Pope Leo XIV regrets that today’s young people have to deal with relativism and superficiality

Pope Leo XIV regretted that today’s young people have to deal with “relativism”, “emotional instability” and “superficiality”, although he asked to transform these challenges of the contemporary era into “launch trampolines.”

The Pontiff received in the Vatican the brothers of the Christian schools, founded by San Juan Bautista de la Salle, before which he recalled the importance of living teaching as “Ministry and Mission” to help young people to give their best according to God’s plan.

In his speech, he listed the obstacles faced by young generations: “The isolation caused by relational models increasing the contemporaries themselves, with the consequent loneliness that is derived from it ”.

These “demanding challenges” must, he said, to become “launch trampolines” to develop new instruments and languages ​​with which “touching the hearts of the students, helping them and stimulating them to face with courage every obstacle to giving their best in life, according to God’s designs.”

In the meeting, which has had as a background two special anniversaries: the third centenary of the promulgation of the bull In the Apostolic dignitywith which Benedict XIII approved the institute and the rule (January 26, 1725), and the 75th anniversary of the proclamation by Pius XII of La Salle as the employer of the educators (1950), Leo XIV defined young people as “Volcán de Vida” and teachers as “ministers and missionaries”.

“The young people of our time, like those of all times, are a volcano of life, energy, feelings, ideas. This can be seen in the wonderful things they can do, in so many fields. However, they also need help, so that this wealth grows in harmony and to overcome what, although differently than in the past, can still prevent their healthy development,” he said.

The American pontiff praised his presence, who continues to contribute “the freshness of a rich and vast educational reality”, and stopped in his speech in the ministerial and missionary dimension of teaching.

Thus he cited San Juan Bautista de la Salle, who responded to the request of a layman, Adrián Nyel, who struggled to maintain his schools as poor.

New roads already often unexplored

“He acknowledged in the request for help a sign of God, accepted the challenge and got down to work. Thus, beyond his own intentions and expectations, he gave birth to a new teaching system: that of Christian schools, free and open to all,” he said.

The Pontiff also pointed out in his speech the ability of the Salle to respond creatively to the many difficulties of his time, also venturing “on new roads already often unexplored”, and appreciated that this French saint and pedagogue launched the “pedagogical revolution” of teaching directed to classes and no longer to students individually.

Another of the innovative elements that introduced Salle was “the adoption of French as a didactic language, instead of Latin, accessible to all; the Sunday classes, in which even young people forced to work during the week could participate; the involvement of families in the school program.”

All this legacy, as stressed, must today be a reference model.

Under this premise, the formation of teachers, according to that principle so loved by La Salle: “Teaching lived as Ministry and Mission, as consecration in the Church.”

Leo XIV also recalled the principle of “evangelizing educating and educating evangelizing”, finally underlining the importance of “synergy” among all “training components.”

Finally, he urged to promote and promote among the young “fertile itineraries of holiness.”