Pope Francis affirms that educating “in essence is about making young people discover God’s plan for each of them,” in a message addressed to the participants in a Catholic educational congress being held in France until next Sunday.
The Pontiff points out to the members of the main Catholic organization of parents of students in France that they are “without a doubt the protagonists and the first architects of the education of your children”, a task that requires “the help of the entire society, starting for the school”.
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In the opinion of Pope Francis “a solid alliance between school and family allows the transmission of knowledge and, at the same time, the transmission of human and spiritual values” and constitutes “an opportunity to promote the integral education of man, with the aim to guarantee the construction of a more human world and ensure its spiritual dimension.”
In his message, he defines the “school-community” as “a true microcosm open to the future,” in which the management and administrative staff of the centers, teachers and parents are involved, “the latter being the central axis around the “Which this whole little world revolves around.” It is, he adds, a diverse community characterized by being “Christian and human” and being “grounded in charity.”
Looking to the future, the Holy Father encourages us to follow the path “of alliance, encounter and collaboration”, for which the commitment of parents to the service of educational communities is “indispensable”.
Pope Francis similarly calls to “propose with enthusiasm, even in the face of divergent opinions” the Global Education Pact, because, as he explained in Brothers all, “religious convictions about the sacred meaning of human life allow us to ‘recognize the fundamental values of common humanity, values in the name of which we can and must collaborate, build and dialogue, forgive and grow, allowing the set of different voices form a noble and harmonious song'”.
The pedagogical function of time
On the other hand, the Pontiff asks not to forget the “pedagogical function of time”, since “education does not end with the end of school: its effects are manifested throughout life, allowing us to embrace the joys and trials that they pull her.”
In this sense, he remembers the parable of the mustard seed, to point out that “the work of parents and teachers, difficult because it is delicate, develops throughout the seasons and is destined to bear unexpected fruits in the future.”
In addition, it encourages taking advantage of the time to face educational challenges, among which the role of artificial intelligence has stood out. “To respond to this challenge, which concerns not only ethics, but also the formation of the intelligence and judgment of your children, of all your youth, I assure you that the Church is at your side,” the Pontiff emphasizes.
Before concluding the message, Pope Francis expresses his hope that the work of the congress being held this weekend “leads to making the school-community a true school of life, which allows your children to face a difficult world, but illuminated by hope: a hope founded on the promises of Christ that does not disappoint.”
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.