BUDS OF HOPE

 

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Think about the present of the school, which is the future of society, grappling with an epochal transformation. Think about the young teachers who are taking their first steps in school and the families who feel alone in their educational task. To each one, propose with humility and novelty your educational and associative style.

- by Luciano Corradini *

The new steps towards the world war between Israel and Iran and the barbarization of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza and the West Bank bring to mind two Latin mottos: the tragic but increasingly practiced mors tua, vita mea, and the more just but less practiced: vita tua, vita mea. The ideas, principles and institutions (the Constitutions, the UN and international law of human rights and humanitarian law) are increasingly considered historically outdated utopias. In this regard, two passages from the latest speeches of Pope Francis seemed enlightening to me, like a precious testament, of which I will quote a few sentences.

“When we still feel the weight of death in our hearts, when we see the shadows of evil continue their noisy march on the world, when we feel the wounds of selfishness or violence burning in our flesh and in our society, let us not lose heart, let us return to the announcement of this night: the light slowly shines even if we are in darkness; the hope of a new life and of a finally liberated world awaits us; a new beginning can surprise us even if at times it seems impossible, because Christ has conquered death.

The Christian faith – let us remember – does not want to confirm our certainties, make us settle into easy religious certainties, give us quick answers to the complex problems of life. On the contrary, when God calls he always inspires a journey, as it was for Abraham, for Moses, for the prophets and for all the disciples of the Lord. He sets us on a journey, takes us out of our comfort zones, questions our acquisitions and, precisely in this way, frees us, transforms us, illuminates the eyes of our hearts to make us understand what hope he has called us to. “ (cf. Eph 1:18).

These words leave no room for any rhetoric or any escape. As in the Crucifixion, also in the Resurrection the Father could have erased doubt, and he did not do so. The Father, the Son and the Spirit, give us the task of continuing to believe and to testify, not to demonstrate scientifically (or with the pretense of “negotiating”) what He asks of us out of faith and love, and to defeat doubt, but to collaborate in the salvation of this world, also on an educational level.

On January 4, 2025, Pope Francis received the Uciim and AIMC conference participants who celebrated the 80th anniversary of their foundation, concluding his speech with these words: “At the beginning of your history there was the intuition that only by associating, walking together, could we improve the school, which by its nature is a community, in need of everyone’s contribution. Your founders lived in times in which the values ​​of the person and of democratic citizenship needed to be witnessed and strengthened, for the good of all; and also the value of educational freedom. Never forget where you come from, but do not walk with your head turned backwards, regretting the good old days!

Instead, think about the present of the school, which is the future of society, grappling with an epochal transformation. Think of the young teachers who are taking their first steps in school and the families who feel alone in their educational task. To each one, propose with humility and innovation your educational and associative style. All this you I encourage you to do it together, with a sort of “pact between associations”, because in this way you can better bear witness to the face of the Church in school and for school. So go forward with confidence! I bless you and all those who form the network of your Associations”. “Brothers and sisters, this is the call that we must feel strongly within us: let the hope of Easter sprout in our lives and in the world!

*Luciano Corradini is professor emeritus of General Pedagogy at the University of Rome Tre. He has taught in secondary schools, at the Universities of Cosenza, Milan State, Brescia Catholic and Rome La Sapienza, president of IRRSAE Lombardy, vice president of CNPI (National Council of P.I.), with seven successive ministers, undersecretary of P.I. in the Dini Government, president of ARDeP, association for the reduction of public debt, of AIDU (university teachers), of UCIIM (middle school teachers).

BOURGEONS D'ESPOIR

Pensez au présent de l'école, futur de la société, aux prises avec une transformation historique. Pensez aux jeunes enseignants qui font leurs premiers pas à l'école et aux familles qui se sentent seules dans leur mission éducative. À chacun, proposez avec humilité et nouveauté votre style éducatif et associatif.

- par Luciano Corradini *

Les nouvelles avancées vers la guerre mondiale entre Israël et l'Iran et la barbarie du conflit israélo-palestinien à Gaza et en Cisjordanie évoquent deux devises latines : la tragique mais de plus en plus pratiquée « mors tua, vita mea » et la plus juste mais moins pratiquée « vita tua, vita mea ». Les idées, les principes et les institutions (les Constitutions, l'ONU et le droit international des droits de l'homme et le droit humanitaire) sont de plus en plus considérés comme des utopies historiquement dépassées. À cet égard, deux passages des derniers discours du pape François m'ont semblé éclairants, comme un précieux témoignage, dont je citerai quelques phrases.

Lorsque nous sentons encore le poids de la mort peser sur nos cœurs, lorsque nous voyons les ombres du mal poursuivre leur marche bruyante sur le monde, lorsque nous sentons les blessures de l'égoïsme ou de la violence brûler dans notre chair et dans notre société, ne nous décourageons pas, revenons à l'annonce de cette nuit : la lumière brille lentement, même si nous sommes dans l'obscurité ; l'espérance d'une vie nouvelle et d'un monde enfin libéré nous attend ; un nouveau départ peut nous surprendre, même s'il semble parfois impossible, car le Christ a vaincu la mort.

La foi chrétienne – rappelons-le – ne veut pas confirmer nos certitudes, nous enfermer dans des certitudes religieuses faciles, nous donner des réponses rapides aux problèmes complexes de la vie. Au contraire, lorsque Dieu appelle, il inspire toujours un chemin, comme ce fut le cas pour Abraham, pour Moïse, pour les prophètes et pour tous les disciples du Seigneur. Il nous met en chemin, nous fait sortir de nos zones de confort, remet en question nos acquis et, précisément ainsi, il nous libère, nous transforme, illumine les yeux de notre cœur pour nous faire comprendre ce qu'est l'espérance. Il nous a appelés à cela. » (cf. Éph 1, 18).

