At noon today, in the Sala Clementina, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in Audience a representative group from the Association of Catholic School Parents (AGESC).
It is my pleasure to welcome you all here, representatives of the Association of Catholic School Parents, as you celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the foundation of your Association. You are here not only to be affirmed in your journey of faith, but also to experience the truth of the commitment that distinguishes you: one which is freely assumed, of being educators according to the heart of God and of the Church.
Recently, an important world Congress took place, organized by the Congregation for Catholic Education. On that occasion, I pointed out the importance of promoting education for all of humanity, for to speak of Catholic education is equivalent to speaking about humanity, about humanism. I called for an inclusive education, an education that leaves room for all people and that is not selective in an elite manner of the recipients of its commitment.
This is the same challenge that stands before us today. Your Association is at the service of schools and families, contributing to the delicate task of building bridges between schools and territories, between schools and families, between schools and civic institutions. This is the work of restoring educational efforts, for the pacts that once existed have been ruined, the educational pacts have been ruined! ... and must be restored. Build bridges: there is no more noble challenge! Create unity wherever division seems to be developing, generate harmony when it seems that the logic of exclusion and marginalization seem to have the upper hand.
As an ecclesial association, you draw an abundance of mercy from the very heart of the Church, which makes your work a daily service for others. As parents, you are custodians of duty and of the primary and inalienable right to educate your children, in this way helping them in a manner positive and consistent with the task proper to the school. You have the right to request affordable education for your children, education that is integral and open to the most authentic human and Christian values. It is also up to you, however, to ensure that schools are up to the task of education that is entrusted to them, especially when the education being offered is expressed as Catholic. I pray to God that Catholic schools never take the significance of this term for granted! In fact, being Catholic educators makes a difference.
So, we must ask ourselves something: what is required for our schools to truly be Catholic? This can be a good thing for your association to do. You certainly have done it and continue to do it; but the results are never attained once and for all. For example: we know that Catholic schools should pass on an integral culture, not an ideology, but how is this ideology to be understood in a concrete way? Or are we convinced that Catholic schools are called to favour the harmony of our diversities? How can we do this in concrete ways? This is not an easy task. Thank God that there are, in Italy and throughout the world, so many positive experiences which are known and can be shared.
In the meeting that was held with you in 1998, Saint John Paul II repeated the importance of the bridge that should exist between the school and society. There is a constant need to build an educational community in which, together with teachers, various other contributors and students, you parents can contribute to the process of education.
You do not exist apart from the world, you are alive, like yeast in donuts. The invitation that is offered to you is simple but bold: know how to make a difference through the quality of your training. Know how to find ways and means to not remain un-noticed behind the scenes of society and culture without arousing undue clamor, without the use of rhetoric. Know how to distinguish yourselves by your constant attention to other people, especially to those who are weak, who are rejected, refused and forgotten. Know how to make yourselves noticed, not with facades but with consistent education that is rooted in the Christian vision of mankind and of society.
At a time when economic crises weigh heavily even on private schools, when many of them are forced to close, the temptation of numbers seems to become increasingly insistent, and with this, there is an accompanying discouragement, but despite all this, I repeat: the difference depends on the quality of your presence and not on the quantity of resources that you have at your disposition. The quality of your presence, there, in order to build bridges. I was happy to find that you (turning toward the President) spoke about school, especially about the children, their parents and their grandparents, because grandparents play a role too! Never discard grandparents: they are a people's living memory!
Never underestimate the human and Christian values of which you are witnesses for the sake of families, schools and society. Give your contribution generously so that Catholic schools may never become second choices or insignificant alternatives among the various formative institutions. Work together so that Catholic education will show the face of a new humanism that is emerging from the ecclesial convention held in Florence. Strive always to ensure that Catholic schools are truly open to everyone. May the Lord Jesus, who within the holy family of Nazareth, grew in age, wisdom and grace (cf Lk 2:52) accompany your steps and bless your daily efforts.
Thank you for this gathering, thank you for your work and for your witness. I assure you of my prayer for you, and I ask you please, don't forget to pray for me.
Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to members of the AGESC
Dear brothers and sisters,It is my pleasure to welcome you all here, representatives of the Association of Catholic School Parents, as you celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the foundation of your Association. You are here not only to be affirmed in your journey of faith, but also to experience the truth of the commitment that distinguishes you: one which is freely assumed, of being educators according to the heart of God and of the Church.
Recently, an important world Congress took place, organized by the Congregation for Catholic Education. On that occasion, I pointed out the importance of promoting education for all of humanity, for to speak of Catholic education is equivalent to speaking about humanity, about humanism. I called for an inclusive education, an education that leaves room for all people and that is not selective in an elite manner of the recipients of its commitment.
This is the same challenge that stands before us today. Your Association is at the service of schools and families, contributing to the delicate task of building bridges between schools and territories, between schools and families, between schools and civic institutions. This is the work of restoring educational efforts, for the pacts that once existed have been ruined, the educational pacts have been ruined! ... and must be restored. Build bridges: there is no more noble challenge! Create unity wherever division seems to be developing, generate harmony when it seems that the logic of exclusion and marginalization seem to have the upper hand.
As an ecclesial association, you draw an abundance of mercy from the very heart of the Church, which makes your work a daily service for others. As parents, you are custodians of duty and of the primary and inalienable right to educate your children, in this way helping them in a manner positive and consistent with the task proper to the school. You have the right to request affordable education for your children, education that is integral and open to the most authentic human and Christian values. It is also up to you, however, to ensure that schools are up to the task of education that is entrusted to them, especially when the education being offered is expressed as Catholic. I pray to God that Catholic schools never take the significance of this term for granted! In fact, being Catholic educators makes a difference.
So, we must ask ourselves something: what is required for our schools to truly be Catholic? This can be a good thing for your association to do. You certainly have done it and continue to do it; but the results are never attained once and for all. For example: we know that Catholic schools should pass on an integral culture, not an ideology, but how is this ideology to be understood in a concrete way? Or are we convinced that Catholic schools are called to favour the harmony of our diversities? How can we do this in concrete ways? This is not an easy task. Thank God that there are, in Italy and throughout the world, so many positive experiences which are known and can be shared.
In the meeting that was held with you in 1998, Saint John Paul II repeated the importance of the bridge that should exist between the school and society. There is a constant need to build an educational community in which, together with teachers, various other contributors and students, you parents can contribute to the process of education.
You do not exist apart from the world, you are alive, like yeast in donuts. The invitation that is offered to you is simple but bold: know how to make a difference through the quality of your training. Know how to find ways and means to not remain un-noticed behind the scenes of society and culture without arousing undue clamor, without the use of rhetoric. Know how to distinguish yourselves by your constant attention to other people, especially to those who are weak, who are rejected, refused and forgotten. Know how to make yourselves noticed, not with facades but with consistent education that is rooted in the Christian vision of mankind and of society.
At a time when economic crises weigh heavily even on private schools, when many of them are forced to close, the temptation of numbers seems to become increasingly insistent, and with this, there is an accompanying discouragement, but despite all this, I repeat: the difference depends on the quality of your presence and not on the quantity of resources that you have at your disposition. The quality of your presence, there, in order to build bridges. I was happy to find that you (turning toward the President) spoke about school, especially about the children, their parents and their grandparents, because grandparents play a role too! Never discard grandparents: they are a people's living memory!
Never underestimate the human and Christian values of which you are witnesses for the sake of families, schools and society. Give your contribution generously so that Catholic schools may never become second choices or insignificant alternatives among the various formative institutions. Work together so that Catholic education will show the face of a new humanism that is emerging from the ecclesial convention held in Florence. Strive always to ensure that Catholic schools are truly open to everyone. May the Lord Jesus, who within the holy family of Nazareth, grew in age, wisdom and grace (cf Lk 2:52) accompany your steps and bless your daily efforts.
Thank you for this gathering, thank you for your work and for your witness. I assure you of my prayer for you, and I ask you please, don't forget to pray for me.
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