4 However, in no way should our spirits lose courage by recalling ancientmemories, but rather be inspired to salutary vigilance, to fruitful labors.Continue to exercise your episcopal duty skillfully, as indeed you do: labor sothat whoever obeys your sacred authority may everyday be more aware of what theprofession of the Catholic faith demands, and learn from your example to unitethe proper love of their country with a love and zeal for their holy faith. Asfor Our part, We will be zealous to defend, preserve, and strengthen theCatholicism in your midst with all possible labor and exertion. We know fullwell the great role played for the protection of morals, for civil discipline,and for the very glory of the Catholic name by the education of souls and thepractice of the arts of the mind. For this reason, We founded some years ago acollege at Athens in which Catholic youth might have the opportunity to givethemselves to letters and, in particular, learn the language which at the handsof Homer and Demosthenes produced such splendor. Recently your joint letter of 9September urges the introduction there of something similar which would look tothe education of young clerics. You have Our agreement and consent; to be sureWe judge it most useful and most opportune that that house of letters at Athens,which We have mentioned, be accessible also to students of sacred things. Therethey may give themselves over to the practice of more refined humane studies,and not be permitted to come into contact with theology or philosophy beforethey have thoroughly learned their ancestral tongue and literature in their ownchief city. By this means they will better protect the dignity of their vocationand will carry out more usefully their ministry. Therefore We have willinglytaken up your suggestion to establish such a seminary for young clerics of theLatin rite, but of Greek birth, as well as other easterners of the Greek tongue.At another time in a letter, We will describe the plan of the whole enterpriseand the regulating principles of the institution.
Source: Urbanitatis Veteris (Vatican.va)