Ces paroles ne laissent place à aucune rhétorique ni à aucune échappatoire. Comme lors de la Crucifixion, lors de la Résurrection aussi, le Père aurait pu dissiper le doute, et il ne l'a pas fait. Le Père, le Fils et l'Esprit nous confient la tâche de continuer à croire et à témoigner, non pas pour démontrer scientifiquement (ou sous prétexte de « négocier ») ce qu'Il nous demande par foi et par amour, et pour vaincre le doute, mais pour collaborer au salut de ce monde, y compris sur le plan éducatif.

Le 4 janvier 2025, le pape François a reçu les participants à la conférence de l'Uciim et de l'AIMC, qui célébraient le 80e anniversaire de leur fondation. Il a conclu son discours par ces mots : « Au début de votre histoire, vous avez eu l'intuition que ce n'est qu'en vous associant, en cheminant ensemble, que nous pourrions améliorer l'école, qui est par nature une communauté, nécessitant la contribution de tous. Vos fondateurs ont vécu une époque où les valeurs de la personne et de la citoyenneté démocratique devaient être reconnues et renforcées, pour le bien de tous ; ainsi que la valeur de la liberté éducative. N'oubliez jamais d'où vous venez, mais ne marchez pas la tête tournée vers l'arrière, en regrettant le bon vieux temps !

Pensez plutôt au présent de l'école, qui est l'avenir de la société, aux prises avec une transformation historique. Pensez aux jeunes enseignants qui font leurs premiers pas à l'école et aux familles qui se sentent seules dans leur mission éducative. À chacun, proposez avec humilité et innovation votre style éducatif et associatif. Je vous encourage à le faire ensemble, dans une sorte de « pacte ». « Entre les associations », car ainsi vous pourrez mieux témoigner du visage de l'Église à l'école et pour l'école. Alors, allez de l'avant avec confiance ! Je vous bénis, vous et tous ceux qui forment le réseau de vos associations. » « Frères et sœurs, tel est l'appel que nous devons ressentir fortement en nous : que l'espérance de Pâques germe dans nos vies et dans le monde ! »

*Luciano Corradini est professeur émérite de pédagogie générale à l'Université de Rome III. Il a enseigné dans des lycées, aux universités de Cosenza, d'État de Milan, de Brescia et de Rome La Sapienza. Il a également été président de l'IRRSAE Lombardie, vice-président du CNPI (Conseil national de la PI), sous sept ministres successifs, sous-secrétaire de la PI dans le gouvernement Dini, président de l'ARDeP (Association pour la réduction de la dette publique), de l'AIDU (Professeurs d'université) et de l'UCIIM (Professeurs de collège).

BROTES DE ESPERANZA

Pensemos en el presente de la escuela, que es el futuro de la sociedad, lidiando con una transformación trascendental. Pensemos en los jóvenes docentes que dan sus primeros pasos en la escuela y en las familias que se sienten solas en su tarea educativa. A cada uno, proponle con humildad y originalidad su estilo educativo y asociativo.

- por Luciano Corradini *

Los nuevos pasos hacia la guerra mundial entre Israel e Irán y la barbarie del conflicto israelí-palestino en Gaza y Cisjordania evocan dos lemas latinos: el trágico, pero cada vez más practicado, «mors tua, vita mea»; y el más justo, pero menos practicado, «vita tua, vita mea». Las ideas, los principios y las instituciones (las Constituciones, la ONU y el derecho internacional de los derechos humanos y el derecho humanitario) se consideran cada vez más utopías históricamente obsoletas. En este sentido, dos pasajes de los últimos discursos del Papa Francisco me parecieron esclarecedores, como un valioso testimonio, del que citaré algunas frases.

Cuando aún sentimos el peso de la muerte en nuestros corazones, cuando vemos las sombras del mal continuar su marcha ruidosa sobre el mundo, cuando sentimos las heridas del egoísmo o la violencia arder en nuestra carne y en nuestra sociedad, no nos desanimemos, volvamos al anuncio de esta noche: la luz brilla lentamente aunque estemos en la oscuridad; nos espera la esperanza de una nueva vida y de un mundo finalmente liberado; un nuevo comienzo puede sorprendernos aunque a veces parezca imposible, porque Cristo ha vencido a la muerte.

La fe cristiana —recordemos— no quiere confirmar nuestras certezas, hacernos acomodar en fáciles certezas religiosas, darnos respuestas rápidas a los complejos problemas de la vida. Al contrario, cuando Dios llama, siempre inspira un camino, como lo fue para Abraham, para Moisés, para los profetas y para todos los discípulos del Señor. Nos pone en camino, nos saca de nuestra zona de confort, cuestiona nuestras adquisiciones y, precisamente así, nos libera, nos transforma, ilumina los ojos de nuestro corazón para hacernos comprender. A qué esperanza nos ha llamado» (cf. Ef 1,18).

Estas palabras no dejan lugar a retórica ni a evasión. Como en la Crucifixión, también en la Resurrección el Padre pudo haber disipado la duda, y no lo hizo. El Padre, el Hijo y el Espíritu nos encomiendan la tarea de seguir creyendo y dar testimonio, no para demostrar científicamente (ni con la pretensión de «negociar») lo que Él nos pide por fe y amor, ni para vencer la duda, sino para colaborar en la salvación de este mundo, también a nivel educativo.

