On Saturday afternoon (May 10), in Saint Peter's Square, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with people from the world of education, including teachers, parents, educators, students and other professionals related to the school environment. This gathering was organized by the Italian Episcopal Conference as part of an endeavour entitled The Church for the School.
The Pope arrived in Saint Peter's Square at 4:15pm and travelled through the square as well as along the Via della Conciliazione on a jeep in order to greet the hundreds of thousands of people who were present, before making his way to the staging area in front of the main doors of the Basilica.
The meeting with the Holy Father, which focused on the theme: We care, began at 5:00pm with words of greeting offered by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, and by Professor Stefania Giannini, Minister of Instruction in the Italian Government. The rest of the gathering featured alternating moments of testimonials from the world of education, music and other dramatic presentations.
Dear friends, good afternoon!
First of all, I want to thank you, because you have achieved something truly beautiful! This meeting is very good: a huge gathering of Italian schools, all the schools: small ones and big ones; teachers, non-teaching personnel, students and parents; state schools and non-state schools ... I thank Cardinal Bagnasco, Minister Giannini and all those who have worked together to achieve this gathering; this testimonial is truly beautiful and very important. I have heard so many beautiful things, they have made me feel good! I see that this gathering is not against, it is for! It is not a lament, but a celebration! A celebration for school. We are very well aware that there are problems and things that aren't going well, we know this. But you are here, we are here because we love school. I say we because I love school, I loved it when I was a student, when I was a student and when I was a teacher, and also when I was a bishop. In the Dioceses of Buenos Aires, I met many from the world of schools, and today I thank you for having prepared this gathering, which involves not only Rome but all of Italy. Thank you very much for this. Thank you!
Why do I love school? I will try to explain. I have an image in my head. I have heard here that no one grows on his own and that there is always a glance that helps you to grow. I have before me the image of my first teacher, that woman, that teacher who taught me at the age of six years, at the first level of school. I have never forgotten her. She made me love school. I kept in contact with her all through her life until the moment she died at the age of 98 years. This image is precious to me! I love school because that woman taught me to love it. This is the first reason why I love school.
I love school because it opens us up to reality. At least that's the way it should be! It isn't always this way, so I want to say that we need to change the setting a bit. Going to school means opening the mind and the heart to reality, to be enriched by its aspects, by its dimensions. We should never be afraid of reality! School teaches us to understand reality. And this is something truly beautiful! In the early years, we learn from all directions, then slowly we deepen our understanding and discover a direction. Finally we specialize. But if we have learned how to learn - this is the secret: learn how to learn - this lesson stays with us forever, it keeps us open to reality! This was the truth that was taught also by a well-known Italian educator: Don Lorenzo Milani.
Teachers are the first ones who should always remain open to reality - I heard the testimony of your teachers: it was a pleasure for me to hear that they are so open to reality - with their minds always open to learning! Because if a teacher is not open to learning, he or she is not a good teacher, and such a person is not even interesting; children know this, they have a nose for it, and they are attracted by teachers who have open minds, teachers who never stop looking for more, and therefore they pass on this kind of attitude to their students. This is one of the reasons why I love school.
Another reason is the fact that schools are places of encounter. All of us are on a journey, in a procession, there is a road ahead of us. And I heard that school - we all heard this today - is not a parking lot. It is a place of encounter along the journey. We meet companions; we meet teachers; we meet other staff. Parents meet teachers; Principals meet with families, and so on. School is a place of encounter. Today, we need a culture of encounter in order to better know ourselves, to better love ourselves, to walk the road together. This is fundamental to the state of growth, as a complement to the family. The family is the first nucleus of relationship: the relationship with the father and the mother and the brothers is the base that accompanies us throughout the rest of our lives. But at school we socialize, we meet people who are different from ourselves, different ages, different cultures, different origins, different capacities. School is the first society tat integrates the family. Family and school are never opposed to each other. They complement one another and therefore it is important that these two facets should always collaborate, in reciprocal respect for one another. Families of the children in one class can do so much together if they work with one another and with the teachers. This makes me think of a beautiful African proverb: It takes an entire village to educate a child. It takes the combined efforts of so many people to teach a child: families, teachers, non-teaching personnel, all kinds! Do you like this African proverb? Do you like it? Let us say it together: it takes an entire village to educate a child! Together! It takes an entire village to educate a child! Think about it.
