University launches Pope Francis institute
- St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario, announced it is creating the Pope Francis Institute, a new campus-based center meant to carry forward the late pontiff’s teaching through research, dialogue and leadership formation. - The university says the institute is the world’s first dedicated to Pope Francis’ legacy, with programming planned around migrants, ecology, digital-age isolation, public lectures, retreats and sector-focused microcredentials. - The announcement came on the first anniversary of Francis’ death, with the institute’s public launch scheduled for the 2026-27 academic year. (cbc.ca)
St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo says it is creating the Pope Francis Institute, a new center dedicated to advancing the late pope’s legacy. (cbc.ca) (uwaterloo.ca) The university announced the institute on April 21, 2026, the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death on April 21, 2025. St. Jerome’s president Peter Meehan said the school wanted to express its Catholic identity within a public research university. (cbc.ca) (uwaterloo.ca) St. Jerome’s says the institute will be based on its campus at the University of Waterloo but aims for a global reach. The school describes it as the world’s first initiative of its kind dedicated to Pope Francis. (uwaterloo.ca) (cbc.ca) The initial agenda tracks the themes Francis emphasized during his papacy: migrants and refugees, care for the environment, dialogue across difference and the social strain of digital life. St. Jerome’s says the institute will combine public lectures, retreats, workshops, research and microcredentials for nonprofit and faith-based leaders. (uwaterloo.ca) Meehan told CBC that Francis made the Catholic Church “so accessible to people” and was willing to change with the world around him. CBC also noted Francis’ outreach to 2SLGBTQ Catholics and his apology for abuses tied to Canada’s residential school system. (cbc.ca) The school is positioning the institute as more than a memorial. Its announcement calls it a hub for learning, dialogue and leadership formation that will bring together academic, church and community voices. (uwaterloo.ca) St. Jerome’s says an advisory board of local and international experts is helping shape the project. The institute’s official public launch is planned for the 2026-27 academic year, with a local launch event scheduled for May 26, 2026. (uwaterloo.ca) (ticketfi.com) The timing ties the project directly to the church’s first year after Francis. St. Jerome’s is betting that a Catholic college inside a secular university can turn his priorities into an academic program with a public audience. (cbc.ca) (uwaterloo.ca)