El 4 de enero de 2025, el Papa Francisco recibió a los participantes de la conferencia Uciim y AIMC que celebraban el 80 aniversario de su fundación, concluyendo su discurso con estas palabras: «Al comienzo de su historia, se intuía que solo asociándonos, caminando juntos, podríamos mejorar la escuela, que por naturaleza es una comunidad, necesitada de la contribución de todos. Sus fundadores vivieron en tiempos en los que los valores de la persona y de la ciudadanía democrática debían ser presenciados y fortalecidos, por el bien de todos; y también el valor de la libertad educativa. Nunca olviden de dónde vienen, pero no caminen con la cabeza hacia atrás, lamentando los buenos tiempos».

En cambio, piensen en el presente de la escuela, que es el futuro de la sociedad, lidiando con una transformación trascendental. Piensen en los jóvenes docentes que dan sus primeros pasos en la escuela y en las familias que se sienten solas en su tarea educativa. A cada uno, propongan con humildad e innovación su estilo educativo y asociativo. Les animo a hacerlo juntos, con una especie de... “Pacto entre asociaciones”, porque así podrán dar mejor testimonio del rostro de la Iglesia en la escuela y para la escuela. ¡Avancen, pues, con confianza! Los bendigo a ustedes y a todos los que forman la red de sus asociaciones. Hermanos y hermanas, esta es la llamada que debemos sentir con fuerza en nosotros: ¡que la esperanza de la Pascua brote en nuestras vidas y en el mundo!

*Luciano Corradini es profesor emérito de Pedagogía General en la Universidad de Roma Tre. Ha impartido docencia en escuelas secundarias, en las Universidades de Cosenza, Estatal de Milán, Católica de Brescia y Roma La Sapienza; presidente de IRRSAE Lombardía; vicepresidente del CNPI (Consejo Nacional de Institutos Públicos), con siete ministros sucesivos; subsecretario de Institutos Públicos en el Gobierno de Dini; presidente de ARDeP (Asociación para la Reducción de la Deuda Pública); de AIDU (Profesorado Universitario); de UCIIM (Profesorado de Educación Secundaria).

THE ENEMY

“In the time of fear and wars, 

the other is never the enemy”

 

- by Mauro Magatti

 

The historical period following the tragedies of the first part of the 20th century had led us to believe that humanity had finally freed itself from the need to search for an enemy to fight in the face of the other.

That pluralism was now an established fact.

That those who are different – ​​in culture, gender, language, religion, social position, worldview – could be part, in their own right, of common life.

The events of these last years and days (after Ukraine and Gaza, the Israel-Iran escalation, what is happening in California and Ireland) force us to acknowledge that things are more complicated.

We are not moving towards a world more capable of inclusion, understanding and coexistence.

On the contrary, we are witnessing a slow retreat in the recognition of the other.

Otherness, far from being welcomed, is increasingly perceived as a threat.

The signals are so numerous and widespread that it is no longer possible to ignore them.

The partner who disappoints expectations becomes an obstacle to our self-realization.

To the point of being killed in some cases.

The foreigner who seeks refuge is treated as an invader.

The different is perceived as a mistake to be corrected.

The neighboring country becomes a land of conquest.

Regardless of the scale, the dynamic is always the same: first the other is distanced, then opaqued, finally deprived of face and speech.

Reduced to an object to be classified, a danger to be eradicated.

And, finally, an enemy to be fought.

In an increasingly fragmented society, intolerance is increasing.

In the public sphere, positions become polarized, language becomes bellicose, categories become rigid.

Differences are no longer an opportunity for comparison but trenches to be defended.

And to make matters worse, there are also digital platforms that favor new forms of tribalism and closure.

We live in a cultural paradigm that leads us to defend our/my clod of well-being, power or identity at all costs.

Every change, every sign of transformation, every unexpected event is perceived as a threat.

To the point that even the skills needed to manage the complex relationship with the concrete other are being lost.

We are sliding down a slope, with an uncertain outcome.

However, it is not too late to reverse the trend, provided we become aware of the situation before it gets even worse, before distrust and self-absolution make our isolation irreversible.

Getting out of this drift requires recognizing that the other does not represent an obstacle to our well-being, but an essential condition of our humanity.

"No one should ever threaten the existence of the other," Pope Leo said yesterday at the end of the Jubilee audience.

No one grows, realizes himself or becomes fully himself without the encounter, sometimes tiring but always transformative, with that which is different from himself.

No society is possible without the difficult but exciting exercise of dialogue and encounter, which regenerates the social and cultural fabric.

Fixated on a rigid principle of identity, we lose the beauty of life that comes from meeting, listening, welcoming.

And certainly not from erecting barriers to defend ourselves from the entire world.

"Let's go back to building bridges - the Pope again, yesterday - where today there are walls.

Let's open doors, connect worlds and there will be hope".

Undoubtedly, the relationship with the other always involves a risk.

The relationship is intrinsically exposed to the possibility of injury.

Thinking that we can sterilize this risk means impoverishing our own life.

Which, by folding in on itself, ends up withering.

It is therefore necessary to actively commit to promoting a new culture of coexistence.

It is not a simple tolerance, which preserves the status quo by keeping our distance, but rather a mutual hospitality, capable of generating bonds, shared projects and new narratives.

This principle applies to local communities as well as global institutions, families, schools, businesses, politics and religions.

In a society where otherness becomes a problem, healing begins with the disarming of absolute claims.

It is essential to recognize that the world does not belong to us, but has been entrusted to us in common, that our identity is intrinsically relational and that freedom does not consist in doing what one wants, but in knowing how to share spaces, times, resources and aspirations with others.

Ultimately, it is about choosing what kind of world we want to inhabit: whether to remain trapped in the logic of the clod, each entrenched in his own enclosure, clearing out everything that is outside his schemes or whether we are willing to build a new relational ecology.

