venerdì 23 ottobre 2026

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH


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ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY PASTORAL CARE


[ Multimedia ]

___________________________

That Catholic schools and universities 

should first and foremost be a "home "


I greet you with joy at the start of this Congress on Pastoral Care in Schools and Universities. I thank the Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the secretaries and officials , as well as those whose mission will be to foster reflection and deeper understanding; and I welcome with joy all of you who have come from many parts of the world. I congratulate you on the work you carry out within educational and academic institutions, in service of proclaiming the Gospel and upholding the dignity of the human person.

It is essential that pastoral care in schools and universities respond to the desires that reside within each of us and guide us together on a human and Christian journey. Those to whom you minister are distinguished by the enthusiasm, generosity, and spirit of service so characteristic of young people. Yet, so many students also experience existential unease: broken families, digital isolation, a feeling of not belonging, or fear in the face of a seemingly uncertain future. Many wander the halls of our schools and universities, perhaps feeling anonymous. Above all, it is important that Catholic schools and universities be a "home ," a familiar place where one is expected. The first announcement often comes through the way one is welcomed: someone who looks you in the eye, remembers your name, notices your absence, and rejoices at your return.

In a welcoming environment, students can express their deep desire to understand, to make sense of reality. This touches on the very vocation of schools and universities: the shared pursuit of truth. I therefore encourage you to stimulate the intellect of young people, to value their questions. May your passion—especially for those of you who work within Catholic institutions—be to help young people experience the beauty of encountering Christ, and the fruitfulness of the synergy between faith and reason, between the knowledge of faith and other forms of knowledge.

Pastoral care in schools and universities is called to accompany the slow germination of thought, to teach how to discern well and to search with perseverance. Educational processes “ need time for growth, a confrontation with reality beyond appearances, and a patient journey .” We must “protect our young people […] from that subtle seduction which makes human thought seem useless precisely when it is most needed” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas , no. 140).

Today, many young people are paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes, of not being good enough, of being misunderstood, of not meeting expectations. We live in a performance-driven culture that constantly compares and ranks, sometimes ruthlessly. A poorly understood meritocracy ultimately fails to respect people. This is why many young people give up before they've even tried.

Help the young people you meet to become agents of a new way of inhabiting the world, builders of fraternity and a more just society. Courage is born from a pact of trust: from the experience of someone who believes in you even before you believe in yourself. Jesus did not choose the Twelve because they were courageous; he called them and, through his trust, he empowered them. To our young people, we must be able to repeat the words the disciples addressed to the blind man Bartimaeus: “Take heart ! Get up, he is calling you! ” (Mark 10:49).

Beneath the protective shell many teenagers build to avoid suffering lies the desire to love and be loved. Pastoral care in schools and universities will be all the more fruitful if it focuses on the education of the heart. Educating the heart in compassion, gratitude, and the capacity to be moved by the suffering of others; educating it in praise and the desire for God. Serving the poor, volunteering, and caring for Creation are not secondary activities, but rather places where the heart learns to expand. Let us not forget : charity and prayer are inseparable.

Dear brothers and sisters, false teachers and misleading messages promise quick answers to young people's questions. You, on the other hand, have chosen to do something greater : to walk with them on the road until they discover the gifts God has already placed within them. Like the Risen Lord with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who draws near, walks with them, listens, explains, sets their hearts ablaze, and finally reveals himself in the breaking of the bread (cf. Lk 24:13-35). May his Holy Spirit always enlighten and sustain your ministry. May Mary, Most Holy, Seat of Wisdom, accompany you, with my blessing. Thank you.

__________________________

ES

 

Que las escuelas y universidades católicas se están acercando a una "maison "

 

DISCURSOS DEL PAPEL LEÓN

[ Multimedia ]

___________________________

Saludo con alegría en esta conferencia inaugural sobre la escuela pastoral y la universidad. Agradezco a los docentes del Departamento de Cultura y Educación, a las secretarías y funcionarios , así como la misión de fomentar la reflexión y el análisis profundo; y los acojo con alegría a todos, venus de muchas regiones del mundo. Me alegro por el trabajo que realizarán en las instituciones educativas y académicas, al servicio del reconocimiento del bien y la dignidad de la persona.

Es esencial que el ministerio escolar y universitario sepa responder al deseo de que cada una de nuestras puertas y las nuestras nos hagan estacionar junto a nuestros amigos, seres queridos y seres queridos. Los destinatarios de su ministerio se distinguen por su entusiasmo, generosidad y espíritu de servicio, características de los jóvenes. Sin embargo, ¡tantos estudiantes también experimentan situaciones existenciales malsanas ! Familias benditas, soledad numérica, la sensación de no saber nunca adónde ir o saber qué hacer con un futuro aquí que parece incierto. Muchos estacionaron los pasillos de nuestros établissements et des universités, se sintant peut-être anonymes. La importancia ante todo es que las escuelas y universidades católicas son una "casa ", un lugar familiar que espera el honor. El estreno anuncia el paso del tiempo por la manera de guardar: aquí miras tus ojos, aquí te recuerdan tu nombre, aquí señalas tu ausencia, aquí te alegras por tu regreso.

En un entorno propicio, el estudiante puede expresar un profundo deseo de comprender, de experimentar la realidad. En el contacto con la realidad reside la vocación propia de las escuelas y universidades: la búsqueda común de la verdad. Los animo a estimular la inteligencia de los jóvenes y a valorar sus preguntas. Que su pasión —en particular por lo que desean que sea parte de los centros católicos— sea cómo pueden experimentar para los jóvenes la belleza del encuentro con Cristo y la fecundidad de las sinergias entre ustedes y su alma, en el seno del conocimiento de la mujer y otras formas de saber.

