgrimage occurs in close proximity to an event of such significance both for you and for the entire Catholic Church. 

Moreover, in the context of today’s challenges, Newman’s own thought on education is particularly relevant, for he proposes a Christian formation that embraces the entire person and measures the value of education according to human dignity, justice and the capacity to serve the common good (cf. " Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope , 4.2, 28 October 2025").  In your personal academic endeavours, I similarly encourage you to seek the truth courageously and to promote this integral anthropological vision.  As a result, your work can genuinely facilitate a “heart to heart” encounter with your brothers and sisters, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life (cf. Jn 14:6).

Finally, in his famous hymn “Lead, Kindly Light,” Newman showed his great trust that God would guide him despite the uncertainties of life.  I urge you, then, to entrust yourselves and the future of the College to the unfading Light of the world, so that you too, like Our Lady, may reflect his glory to the world.  

With these thoughts, I commend each of you to the intercession of Saint John Henry Newman and the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

And I invite you now to stand and I will very gladly impart to all of you, your families, and loved ones the Apostolic Blessing.

And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever.  Amen.

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, Ukraine

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Serhii Kippa, O.F.M. Cap., hitherto superior of the Custody of the Friars Minor Capuchin of Ukraine, as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomir, Ukraine, assigning him the titular see of Marazane.

Curriculum vitae

The Reverend Fr. Serhii Kippa was born on 12 December 1978 in Voznesensk, Mykolaiv region (territory of the diocese of Odessa-Simferopol). He studied Turkish at the National Linguistic University of Kyiv (1996-2001).

In 2001 he began his. postulancy and subsequently his novitiate in the Order of Friars Minor. In 2005, he transferred to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, in which he gave his perpetual vows in 2009. He received his religious, philosophical and theological formation first at the Seminary of the Order of Friars Minor in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland (2003–2005), and subsequently at the Seminary of the Capuchin Friars Minor in Kraków, Poland (2006–2010), where he obtained a master’s degree in theology.

He was ordained a deacon on 18 October 2009, and a priest on 22 May 2010.

He has held the following offices: head of vocational pastoral care in various locations in Ukraine and also master of novices (2010–2016); subsequently, he served as guardian of the community of the Capuchin Friars Minor in Starokonstantyniv (2016–2018) and parish priest of the parish of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kyiv (2018–2022); since 2022, he has held the post of superior of the Custody of the Capuchin Friars Minor of Ukraine (re-elected for a second term in 2025).

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- His Excellency Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Republic of Latvia, and entourage;

- Archbishop Francesco Moraglia, Patriarch of Venice, Italy;

- Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, F.S.C.B., emeritus of Mother of God at Moscow, Russian Federation;

- Msgr. Jain Mendez, Holy See Permanent Observer at the World Tourism Organization (W.T.O.);

- His Eminence Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv., archbishop of Teheran-Ispahan of the Latins, Iran;

- A delegation from Oriel College, University of Oxford.

This morning, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received in Audience the President of the Republic of Latvia, His Excellency Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

During the cordial talks at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction was expressed at the good relations existing between the Holy See and the Republic of Latvia.

The discussions also addressed matters of common interest at both the international and regional levels, with particular reference to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, reaffirming the need for greater commitment on the part of the international community to promote peaceful solutions.

From the Vatican, 4 September 2026

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the seminarians of the “Pius X” Pontifical Regional Seminary of Apulia in Molfetta and the Episcopal Seminary of Aversa.

The following is the address delivered to those present during the meeting:

 

Address of the Holy Father

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

Peace be with you.

Dear brothers in the Episcopate, Priests, seminarians, family members,

First and foremost, I would like to thank you most sincerely for being here today.

You come from two different paths and two different regions, but this year your seminaries are celebrating an anniversary together. In Molfetta, you are commemorating the centenary of the new premises, built at the behest of Pope Pius XI, after whom your seminary is named, while in Aversa you are celebrating the tercentenary of the opening of the current premises.

In meeting with you, I wish to emphasize one aspect of your formative journey: that of your relationship with the One who has called you. Study, discipline and the stages of your journey are important elements to bear in mind, but they are meaningful only if grounded in your relationship with God.

Saint Mark, in his Gospel, tells us that Jesus “went up into the hills, and called to him those whom He desired; and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve” – whom He called apostles – “to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach” ( Mk 3-13-14).

These few words contain everything. As we reflect on this brief passage, we can discern a remarkable synthesis of the experience relevant to everyone who is called, to all those who wish to deepen their understanding of the truth of their own vocation. There is the mountain to climb, where we may encounter Christ and, above all, where we may be with Him. The heart of the seminary experience lies entirely here: learning to be with the Master, the Lord Jesus.