Only by knowing the face of the other can we also find our own.

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JUBILE' ET DOCTRINE SOCIALE

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Le Jubilé pour affirmer 

la mission 

de service

dans le monde

 

Par Vincent Dollmann*

 Le chrétien, serviteur au cœur du monde

Comme citoyens, nous participons à la vie sociale, économique et politique du monde et avons à prendre notre part aux débats et aux décisions, ne serait-ce que par le droit de vote dans notre pays. Comme chrétiens, nous sommes appelés à rendre compte de notre foi en Jésus, le Fils de Dieu fait chair, en vivant de sa charité. Nous y avons part à travers son Esprit-Saint ; comme pour les apôtres à la Pentecôte, il est pour nous un feu qui brûle nos cœurs de l’amour même de Dieu et qui nous permet de le transmettre autour de nous.

 Jésus, modèle et soutien de la mission de service

Jésus a vécu la condition humaine jusqu’à apprendre le métier de charpentier de Joseph, son père adoptif. On l’appellera d’ailleurs « le charpentier » (Mc 6,3), appellation qui indique qu’il était comme Joseph, reconnu pour la qualité de son travail.

Dans son enseignement, notamment à travers les paraboles, Jésus exprime sa connaissance et son estime des différents métiers. Il nous dit que l’accueil du Règne de Dieu ne se réalise pas seulement dans la prière communautaire et personnelle, mais également dans la vie sociale et professionnelle. Et Jésus donne comme critère pour l’entrée dans le Royaume, le service du prochain, en commençant par le plus petit : « En vérité, je vous le dis, dans la mesure où vous l’avez fait à l’un de ces plus petits de mes frères, c’est à moi que vous l’avez fait » (Mt 25,40).

 La Doctrine sociale de L’Eglise, une boussole pour aujourd’hui

Au XIX^e siècle avec l’industrialisation, le Pape Léon XIII n’hésita pas, dans son encyclique Rerum Novarum, à rappeler que chaque ouvrier est une personne et que le travail est l’expression de cette identité. Ses successeurs ont continué à approfondir l’enseignement social de l’Eglise face aux défis de leur époque. Le Pape Léon XIV a ainsi choisi son nom en mémoire de Léon XIII et l’a signifié dès les premiers discours en mentionnant les défis de l’intelligence artificielle.

Le Jubilé est l’occasion de nous intéresser à l’enseignement social de l’Eglise à travers les écrits des Papes et le témoignage de figures dont notre diocèse ne manque pas, comme Louise Nicolle ou encore Mgr Guerry. Si l’espérance thème du Jubilé, est un don de Dieu, elle s’expérimente dans la fidélité à nos engagements dans le monde.

 *Archevêque de Cambrai, Assistent Ecclésiastique UMEC-WUCT

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The Jubilee to affirm

 the mission of service in the world

 By Vincent Dollmann*

 The Christian, servant in the heart of the world

As citizens, we participate in the social, economic, and political life of the world and must take part in debates and decisions, if only through the right to vote in our country. As Christians, we are called to give an account of our faith in Jesus, the Son of God made flesh, by living his charity. We share in it through his Holy Spirit; as for the apostles at Pentecost, he is for us a fire that burns our hearts with the very love of God and allows us to spread it around us.

 Jesus, model and support of the mission of service

Jesus lived the human condition to the point of learning the carpenter's trade from Joseph, his adoptive father. He was called "the carpenter" (Mk 6:3), a name that indicates that he was, like Joseph, recognized for the quality of his work.

In his teaching, especially through parables, Jesus expresses his knowledge and appreciation of different professions. He tells us that welcoming the Kingdom of God is not only achieved in community and personal prayer, but also in social and professional life. And Jesus gives as a criterion for entry into the Kingdom, service to one's neighbor, beginning with the least: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me" (Mt 25:40).

 The Social Doctrine of the Church, a compass for today

In the 19th ^century , with the advent of industrialization, Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Rerum Novarum, did not hesitate to remind us that every worker is a person and that work is the expression of this identity. His successors continued to deepen the Church's social teaching in the face of the challenges of their time. Pope Leo XIV thus chose his name in memory of Leo XIII and made this clear from his earliest speeches by mentioning the challenges of artificial intelligence.

The Jubilee is an opportunity to examine the Church's social teaching through the writings of the Popes and the testimony of figures whose presence is not lacking in our diocese, such as Louise Nicolle and Bishop Guerry. If hope, the theme of the Jubilee, is a gift from God, it is experienced in faithfulness to our commitments in the world.

 * Archbishop of Cambrai, Ecclesiastical  Assistent UMEC-WUCT

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El Jubileo para afirmar 

la misión de servicio en el mundo

 

Por Vincent Dollmann*

 El cristiano, servidor en el corazón del mundo

Como ciudadanos, participamos en la vida social, económica y política del mundo y debemos participar en debates y decisiones, aunque solo sea mediante el derecho al voto en nuestro país. Como cristianos, estamos llamados a dar razón de nuestra fe en Jesús, el Hijo de Dios hecho carne, viviendo su caridad. Participamos de ella por medio de su Espíritu Santo; como para los apóstoles en Pentecostés, él es para nosotros un fuego que arde en nuestros corazones con el amor mismo de Dios y nos permite contagiarlo.

 Jesús, modelo y apoyo de la misión de servicio

Jesús vivió la condición humana hasta el punto de aprender el oficio de carpintero de José, su padre adoptivo. Fue llamado «el carpintero» (Mc 6,3), nombre que indica que, al igual que José, era reconocido por la calidad de su trabajo.

