Pope Francis and the Catholic University in Lublin

Pope Francis maintained several notable connections with the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), including outreach to inmates at the Lublin Remand Center, where KUL operates its Center for Studies. His relationship with the university also included correspondence with the Rector and shared initiatives.

“We all make mistakes in life; God never tires of forgiving,” Pope Francis emphasized in a letter to the students of KUL Center for Studies for Inmates at the Lublin Remand Centre.

The letter from the Vatican was sent to the Rector of KUL, Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, on the occasion of the academic year’s inauguration at the Center for Studies in the Lublin facility. The ceremony also marked ten years of the university’s educational program for prisoners.

Through his letter, the Holy Father extended his blessing to the inmates, also asking for their prayers: “Please, don’t forget to pray for me. Thank you!” wrote Francis. The inmates responded to the letter, and their response reached the Bishop of Rome.

Another example of the Pope’s interest in and respect for KUL was his congratulatory message to Rabbi Prof. Abraham Skórka, who received an honorary doctorate from the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin.

“When I wrote to him that I was coming to Poland to receive the honorary doctorate from KUL, he replied very quickly. (…) We are truly close friends, brothers—we refer to each other in our emails as ‘Dear Brother.’ When I informed Francis of this ceremony and the award from KUL, he congratulated me warmly,” Rabbi Skórka shared with KUL’s academic media during the event.

Pope Francis also took note of the publication of the book They Even Killed the Children (Zabili nawet dzieci) by Manuela Tulli and Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, a project developed in collaboration with the university. Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra wrote a letter on behalf of the Pope, expressing the hope that the Ulma family’s sacrifice would become a symbol of values that must never be betrayed—even under the threat of death.

Another joint project involving the Bishop of Rome was the publication of the collection La meta è la felicità (The Goal Is Happiness), a compilation of reflections by Karol Wojtyła. Pope Francis wrote the preface to the volume, while the introduction was authored by Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, Rector of KUL.
“It is essential to rediscover the personality of Karol Wojtyła—his work, his ministry, and his teaching as a man, priest, bishop, and cardinal, as well as his special relationship with young people, his fatherly attitude towards them, and the personal tragedy he endured in losing every member of his family,” the Holy Father emphasized.

University staff had numerous opportunities to meet Pope Francis, not only during official audiences but also through more personal encounters at the Casa Santa Marta.

Finally, the teachings and thought of Pope Francis became the subject of academic research at KUL. Scholars focused on his encyclical Laudato si’ and his apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, in which the Pope observes that humanity is not responding adequately to the harmful changes affecting the climate.