“Guiding Lights: The Pope’s Inspiring Call to Educators Amid Life’s Challenges”

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

“How can we avoid despair and continuously nurture our hope? By keeping our focus steadfastly on Jesus, the guide and partner in our journey,” Pope Francis shared with educators in the Vatican on Saturday. 

The Holy Father welcomed the delegation for the 80th anniversary of the Italian Catholic Teachers Association and of the Union of Italian Catholic Teachers, Principals, Educators, and Trainers, along with the 50th anniversary of the Association of Parents of Catholic Schools.

“This presents a splendid opportunity to celebrate together, to reflect on your legacy, and to envision the future,” he stated.

God’s pedagogy

Pointing out that their meeting is occurring during the Christmas liturgical season, “a period that unveils God’s educational approach.”

Pope Francis then posed a question to those assembled: “What is His ‘educational approach?'” responding, “It consists of closeness, compassion, and tenderness,” emphasizing that these three characteristics are vital. “Just as a teacher immerses in the lives of their students,” the Pope expressed, “God chose to dwell among humanity, teaching through the dialect of life and love.”

Additionally, God’s pedagogy, he remarked, prompts us to coexist in communion with Him and one another “as part of a universal brotherhood initiative,” wherein “the family holds a fundamental and irreplaceable role.”

‘The family!’

While reflecting on ‘the family,’ the Pope recounted a story shared by an individual after he had gone out for lunch one Sunday. At the adjoining table, Pope Francis remembered, there sat a family, “father, mother, son, and daughter—all absorbed in their mobile devices, not speaking to one another.”

This man, the Pope mentioned, sensed something was amiss and approached them, saying: ‘You are a family; why don’t you converse with each other instead of fixating on your phones?’ The Pope noted they dismissed him and continued on.

“Please, within families, let’s engage in conversation!” Pope Francis urged, emphasizing, “A family thrives on dialogue, and dialogue fosters our growth.”

Jubilee

The Holy Father also expressed that today’s gathering occurs at the outset of the Jubilee journey, asserting that the Holy Year “has significant implications” for the realm of education and schools.

Recalling the Jubilee’s theme of ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’ the Pope underlined that a commendable educator is a person “of hope,” as they commit themselves with trust and perseverance towards a mission of personal growth.

“Their hope is not simplistic,” he asserted, acknowledging, “it is grounded in reality and driven by the belief that every educational effort bears significance and that each individual possesses dignity and a calling worthy of development.”

‘It breaks my heart’

“It breaks my heart when I witness children who are not receiving education, compelled to labor, subjected to exploitation, scavenging for food or items to sell from refuse piles,” he continued, stating that it’s “heart-wrenching” and “there are numerous children like this!”

Amidst all this, the Pope stressed, maintaining hope and focusing on Jesus is the key to navigating daily hardships and pressures, as the Lord is alongside us and our ‘companion.’

Cultivate peace, never bullying

The Holy Father praised educational initiatives in schools aimed at fostering peace, emphasizing that ‘envisioning peace” lays the groundwork for “a more equitable and brotherly world” through “each subject taught and through the ingenuity of children and adolescents.”

“However, if at school,” he warned, “you engage in conflict with one another or partake in bullying, you are setting the stage for war, not peace.”

Pact among associations

In light of various obstacles, Pope Francis urged the establishment of a sort of “agreement among associations” for a more effective “representation of the Church’s presence in schools and for schools.”

Instructing them to focus on “the current state” of schools, which “also reflects the future of society,” he encouraged those present to consider both the young educators “beginning their journey” and “the families who frequently feel isolated in their educational duties,” and to offer them sincere support.

Pope Francis concluded by bestowing his Apostolic Blessing, reminding them that hope never disappoints, and reiterating the caution against bullying.

Pope Francis’ audience with Catholic Italian educators