En su enseñanza, especialmente mediante parábolas, Jesús expresa su conocimiento y aprecio por las diferentes profesiones. Nos dice que acoger el Reino de Dios no solo se logra en la oración comunitaria y personal, sino también en la vida social y profesional. Y Jesús da como criterio para entrar en el Reino el servicio al prójimo, empezando por los más pequeños: «En verdad os digo que en cuanto lo hicisteis a uno de estos mis hermanos más pequeños, a mí me lo hicisteis» (Mt 25,40).

 La Doctrina Social de la Iglesia, una brújula para hoy

En el ^{siglo XIX} , con la llegada de la industrialización, el Papa León XIII, en su encíclica Rerum Novarum, no dudó en recordarnos que todo trabajador es una persona y que el trabajo es la expresión de esta identidad. Sus sucesores continuaron profundizando en la doctrina social de la Iglesia ante los desafíos de su tiempo. Así, el Papa León XIV eligió su nombre en memoria de León XIII y lo dejó claro desde sus primeros discursos al mencionar los desafíos de la inteligencia artificial.

El Jubileo es una oportunidad para examinar la doctrina social de la Iglesia a través de los escritos de los Papas y el testimonio de figuras clave en nuestra diócesis, como Louise Nicolle y el obispo Guerry. Si la esperanza, tema del Jubileo, es un don de Dios, se vive en la fidelidad a nuestros compromisos en el mundo.

 * Arzobispo de Cambrai, Asistente Eclesiastico UMEC-WUCT

 

PILGRIMS, NOT PREDATORS

 Pope Leo at Pentecost Vigil: God intends all to live as one

Pope Leo leads a Pentecost Vigil prayer service for pilgrims taking part in the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations, and new Communities.

 

By Christopher Wells

 Some 70,000 pilgrims from more than 100 countries took part in the Vigil of Pentecost in Saint Peter’s Square Saturday evening, as part of the festivities for the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations, and New Communities.

After a “pre-Vigil” consisting of prayer, song, and witness testimonies, the jubilant crowd of pilgrims was joined by Pope Leo, who led a Liturgy of the Word focused on the unity that is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

“St Peter’s Square, with its wide-open and welcoming embrace, magnificently expresses the communion of the Church,” which is experienced in the various groups present, Pope Leo said his homily.

 Synodality unites us to all

The Holy Father went on to highlight the concept of synodality, rooted in the communion of the three Persons of the Trinity and as “God-with-us”; and pointing to the future. Where the Spirit is, the Pope said, “there is movement, a journey to be made.”

Pope Leo explained that this journey unites us to all of humanity, with the Holy Spirit teaching us to walk in unity, in contrast to the violence and division that marks our world. “The earth will rest, justice will prevail, the poor will rejoice and peace will return,” he said, once we no longer act as predators, but as pilgrims; no longer each of us for ourselves, but walking alongside one another.”

“God created the world so that we might all live as one,” the Pope continued, explaining that ‘Synodality’ is the term the Church uses to describe this unity.

 ‘Evangelization is always God's work’

Finally, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the work of evangelization, which does not mean trying to take over the world but refers instead to “the infinite grace that radiates from lives transformed by the Kingdom of God.”

Evangelization, then, can be understood as the way of the Beatitudes, the path chosen by Jesus. To follow that Path, Pope Leo said, “we have no need of powerful patrons, worldly compromises, or emotional strategies. Evangelization is always God’s work.”

The Holy Father encouraged members of ecclesial movements to be attached to their particular Churches and their local parish communities. “Together with the bishops and in cooperation with all the other members of the Body of Christ, all of us will then work together harmoniously as one,” he said; and then, “the challenges facing humanity will be less frightening, the future will be less dark, and discernment will be less complicated… if together we obey the Holy Spirit.”

SPEEK OF POPE LEO

 Vatican News

 

THE JUBILEE OF THE EDUCATIONAL WORLD

 

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UMEC-WUCT

IN PREPARAZIONE AL GIUBILEO DEL MONDO EDUCATIVO

 

Una settimana intensa di lavoro, a Roma, in preparazione del Giubileo per il mondo educativo che si svolgerà dal 31 ottobre al 2 novembre.

Si è definita la bozza di un intenso programma di attività (già discusso dal Comitato Esecutivo dell’UMEC-WUCT nell’incontro di febbraio a Cambrai). Si sono contattati molti relatori, si è interagito con varie istituzioni. Ogni giorno si sono percorsi vari chilometri a piedi (una media di sei km al giorno). Si sono scritte e inviate varie lettere per cercare benefattori disposti ad aiutare l’Unione a ridurre i notevoli costi dell’evento e a sostenere gli educatori provenienti da realtà disagiate. È stato un lavoro complesso, svolto con impegno e competenza, anche grazie alla operosa e instancabile presenza, in particolare, del presidente. La calorosa e tradizionale ospitalità dell’AIMC ha favorito - come sempre- il lavoro dell’Unione.

Il lavoro deve essere portato a termine nel più breve tempo possibile. Infatti, per organizzare adeguatamente l’evento, l’ospitalità, le varie attività è necessario conoscere il numero dei partecipanti e ricevere tutte le altre informazioni richieste in questo anno …. Nei prossimi giorni pubblicheremo nel blog https://wuct-umec.blogspot.com e nel sito https://www.umec-wuct.org/ il programma (che è in via di definizione). Naturalmente, occorre un generoso, costante e vivace impegno da parte di tutti.

Due giornate sono state dedicate all’incontro dei responsabili internazionali delle associazioni riconosciute dalla Santa Sede, con relazioni tenute dal Prefetto del Dicastero per i Laici-Famiglia-Vita e da vari esperti, e lavori di gruppo. È stata l’occasione per interagire con varie e interessanti realtà, oltre che per riflettere sul ruolo delle associazioni e dei movimenti e delle sfide odierne e future. Il tema dell’incontro è stato “La speranza vissuta e annunciata: il dono del Giubileo per le aggregazioni ecclesiali”.

