At 11:45 this morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience students from the various schools run by the Jesuits in Italy and Albania, along with their teachers and parents. Also present at the meeting were numerous alumni, representatives of youth movements linked to the Ignatian and Jesuit parishes.
After the speeches presented by some of the teachers and students, the Holy Father took the floor, and at the beginning of his address, explained that he would read the speech that was prepared for him, a speech which would subsequently be published, after which he would provide a brief summary of the speech and then entertain questions from the students.
Dear children, dear young people!
I am happy to receive you and your families, educators and friends of the great family of the Italian and Albanian Jesuit Schools. To all of you I express my affectionate greeting, welcome! With all of you I feel truly at home. The coincidence of our meeting with the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a special joy.
Let me tell you one thing first of all that refers to St. Ignatius of Loyola, our founder. In the fall of 1537, he went to Rome with a group of his first companions, and they were asked who they were. What answer did they give? It was a spontaneous response: We are the Society of Jesus ( Fontes Narrative Societatis Iesu, vol. 1, p. 320-322). A challenging name, that demonstrated a very close friendship, total affection for Jesus in whose footsteps they wanted to follow. Why do I mention this? Because Saint Ignatius and his companions had understood that Jesus taught them how to live well, how to achieve a life that makes profound sense. He gave them gifts of enthusiasm, joy and hope, and they realized that Jesus was a great teacher of life and a model for life, and he not only taught them, but he also invited them to follow him on this road.
Dear boys, if I ask you the question: why go to school, what would you answer me? Probably there would be many answers depending on the sensitivity of each. But I think you could sum it all up by saying that the school is one of the educational environments in which we grow and learn to live, to become adult, mature men and women, able to walk, to walk the road of life. How does your school help you grow? It helps you not only develop your intelligence, but gives you an integral formation of all the components of your personality.
Based on what St. Ignatius teaches us, the main element in the school is to learn to be magnanimous. Magnanimity - this virtue of the large and small ( not coerceri maximo contineri minimum divinum east ), which always makes us look toward the horizon. What does it mean to be magnanimous? It means to have a big heart, to have greatness of soul, it means to have great ideals, the desire to achieve great things in response to what God asks of us, and to have a desire to do things right every day, all the daily activities, commitments, meetings with people, doing the little things of every day with a big heart, open to God and to others. It's important that we try to be humans aimed at magnanimity. The school not only broadens your intellectual dimension, but also your human dimension. And I think that especially the Jesuit schools are careful to develop the human virtues: loyalty, respect and commitment. I would like to dwell on two fundamental values: freedom and service.
First of all: be free! What do I mean by this? Perhaps you think that freedom is a licence to do everything you want, or to venture beyond the limits of our experiences in order to experience thrills and boredom. This is not freedom. Freedom means knowing how to reflect on what we do, know how to evaluate what is good and what is bad, what are the behaviors that make you grow, it means you always choose the good. We are free for good. And that means not being afraid to go against the current, even if it is not easy! Being free to choose the good is always challenging, but this kind of freedom makes us people who have a backbone, people who can face life with courage and patience ( parresia and ypomoné ).
The second word is service. In your schools you participate in various activities that get you used to not isolating yourself within yourself or in your own little world, but to be open to others, especially to the poor and needy, used to working to improve the world in which we live. Be men and women in service to others and for others, the real champions in service to others.
In order to be magnanimous, to possess the requisite inner freedom and a spirit of service, spiritual formation is required. Dear children, dear young people, love Jesus Christ more and more! Our life is a response to his call. You will be happy and you will build your life wisely if you know how to answer that call. Feel the presence of the Lord in your life. He is close to each of you as a companion, as a friend that knows you and helps you to understand, that encourages you in difficult times and never abandons you. In prayer, in dialogue with Him, reading the Bible, you will discover that He is really close to you. And you should also learn to read the signs of God in your life. He always speaks to us, even through the events of our times and of our everyday existence. It's up to us to listen to him.
