Christendom College Lectures

Acclaimed author and speaker, George Weigel discusses the Pope’s formation as a young man in Poland and his journey to the priesthood. John Paul II attended a clandestine seminary due to the Nazi occupation of Poland. Archbishop Sapieha, who ran the seminary, left a lasting impression of what it meant to be a priest.

Show Notes

Acclaimed author and speaker, George Weigel, delivered a lecture to students and faculty at Christendom’s Rome campus on March 7. The lecture, entitled “The Achievements of Blessed John Paul II,” was held in the Rome campus’ academic center, Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina, located directly next to the Vatican.

He discussed the Pope’s formation as a young man in Poland and his journey to the priesthood. John Paul II attended a clandestine seminary due to the Nazi occupation of Poland. Archbishop Sapieha, who ran the seminary, left a lasting impression of what it meant to be a priest.

George Weigel, a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, is a Catholic theologian and one of America’s leading public intellectuals. Weigel is the author of over twenty books, including: Letters to a Young Catholic; The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God; Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II; and his most recent work on Pope John Paul II, The End and the Beginning. He is a frequent guest on television and radio and is the Vatican analyst for NBC News. His weekly column, “The Catholic Difference,” is syndicated to sixty newspapers around the United States. His scholarly work and his journalism are regularly translated into the major European languages. Weigel is a long time friend of Christendom College and a member of its Advisory Board.

What is Christendom College Lectures?

At Christendom College, we believe education is more than gaining knowledge—it’s about pursuing true wisdom. As a Catholic liberal arts college, our mission is to guide students on the path to Christian wisdom, grounded in the love and contemplation of both natural and divinely revealed truth. This journey doesn’t happen in the classroom alone. Through vibrant campus life, community events, and spiritual opportunities, students are encouraged to cultivate the moral virtues and habits of Christian living. These virtues prepare them to properly order the material and spiritual goods of life, equipping them for a higher purpose. To enrich this formation, the college regularly hosts speakers who inspire and challenge our students to grow in mind, heart, and soul. We invite you to be part of this journey by joining us for these thought-provoking lectures. These talks provide a chance to engage with the ideas shaping our students and to explore how faith and reason together lead to truth. Come listen, learn, and grow with us.