Il Santo Padre ha voluto incontrare i partecipanti all’incontro, manifestando apprezzamento per il lavoro svolto dalle associazioni e dai movimenti, ha rivolto loro un discorso, che un’ottima occasione per la riflessione per tutti coloro che in vario modo fanno parte delle associazioni e dei movimenti. Papa Leone ha benedetto non solo i presenti all’udienza, ma tutti coloro che vivono con impegno nelle realtà associative.

DISCORSODEL SANTO PADRE LEONE XIV AI MODERATORI DELLE ASSOCIAZIONI DI FEDELI, DEIMOVIMENTI ECCLESIALI E DELLE NUOVE COMUNITÀ

A scanso di equivoci, l’incontro era strettamente riservato agli invitati dal Dicastero.

 

 

AT WORK FOR THE JUBILEE OF THE EDUCATIONAL WORLD

 

An intense week of work, in Rome, in preparation for the Jubilee for the educational world that will take place from October 31st to November 2nd.

A draft of an intense program of activities was defined (already discussed by the Executive Committee of UMEC-WUCT at the February meeting in Cambrai). Many speakers were contacted, and various institutions were interacted with. Several kilometers were walked every day (an average of six km per day). Various letters were written and sent to seek benefactors willing to help the Union reduce the considerable costs of the event and support educators from disadvantaged backgrounds. It was a complex job, carried out with commitment and competence, also thanks to the industrious and tireless presence, in particular, of the president. The warm and traditional hospitality of the AIMC favored - as always - the work of the Union.

The work must be completed in the shortest possible time. In fact, to properly organize the event, the hospitality, the various activities it is necessary to know the number of participants and receive all the other information requested in this year .... In the next few days we will publish the program (which is being defined) on the blog https://wuct-umec.blogspot.com and on the website https://www.umec-wuct.org/ . Naturally, a generous, constant and lively commitment from everyone is needed.

Two days were dedicated to the meeting of the international leaders of the associations recognized by the Holy See, with reports given by the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity-Family-Life and by various experts, and group work. It was an opportunity to interact with various and interesting realities, as well as to reflect on the role of associations and movements and the challenges of today and the future. The theme of the meeting was “ Hope lived and announced: the gift of the Jubilee for ecclesial aggregations ” .

The Holy Father wanted to meet the participants of the meeting, expressing appreciation for the work done by the associations and movements, he addressed them with a speech, which is an excellent opportunity for reflection for all those who in various ways are part of the associations and movements. Pope Leo blessed not only those present at the audience, but all those who live with commitment in the associative realities.

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV TO THE MODERATORSOF THE ASSOCIATIONS OF THE FAITHFUL, OF THE ECCLESIAL MOVEMENTS AND OF THE NEWCOMMUNITIES

To avoid any misunderstanding, the meeting was  strictly reserved for those invited by the Dicastery.

  

AU TRAVAIL POUR LE JUBILÉ DU MONDE ÉDUCATIF

 

Une semaine de travail intense, à Rome, en préparation du Jubilé du monde éducatif qui se tiendra du 31 octobre au 2 novembre.

Un programme d'activités dense a été défini (déjà discuté par le Comité exécutif de l'UMEC-WUCT lors de la réunion de février à Cambrai). De nombreux intervenants ont été contactés et diverses institutions ont été contactées. Chaque jour, plusieurs kilomètres ont été parcourus à pied (en moyenne six kilomètres par jour). Divers courriers ont été rédigés et envoyés afin de rechercher des donateurs disposés à aider l'Union à réduire les coûts considérables de l'événement et à soutenir les enseignants issus de milieux défavorisés. Ce fut un travail complexe, mené avec engagement et compétence, notamment grâce à la présence active et infatigable du président. L'hospitalité chaleureuse et traditionnelle de l'AIMC a favorisé, comme toujours, le travail de l'Union.

Les travaux devaient être menés à bien dans les meilleurs délais. En effet, pour organiser correctement l'événement, l'accueil et les différentes activités, il est nécessaire de connaître le nombre de participants et de recevoir toutes les autres informations demandées cette année. Dans les prochains jours, nous publierons le programme (en cours de définition) sur le blog https://wuct-umec.blogspot.com et sur le site web https://www.umec-wuct.org/. Bien entendu, un engagement généreux, constant et dynamique de la part de chacun est nécessaire.

Deux jours ont été consacrés à la rencontre des responsables internationaux des associations reconnues par le Saint-Siège, avec des rapports du Préfet du Dicastère pour les Laïcs-Famille-Vie et de divers experts, ainsi qu'à des travaux de groupe. Ce fut l'occasion d'interagir avec des réalités diverses et intéressantes, et de réfléchir au rôle des associations et des mouvements, ainsi qu'aux défis d'aujourd'hui et de demain. Le thème de la rencontre était « L'espérance vécue et annoncée : le don du Jubilé pour les agrégations ecclésiales ». Le Saint-Père a souhaité rencontrer les participants à la rencontre, exprimant sa reconnaissance pour le travail accompli par les associations et les mouvements, et s'est adressé à eux dans un discours qui a constitué une excellente occasion de réflexion pour tous ceux qui, à divers titres, participent à ces associations et mouvements. Le pape Léon XIII a béni non seulement les personnes présentes à l'audience, mais aussi tous ceux qui vivent avec engagement dans le monde associatif.