I love school because it teaches truth, goodness and beauty. All three of these go together. Education cannot be neutral. Either it is positive or it is negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it helps us to grow or it deprives, no one can change this. Another thing that is very important is that which we have already heard today: a clean defeat is always more beautiful than a dirty victory! Remember this! It is good advice. Let us say it together: a clean defeat is always better than a dirty victory. All together! A clean defeat is always better than a dirty victory!
The mission of a school is to develop a sense of truth, a sense of goodness and a sense of beauty. And this must be accomplished in the midst of a rich journey, made up of many ingredients. This is why it needs so much discipline! Because development is the fruit of various elements which work together to stimulate intelligence, conscience, effectiveness, the body, and so on. For example, if we study this Square, Saint Peter's Square, we can learn something about its architecture, its history, about religion, about astronomy - the obelisk reminds us of the sun, but few people realize that this square is also a giant sundial.
In this way, we can cultivate within us that which is true, good and beautiful; and we can learn that these three dimensions can never be separated, but are always inter-related. If something is true, it is good and it is beautiful; if it is beautiful, it is good and it is true; and if it is good, it is true and it is beautiful. Together, these elements help us to grow, ad help us to love life, even when we are wrong, caught in the midst of problems. True education causes us to love life; it opens us up to the fullness of life!
Finally, I want to say that when we are in school we don't only learn knowledge, content, but we also learn habits and values. We learn to know so many things, so much important content, in order to develop certain habits and even in order to take on certain values. This is very important. My hope for all of you, parents, teachers, others who work in our schools, students, is that you all discover a beautiful path through school, a path that allows you to grow in all the three languages that a mature person should know how to speak: the language of the mind, the language of the heart and the language of the hands. All three of these should work together, that is, we should think well about what we feel and about what we do; feel well about what we think about and what we do; and do well that which we think about and what we feel. These three languages, in harmony with each other and together!
Thank you once again to all the organizers of this day and to all of you who came to participate. Please, please never let us steal from our children their love for school! Thank you!
The Pope arrived in Saint Peter's Square at 4:15pm and travelled through the square as well as along the Via della Conciliazione on a jeep in order to greet the hundreds of thousands of people who were present, before making his way to the staging area in front of the main doors of the Basilica.
The meeting with the Holy Father, which focused on the theme: We care, began at 5:00pm with words of greeting offered by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, and by Professor Stefania Giannini, Minister of Instruction in the Italian Government. The rest of the gathering featured alternating moments of testimonials from the world of education, music and other dramatic presentations.
Address of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the meeting with students and educators
Dear friends, good afternoon!
First of all, I want to thank you, because you have achieved something truly beautiful! This meeting is very good: a huge gathering of Italian schools, all the schools: small ones and big ones; teachers, non-teaching personnel, students and parents; state schools and non-state schools ... I thank Cardinal Bagnasco, Minister Giannini and all those who have worked together to achieve this gathering; this testimonial is truly beautiful and very important. I have heard so many beautiful things, they have made me feel good! I see that this gathering is not against, it is for! It is not a lament, but a celebration! A celebration for school. We are very well aware that there are problems and things that aren't going well, we know this. But you are here, we are here because we love school. I say we because I love school, I loved it when I was a student, when I was a student and when I was a teacher, and also when I was a bishop. In the Dioceses of Buenos Aires, I met many from the world of schools, and today I thank you for having prepared this gathering, which involves not only Rome but all of Italy. Thank you very much for this. Thank you!
Why do I love school? I will try to explain. I have an image in my head. I have heard here that no one grows on his own and that there is always a glance that helps you to grow. I have before me the image of my first teacher, that woman, that teacher who taught me at the age of six years, at the first level of school. I have never forgotten her. She made me love school. I kept in contact with her all through her life until the moment she died at the age of 98 years. This image is precious to me! I love school because that woman taught me to love it. This is the first reason why I love school.