I will not be too long, but I would like to also direct a special word also to educators: the Jesuits, the teachers, the administrators of your schools and your parents. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties that the educational challenge presents! Educating is not a profession, but an attitude, a way of being. You have to educate yourselves and stand apart from the young people, in order to accompany them in the various stages of their growth. Give them hope and optimism for their journey in the world. Teach them to see the beauty and goodness of creation and of all mankind, the goodness which always retains the imprint of the Creator. But above all bear witness with your life, more than your words. An educator - Jesuit, teacher, administrator, parent - transmits knowledge and values with his words, but your teaching will be decisive if the boys can hear the words and have them accompanied by your testimony, by your consistent lives. Without consistency it is not possible to educate! You are all educators, there are no powers in this field. Partnership in a spirit of unity and community between the different educational components is essential and must be encouraged and nurtured. The college can and should act as a catalyst, to be a meeting place and the convergence of the entire educational community with the sole objective of training, helping you to grow as mature, simple, honest and competent people who know how to love with loyalty. The children will then learn how to live life as a response to God's call, and they will appreciate their future professions as services to society. To the Jesuits I would say that it is important to foster engagement in education. The schools are a valuable tool to give a contribution to the progress of the Church and of society. The field of education, is not limited to conventional school. Encourage your students to seek new forms of non-conventional education according to the needs of the place, time and people.
Finally, a greeting to all the alumni present, the representatives of the Italian schools of Fe y Alegria (Faith and Joy), I know well for the great work you do in South America, especially among the poorer classes. And a special greeting to the delegation of the Albanian College of Scutari, after the long years of repression of religious institutions, since 1994, you have resumed your activities, welcoming and educating young Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and even some pupils born in agnostic family contexts. So the school becomes a place of dialogue and peaceful confrontation, to promote attitudes of respect, listening, friendship and a spirit of cooperation.
Dear friends, thank you all for this meeting. I entrust you to the maternal intercession of Mary and I accompany you with my blessing: the Lord is always near, he lifts you up whenever you fall and pushes you to grow and make ever- greater choices with great courage and liberty, with magnanimity. for the greater glory of God.
After the speeches presented by some of the teachers and students, the Holy Father took the floor, and at the beginning of his address, explained that he would read the speech that was prepared for him, a speech which would subsequently be published, after which he would provide a brief summary of the speech and then entertain questions from the students.
Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to students from Jesuit schools in Italy and Albania
Dear children, dear young people!
I am happy to receive you and your families, educators and friends of the great family of the Italian and Albanian Jesuit Schools. To all of you I express my affectionate greeting, welcome! With all of you I feel truly at home. The coincidence of our meeting with the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a special joy.
Let me tell you one thing first of all that refers to St. Ignatius of Loyola, our founder. In the fall of 1537, he went to Rome with a group of his first companions, and they were asked who they were. What answer did they give? It was a spontaneous response: We are the Society of Jesus ( Fontes Narrative Societatis Iesu, vol. 1, p. 320-322). A challenging name, that demonstrated a very close friendship, total affection for Jesus in whose footsteps they wanted to follow. Why do I mention this? Because Saint Ignatius and his companions had understood that Jesus taught them how to live well, how to achieve a life that makes profound sense. He gave them gifts of enthusiasm, joy and hope, and they realized that Jesus was a great teacher of life and a model for life, and he not only taught them, but he also invited them to follow him on this road.
Dear boys, if I ask you the question: why go to school, what would you answer me? Probably there would be many answers depending on the sensitivity of each. But I think you could sum it all up by saying that the school is one of the educational environments in which we grow and learn to live, to become adult, mature men and women, able to walk, to walk the road of life. How does your school help you grow? It helps you not only develop your intelligence, but gives you an integral formation of all the components of your personality.