DISCOURS DU SAINT-PÈRE LÉON XIV AUXMODÉRATEURS DES ASSOCIATIONS DE FIDÈLES, DES MOUVEMENTS ECCLÉSIAUX ET DESCOMMUNAUTÉS NOUVELLES

 Afin d'éviter tout malentendu, la rencontre était strictement réservée aux personnes invitées par le Dicastère

 ***************************************************************

  

EN EL TRABAJO PARA EL JUBILEO DEL MUNDO DE LA EDUCACIÓN

 Una intensa semana de trabajo en Roma, en preparación para el Jubileo del mundo de la educación, que tendrá lugar del 31 de octubre al 2 de noviembre.

Se definió el borrador de un intenso programa de actividades (ya debatido por el Comité Ejecutivo de la UMEC-WUCT en la reunión de febrero en Cambrai). Se contactó a numerosos ponentes y se interactuó con diversas instituciones. Diariamente se recorrieron varios kilómetros a pie (un promedio de seis km por día). Se escribieron y enviaron diversas cartas para buscar benefactores dispuestos a ayudar a la Unión a reducir los considerables costes del evento y a apoyar a los educadores de entornos desfavorecidos. Fue una labor compleja, realizada con compromiso y competencia, gracias también a la presencia diligente e incansable, en particular, del presidente. La cálida y tradicional hospitalidad de la AIMC favoreció, como siempre, la labor de la Unión.

El trabajo debe completarse lo antes posible. De hecho, para organizar adecuadamente el evento, la hospitalidad y las diversas actividades, es necesario conocer el número de participantes y recibir toda la información solicitada este año. En los próximos días publicaremos el programa (que se está definiendo) en el blog https://wuct-umec.blogspot.com y en la página web https://www.umec-wuct.org/. Naturalmente, se requiere un compromiso generoso, constante y dinámico por parte de todos.

Dos días se dedicaron a la reunión de los líderes internacionales de las asociaciones reconocidas por la Santa Sede, con informes del Prefecto del Dicasterio para los Laicos, la Familia y la Vida y de diversos expertos, y trabajo en grupo. Fue una oportunidad para interactuar con diversas e interesantes realidades, así como para reflexionar sobre el papel de las asociaciones y los movimientos y los desafíos actuales y futuros. El tema del encuentro fue «La esperanza vivida y anunciada: el don del Jubileo para las congregaciones eclesiales». El Santo Padre quiso reunirse con los participantes en la reunión, expresando su aprecio por la labor de las asociaciones y movimientos, y les dirigió un discurso, que constituyó una excelente oportunidad de reflexión para quienes, de diversas maneras, forman parte de ellas. El Papa León bendijo no solo a los presentes en la audiencia, sino también a todos aquellos que viven con compromiso en el mundo asociativo.

DISCURSO DEL SANTO PADRE LEÓN XIV

A LOS MODERADORES DE LAS ASOCIACIONES DE FIELES,

DE LOS MOVIMIENTOS ECLESIALES Y DE LAS NUEVAS COMUNIDADES

 Para evitar cualquier malentendido, la reunión estuvo reservada exclusivamente a los invitados por el Dicasterio

DYING IN GAZA

Humanitarian crisis 

in Gaza 

is becoming 

another chapter 

of human shame 

in the global 

history  books

This week the United Nations issued one of its most urgent warnings yet about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In what most are describing as “the cruellest phase” of this bitter and grinding war of attrition, some 9,000 truckloads of vital aid currently remain stuck at the border, whilst the entire population of Gaza – around 1.2 million people – are now at material risk of famine. It is also believed that some 14,000 babies are at risk of death because their starving mothers cannot breastfeed them, and vital flour supplies to make bread are on the point of running out. Evacuation orders have already been issued for the few remaining areas of Gaza not already obliterated by missile fire, and most people are now living out on the streets.

Whilst the present unfolding horror has been created by Israel’s decision to annihilate the Gazan population after the Hamas attacks of 7th October, 2023, there was already a preexisting fragility to the Gaza strip that had everyone warning that harsh military action would lead quickly to a humanitarian crisis. At the time of the October attack it was estimated that more than 60% of Gaza’s population was already dangerously food insecure, and onerous food blockades had already become a fact of life. Way back in 2006, when asked about Israel’s systematic and sustained blocking of essential food supplies into Gaza, Israeli government adviser Dov Weisglass was widely quoted as having said: “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.”

Since Israel retaliated in October 2023, the systematic and relentless destruction of homes, food factories, bakeries, grocery stores and the general infrastructure that would have allowed people to feed themselves has done exactly that – Medecins Sans Frontiers has estimated that 53,000 Palestinians have died and some 120,000 have been seriously injured in the conflict. At a strategic and self-sufficiency level food sovereignty is now entirely in the hands of the Israelis – even Gazan fishermen have been shot regularly by Israeli gunboats when they’ve stayed into unauthorised waters where the fish swim most readily; most Gazan livestock has been killed, agricultural land has been rendered unusable by the war and less than one third of agricultural wells are functional.

The rest of the world has been fully aware of this genocide for a long time now, but has been largely happy to allow the Israelis to press on, because of a toxic combination of the need to support a powerful ally, and a dark subscript of wanting a terrorist organisation and its supporting culture removed. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pointed out just this week, he is only now being pressured into easing the total blockade because Israel’s allies cannot tolerate “images of mass famine.”

From the moment the first shot was fired on 7^th October as some 6,000 heavily-armed Gazans poured across the Gaza-Israel border intent on killing as many people as possible, the Israeli government has committed itself to nothing short of the annihilation of the Palestinian population. It sees this as the only sure mechanism for putting an end to years of terrorism and random brutal attacks on its population, with an additional benefit that the plantation of the much-contested Gaza strip will bring this valuable territory back under Israeli control. For Israel, decades of dialogue and negotiation have proven fruitless and have done nothing to slow the killings on both side; for much of the outside world the Gaza conflict seemed until recently just like another civil war, thankfully taking place in someone else’s back yard.