I love school because it opens us up to reality. At least that's the way it should be! It isn't always this way, so I want to say that we need to change the setting a bit. Going to school means opening the mind and the heart to reality, to be enriched by its aspects, by its dimensions. We should never be afraid of reality! School teaches us to understand reality. And this is something truly beautiful! In the early years, we learn from all directions, then slowly we deepen our understanding and discover a direction. Finally we specialize. But if we have learned how to learn - this is the secret: learn how to learn - this lesson stays with us forever, it keeps us open to reality! This was the truth that was taught also by a well-known Italian educator: Don Lorenzo Milani.
Teachers are the first ones who should always remain open to reality - I heard the testimony of your teachers: it was a pleasure for me to hear that they are so open to reality - with their minds always open to learning! Because if a teacher is not open to learning, he or she is not a good teacher, and such a person is not even interesting; children know this, they have a nose for it, and they are attracted by teachers who have open minds, teachers who never stop looking for more, and therefore they pass on this kind of attitude to their students. This is one of the reasons why I love school.
Another reason is the fact that schools are places of encounter. All of us are on a journey, in a procession, there is a road ahead of us. And I heard that school - we all heard this today - is not a parking lot. It is a place of encounter along the journey. We meet companions; we meet teachers; we meet other staff. Parents meet teachers; Principals meet with families, and so on. School is a place of encounter. Today, we need a culture of encounter in order to better know ourselves, to better love ourselves, to walk the road together. This is fundamental to the state of growth, as a complement to the family. The family is the first nucleus of relationship: the relationship with the father and the mother and the brothers is the base that accompanies us throughout the rest of our lives. But at school we socialize, we meet people who are different from ourselves, different ages, different cultures, different origins, different capacities. School is the first society tat integrates the family. Family and school are never opposed to each other. They complement one another and therefore it is important that these two facets should always collaborate, in reciprocal respect for one another. Families of the children in one class can do so much together if they work with one another and with the teachers. This makes me think of a beautiful African proverb: It takes an entire village to educate a child. It takes the combined efforts of so many people to teach a child: families, teachers, non-teaching personnel, all kinds! Do you like this African proverb? Do you like it? Let us say it together: it takes an entire village to educate a child! Together! It takes an entire village to educate a child! Think about it.
I love school because it teaches truth, goodness and beauty. All three of these go together. Education cannot be neutral. Either it is positive or it is negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it helps us to grow or it deprives, no one can change this. Another thing that is very important is that which we have already heard today: a clean defeat is always more beautiful than a dirty victory! Remember this! It is good advice. Let us say it together: a clean defeat is always better than a dirty victory. All together! A clean defeat is always better than a dirty victory!
The mission of a school is to develop a sense of truth, a sense of goodness and a sense of beauty. And this must be accomplished in the midst of a rich journey, made up of many ingredients. This is why it needs so much discipline! Because development is the fruit of various elements which work together to stimulate intelligence, conscience, effectiveness, the body, and so on. For example, if we study this Square, Saint Peter's Square, we can learn something about its architecture, its history, about religion, about astronomy - the obelisk reminds us of the sun, but few people realize that this square is also a giant sundial.
In this way, we can cultivate within us that which is true, good and beautiful; and we can learn that these three dimensions can never be separated, but are always inter-related. If something is true, it is good and it is beautiful; if it is beautiful, it is good and it is true; and if it is good, it is true and it is beautiful. Together, these elements help us to grow, ad help us to love life, even when we are wrong, caught in the midst of problems. True education causes us to love life; it opens us up to the fullness of life!
Finally, I want to say that when we are in school we don't only learn knowledge, content, but we also learn habits and values. We learn to know so many things, so much important content, in order to develop certain habits and even in order to take on certain values. This is very important. My hope for all of you, parents, teachers, others who work in our schools, students, is that you all discover a beautiful path through school, a path that allows you to grow in all the three languages that a mature person should know how to speak: the language of the mind, the language of the heart and the language of the hands. All three of these should work together, that is, we should think well about what we feel and about what we do; feel well about what we think about and what we do; and do well that which we think about and what we feel. These three languages, in harmony with each other and together!
Thank you once again to all the organizers of this day and to all of you who came to participate. Please, please never let us steal from our children their love for school! Thank you!
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