Based on what St. Ignatius teaches us, the main element in the school is to learn to be magnanimous. Magnanimity - this virtue of the large and small ( not coerceri maximo contineri minimum divinum east ), which always makes us look toward the horizon. What does it mean to be magnanimous? It means to have a big heart, to have greatness of soul, it means to have great ideals, the desire to achieve great things in response to what God asks of us, and to have a desire to do things right every day, all the daily activities, commitments, meetings with people, doing the little things of every day with a big heart, open to God and to others. It's important that we try to be humans aimed at magnanimity. The school not only broadens your intellectual dimension, but also your human dimension. And I think that especially the Jesuit schools are careful to develop the human virtues: loyalty, respect and commitment. I would like to dwell on two fundamental values: freedom and service.
First of all: be free! What do I mean by this? Perhaps you think that freedom is a licence to do everything you want, or to venture beyond the limits of our experiences in order to experience thrills and boredom. This is not freedom. Freedom means knowing how to reflect on what we do, know how to evaluate what is good and what is bad, what are the behaviors that make you grow, it means you always choose the good. We are free for good. And that means not being afraid to go against the current, even if it is not easy! Being free to choose the good is always challenging, but this kind of freedom makes us people who have a backbone, people who can face life with courage and patience ( parresia and ypomoné ).
The second word is service. In your schools you participate in various activities that get you used to not isolating yourself within yourself or in your own little world, but to be open to others, especially to the poor and needy, used to working to improve the world in which we live. Be men and women in service to others and for others, the real champions in service to others.
In order to be magnanimous, to possess the requisite inner freedom and a spirit of service, spiritual formation is required. Dear children, dear young people, love Jesus Christ more and more! Our life is a response to his call. You will be happy and you will build your life wisely if you know how to answer that call. Feel the presence of the Lord in your life. He is close to each of you as a companion, as a friend that knows you and helps you to understand, that encourages you in difficult times and never abandons you. In prayer, in dialogue with Him, reading the Bible, you will discover that He is really close to you. And you should also learn to read the signs of God in your life. He always speaks to us, even through the events of our times and of our everyday existence. It's up to us to listen to him.
I will not be too long, but I would like to also direct a special word also to educators: the Jesuits, the teachers, the administrators of your schools and your parents. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties that the educational challenge presents! Educating is not a profession, but an attitude, a way of being. You have to educate yourselves and stand apart from the young people, in order to accompany them in the various stages of their growth. Give them hope and optimism for their journey in the world. Teach them to see the beauty and goodness of creation and of all mankind, the goodness which always retains the imprint of the Creator. But above all bear witness with your life, more than your words. An educator - Jesuit, teacher, administrator, parent - transmits knowledge and values with his words, but your teaching will be decisive if the boys can hear the words and have them accompanied by your testimony, by your consistent lives. Without consistency it is not possible to educate! You are all educators, there are no powers in this field. Partnership in a spirit of unity and community between the different educational components is essential and must be encouraged and nurtured. The college can and should act as a catalyst, to be a meeting place and the convergence of the entire educational community with the sole objective of training, helping you to grow as mature, simple, honest and competent people who know how to love with loyalty. The children will then learn how to live life as a response to God's call, and they will appreciate their future professions as services to society. To the Jesuits I would say that it is important to foster engagement in education. The schools are a valuable tool to give a contribution to the progress of the Church and of society. The field of education, is not limited to conventional school. Encourage your students to seek new forms of non-conventional education according to the needs of the place, time and people.
Finally, a greeting to all the alumni present, the representatives of the Italian schools of Fe y Alegria (Faith and Joy), I know well for the great work you do in South America, especially among the poorer classes. And a special greeting to the delegation of the Albanian College of Scutari, after the long years of repression of religious institutions, since 1994, you have resumed your activities, welcoming and educating young Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and even some pupils born in agnostic family contexts. So the school becomes a place of dialogue and peaceful confrontation, to promote attitudes of respect, listening, friendship and a spirit of cooperation.
Dear friends, thank you all for this meeting. I entrust you to the maternal intercession of Mary and I accompany you with my blessing: the Lord is always near, he lifts you up whenever you fall and pushes you to grow and make ever- greater choices with great courage and liberty, with magnanimity. for the greater glory of God.
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