We may never know quite what Hamas had in mind when it launched its suicidal assault on its far more powerful and ruthless neighbour, but the depraved depths of the atrocities committed were only ever going to extract one response.

Ironically, whilst the world becomes increasingly frantic in its condemnations of what’s going on in Gaza right now, it’s a pitiful reality that this is actually the consequence of most wars – landscapes get devastated, cities get turned to dust and populations tend to starve in the streets. This is ever the price we all have to pay for our human failure to talk, and to reach peaceful compromises over our differences.

The blockading of vital food supplies into Gaza has been the focus of humanitarian concerns this week, especially when the aid has been given willingly and sits trapped at the Gazan border. The use of starvation as a weapon of war is strictly forbidden under the Geneva conventions and starvation has been condemned by U.N. Resolution 2417 – which calls on all parties involved in conflict to allow food and basic necessities to flow freely into its civilian populations. Such aspirations are fine words penned in far flung auditoriums, but the reality of war is the defeat of an opponent is not going to be prosecuted by giving them sustained access to essential supplies, and who can determine in a war zone who is a protected civilian and who is a dangerous combatant?

To listen to the outpouring and public protests, you’d be forgiven for concluding that our present populations have no memories of the actual realities of war and – apart from the fading memoirs of a few surviving combat veterans – they haven’t.

One of the main reasons that we have global resolutions condemning food starvation as a weapon of war is precisely that it was the most common consequence of conflict – and ameliorating starvation is invariably the first priority of the aftermath of war.

From the shame of the Irish Famine to the heroics of the Berlin airlift, food – and particularly food deprivation – is an intrinsic weapon of conflict that has always been used to manipulate or destroy populations. As far back as the 5th century BC, the great Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu described food as being weaponised in war in his epic book The Art of War. Today it is estimated by UNICEF that between 691 and 783 million people are experiencing food insecurity, with 85% of them living in armed conflict landscapes.

As military strategists know only too well, food starvation not only impacts the individually hungry, but tears apart populations and infrastructures to devastating effect, with the most vulnerable sectors of society suffering the worst. What may shock many is that this particular war crime is often the subject of open and quite candid discussion, and not just in war time. For free market capitalist economies, the production and control of food sources is one of the primary tools of manipulation and population control, whether in war or peace time. It’s the concept that food as an entitlement (relating to wealth) that weaponises it; but it’s another kind of concept of the entitlement to food (human justice) that ought to concern us more.

Coming from Argentina, a country concerned mainly with livestock farming, Pope Francis knew a thing or two about food as a means of liberation, and also as a weapon of oppression. He quite often linked the two contradictions – for instance, during his first visit to the World Food Program in 2016 he noted wryly that it’s a “strange paradox” that food often cannot get through to those suffering due to war, but weapons can.

“As a result, wars are fed, not persons. In some cases hunger itself is used as a weapon of war,” he said.

Again in June 2016 during his regular weekly audience in St Peter’s Square, Francis said that the Russian blockade of grain exports from Ukraine, which millions of people depend on, especially in the poorest countries, “is causing grave concern.”

“Please, one does not use grain, a basic food, as a weapon in war,” he pleaded.

This was theme also picked up by our new pontiff, LEO XIV, on Wednesday at his first General Audience. Leo said: “I renew my appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities whose heartbreaking price is paid by the children, elderly, and the sick.”

The Lead Bishop for the Holy Land for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales, Bishop Jim Curry, also followed Leo’s lead and said of the Gaza situation in a statement released yesterday: “This is a humanitarian disaster. Desperately needed aid supplies must be allowed into Gaza to be urgently distributed to civilians. The human cost is intolerably high with tens of thousands of weary, regularly displaced people threatened with starvation. We need an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering.”

Of course the tragic reality here is that there will be no ceasefire, and no end to the suffering of the people of Gaza, until Israel has satisfied itself that any future threat from Hamas or similar groups has been eliminated – and everyone knows that Israel is resolute that this can only be achieved by the complete and utter obliteration of the entire population of the region. To this end Israel seems happy to ignore not only international law and humanitarian pleas, but basic human, moral decency as well. Attempting to negotiate with this absolutist position might seem frankly futile, but if one looks back to the Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995, the Israelis did actually engage in peace negotiations with the Palestinians (and indeed other Arab countries) and significant progress was made. Peace might even have been possible had it not been the infiltration of the Palestinian government by Hamas, a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islamist political organisation with a military wing that many regard as effectively a terrorist organisation – and looking at the abhorrent attacks of 7^th October, who could say otherwise? Certainly, from the Israeli perspective, Hamas and the Palestinian people have become one single, destructive entity.

Closer to home, the seemingly intractable Troubles in Northern Ireland swirled around similar ambiguities and confusions about the relationship between extreme paramilitary organisations and a civilian population whose sympathies could never be established. It was only when the civilian population and the paramilitaries were finally separated that a path to peace could be seen. One has a hope that lessons learnt from the Good Friday Agreement might hold some hopes of a way forward in Gaza – after all, the justification for Israel’s actions is that in the fog of war it simply cannot distinguish between violent terrorists and starving children, and for this reason it can’t let food and essential supplies reach anyone. That said, one might have thought by now that the dreadful and distressing pictures coming out of Gaza would leave little doubt in anyone’s mind that we are not seeing beleaguered combatants begging for food, but desperate and dying civilians in need of urgent compassion and care.

*Joseph Kelly is a catholic writer and public theologian

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