By Charles Igwe
Pope Francis has announced a sweeping reform of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Vatican’s centuries-old diplomatic training institution, with the goal of modernizing the formation of priests who represent the Holy See around the world.
Outlined in a new papal document titled The Petrine Ministry, the reform updates the academic and spiritual training of young priests at the Academy—commonly known as the “school of Nuncios.” The institution has prepared generations of clergy for diplomatic service in papal embassies and the Secretariat of State for over 300 years.
According to the Holy See, the renewed program is designed to equip future papal representatives with not only theological and diplomatic expertise but also the pastoral sensitivity required to navigate an increasingly complex and fast-changing world. Emphasis will be placed on attentive listening, dialogue, fraternal engagement, and living witness—qualities Pope Francis has repeatedly stressed throughout his pontificate.
“The aim,” the Vatican stated, “is to provide young priests from dioceses around the world with a complete and suitable preparation for the diplomatic mission entrusted to them by the Holy See.”
A key element of the reform is the reconfiguration of the Academy as an Institute ad instar Facultatis for Diplomatic Sciences. It will now confer advanced academic degrees—Second and Third Cycle qualifications—in subjects including international law, history, politics, economics, and languages relevant to diplomacy. These studies will be closely integrated with ecclesiastical disciplines and the praxis of the Roman Curia, while also addressing the needs of local Churches and the global mission of evangelization.
“The training will combine academic formation with a lifestyle and work ethic that enable future Nuncios to engage deeply with the realities of international relations,” the Vatican explained.
The reform builds upon Pope Francis’s 2020 directive that students at the Academy must complete a year of missionary service in dioceses in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. That initiative aimed to broaden their pastoral experience and counter tendencies toward clerical careerism.
The new document reaffirms the pope’s vision of the Church’s diplomatic service as a pastoral vocation. Vatican diplomats, the pope notes, must be “the vigilant and lucid eye of the Successor of Peter for the Church and the world,” exercising a ministry that reflects their priestly calling, human empathy, and professional skill.
He also stressed that papal representatives must now engage not only with governments in traditionally Christian nations but also with new and emerging Churches, as well as international institutions where the Church contributes moral and ethical perspectives on global issues.
“This is not merely about academic excellence,” Pope Francis emphasized. “It is about forming individuals whose service is ecclesial—anchored in the life of the Church—and capable of engaging with today’s challenges, especially in an era marked by rapid changes in science and technology.”
Ultimately, the pope said, students must learn not just theory but a “way of being” that helps them build trust and foster meaningful dialogue in the name of the Church and the Holy See.
