ROME (ITALPRESS) – “The Jubilee has much to say to the world of education and schools. In fact, ‘pilgrims of hope’ are all people who seek meaning for their lives and also those who help the youngest children to walk on this path. A good teacher is a man or woman of hope because he or she devotes himself or herself with trust and patience to a project of human growth. His or her hope is not naive; it is rooted in reality, sustained by the conviction that every educational endeavor has value and that every person has a dignity and vocation that deserve to be nurtured. It pains me when I see children who are uneducated and who go to work, many times exploited or who go looking for food or things to sell where there is garbage. It’s hard! And there are some of these children!” Thus Pope Francis, who received in audience the Catholic Union of Teachers, Managers, Educators, Trainers (Uciim), the Italian Association of Catholic Teachers (Aimc) and the Association of Catholic School Parents (Agesc). “Hope is the engine that sustains the educator in his daily commitment, even in difficulties and failures,” the Pontiff added, stressing, “You feel called to elaborate and transmit a new culture, based on the encounter between generations, on inclusion, on the discernment of the true, the good and the beautiful; a culture of responsibility, personal and collective, to face global challenges such as environmental, social and economic crises, and the great challenge of peace. At school you can ‘imagine peace,’ that is, lay the foundations for a more just and fraternal world, with the contribution of all disciplines and the creativity of children and young people. But if at school you make war among yourselves, if at school you bully girls and boys who have some problems, this is preparing for war not peace! Please, never bullying! Do you understand this? (They answer, “Yes!”) Never bullying! Do we all say it together? Come on! Never bullying! Courage and go ahead. Work on this.”- photo Ipa agency -(ITALPRESS).