The evangelist tells us that the Lord “called to him those whom he desired”, and immediately highlights the freedom of God, from which every vocation springs. There is no competition, no ranking, nor is it written that He chose the best: He chose those whom He wished. In a world so intent on celebrating self-realization, it is truly important to reiterate that none of you, and none of us, is here because we have earned it, but solely by God the Father’s free choice, a sign and pledge of a gratuitous love that always precedes us and never disappoints.

Dearest seminarians, your very presence in the seminary is a sign of hope for the whole Church. Not of vague optimism, but of the certainty that the Lord always calls, in every age of history and in every place. As I look upon each of you, I contemplate the wonder of God, who never tires of whispering into the hearts of young people the beauty of giving one’s life for Him and for the Church.

Every vocation arises from an intimate dialogue with God, nurtured in silence and prayer, which often takes place “despite the deafening noise of the world” (Leo XIV, Message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations , 16 March 2026). That is where everything is decided, and for that dialogue to take place, we must learn to be with Him.

You have many examples of this, but I think that for all of you the venerable bishop Don Tonino Bello shows with particular clarity what it means to be a Priest and to be a Bishop: not in words, but in every gesture and in every decision, and to bear witness to it to the very end.

For this reason, time spent in the seminary remains necessary, today no less than in the past. In a world that is in a hurry and views any prolonged pause with suspicion, one might think it is a luxury, or an outdated institution, but this is not the case. Precisely because our times are fast-paced and noisy, there is a need for a place and a season in life where one learns to be still, to discern, and to allow oneself to be formed without taking shortcuts. The seminary is not a postponement of the mission, but a prerequisite for it. Let us not underestimate this.

Indeed, after hearing the Lord’s voice, it is necessary to go to Him and to climb the mountain, and this can sometimes be arduous, for we climb on foot, at times breathless, without yet seeing the summit.

The toil of spiritual life is, however, sustained by the beauty of brotherhood and the sharing of the mission. Indeed, on the mountain, Jesus does not call just one man, but twelve, with the most diverse and, at times, seemingly unlikely personalities, as it would seem to us. The Lord gathers them together, keeping them side by side, so that they may learn that the Church is lived out together: she belongs to none of us individually, and we are all called to love and serve her as one body. You who come from Molfetta experience this in a special way, for in the regional seminary, communion amongst the Churches of Apulia is not merely an ideal, but a concrete friendship that is taking root during these years and which will accompany you as priests throughout your lives.

For, just as “no pastor exists on his own” (Leo XIV, Apostolic Letter A Fidelity that Generates the Future , 8 December 2025, 15), neither can a seminarian conceive of a private journey with the Lord: he must always feel and experience the beauty of ecclesial mediation. The seminary, therefore, even before being a place where knowledge is acquired, should be “a training ground to help a seminarian attend to his own heart” ( ibid ., 12). And I ask you, dear formators, to be the first teachers of that care and that fraternity which are manifested in authentic, personal and communal relationships, built on truth and charity. One does not become a formator overnight: yours is an extremely delicate ministry for which one prepares with knowledge, patience and love.

Then there remains the final step: that of coming down from the mountain, for the mountain is not a refuge. Jesus does not take the Twelve up high to keep them safe, but so that, having experienced God, they may be sent out to communicate this newness of life to the world.

You will therefore be called to come down from the mountain, to be sent to the people of your own lands: to those families struggling to make ends meet, to young people who, at the age of twenty, pack their bags in search of work, to the elderly living alone, to the marginalized, and to those who have lost sight of the meaning of life. The priest is sent to everyone so that he may proclaim to all the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation. It is the salvation that has been given to us through Mary. Entrust yourselves to her, as to the One who was the first to do what is now asked of you. Ask Mary for the grace to learn to say your “yes” to the Lord Jesus every day.

Dearest seminarians, before we part I would like to thank you. Thank you, on behalf of the Church, for the “yes” you have spoken and which you continue to speak every day: it is neither easy nor a matter of course in today’s world, and the Church is well aware of this.

And I wish to say a special thank you to the families present here. A vocation never arises without a suitable environment, and it often needs a home, parents who pray and who know how to let go. To you, dear families, goes my gratitude and that of the whole Church.

I greet and bless the deacons who will be ordained priests in a few days’ time: I keep you in my personal prayer, so that you may always be faithful, joyful and courageous disciples of the Lord. We will all pray for you.

I bless you all from my heart, together with your Bishops, your formators, your families, and those communities that are waiting for you and are already praying for you. Thank you.