La escuela y la universidad pastoral están llamadas a acompañar la lenta germinación del pensamiento, a enseñar el comentario bien discernidor y buscador con persévérance. Les Processes éducatifs «ont besoin de times de croissance, d’une confrontation avec la réalité au-delà des apparences et d’un cheminementpatient » . Debemos «proteger a nuestros jóvenes [...] de esta sutil seducción que hace inútil pensar en la humanidad précisément en el momento en que es más necesario» (Carta encíclica magnífica humana , n. 140).

Hola, algunos jóvenes están tan paralizados por el miedo a ser demasiado populares, a no ser arrogantes, a ser incomprendidos, a no poder responder suficientemente a tu atención. Vivimos en una cultura del rendimiento que parece y sigue siendo clasificada de una manera a veces impitoyable. Una meritocrática incomprensible finita por no respetar a la gente. Hay muchos jóvenes dispuestos a abandonarse ante la misma prueba.

Ayuda a los jóvenes que quieren conocer a los actores de una nueva forma de vivir en el mundo, de los defensores de la fraternidad y de una sociedad más justa. Le coraje nace de un pacto de confianza: de la experiencia de una persona que croit en vous avant même que vous ne croyiez en vous-mêmes. Jésus n'a pas choisi les Douze parce qu'ils étaient Courageux; los appelés et, par sa confiance, los a renduscapaces. A nuestros jóvenes debemos saber repetir las palabras que los discípulos dirigieron al viejo Bartimée: «¡Ánimo ! ¡Lève-toi, il t'appelle! » (Mc 10, 49).

Bajo la coraza que muchos adolescentes construyen para evitar el sufrimiento, se esconde el deseo de querer y querer más. Una escuela pastoral y una velada universitaria de la persona más fructífera que se concentrará en la educación del corazón. Educa tu corazón en la compasión, en la gratitud, en la capacidad de conmoverse fácilmente ante el sufrimiento ajeno; l'éduquer à la louange et au désir de Dieu. El servicio a los pobres, las bendiciones, los susurros de la Creación no son pas des activities annexes, sino de las mentiras donde el corazón aprende a expandirse. Ne l'oublions pas: charité et prière sont indissociables.

Hermanos y hermanas Chers, falsos maîtres y trompeurs de mensajes que prometen responder rápidamente a las preguntas de los jóvenes. Tú, en cambio, has elegido hacer lo mejor que elegiste: caminar con dos en la ruta, justo lo que quieres saber sobre los regalos que Dieu le ha dejado al otro. À l'instar du Ressuscité avec les discípuls d'Emmaüs, qui s'approche, fait route avec eux, écoute, explique, fait brûler leur cœur et, finalmente, se laisse reconnaître à la fracción del dolor (cf. Lc 24, 13-35). ¿Quién es Esprit Saint éclaire et soutienne toujours votre service? Que Marie très sainte, Siège de la Sagesse, vous accompagne, avec ma bénédiction. Merci.

__________________________

El observador romano

 

venerdì 16 ottobre 2026

FOOD AND HUMAN RIGHT

 


Pope to FAO: 

'Access to food

 is a basic 

human right'


In his message to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization for World Food Day 2026, Pope Leo XIV calls for food to be recognized as 'a basic human right,' insists that bread must never be used as 'a weapon of war,' and urges the international community to show the 'moral audacity' needed to combat hunger.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Regular access to safe, adequate and sufficient food, in keeping with the dignity of every person, is a basic human right. Guaranteeing this right is an obligation of justice that binds both individual States and the international community."

Pope Leo XIV offered this reminder in the message he sent to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the occasion of this year's World Food Day, which takes place on October 16.

The Holy Father's message was read on Friday at a commemoration event by Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the FAO.

In the message addressed to FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, the Pope recalled that the theme for this year's Day is "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow" and thanked the organization for their efforts internationally.

Intolerable that water be considered 'a contested commodity' and bread 'a privilege'

Pope Leo stressed that despite technological advancement being greater than ever before, "it is intolerable that bread should be considered a privilege and water a contested commodity."

In his letter, the Holy Father argued "that hunger cannot be considered a statistical anomaly, as it is caused mainly by a lack of political will and collective charity," and criticized the notion that food shortages are geographically unavoidable.

He observed that while innovations accelerate production, distribution is being neglected.

"Grain markets," he lamented, "are being optimized on stock exchanges, while the actual seeds that germinate in the soil fall into the hands of monopolies that suffocate small-scale farming."

Bread should not be an instrument of geopolitical pressure or war

The Holy Father explained that ensuring tomorrow's nutritional needs are met "requires freeing food production from a purely speculative mentality."

"Bread," the Pope stressed, "should be neither an instrument of geopolitical pressure nor a volatile financial asset. Nor must it ever be used as a weapon of war."

"Indeed," he continued, "it is a terrible offense against human dignity to prevent bread from reaching any person or to destroy the means by which it is produced."

He said that bread is precious because it sustains the life that God has given us and that, therefore, we must overcome the temptation of short-term thinking.

Reaching a breaking point

The Holy Father went on to observe that "the myth that growth can be endless when resources are limited" has reached a "breaking point."

Today, the Pope suggested, innovation requires adopting an intergenerational sense of responsibility that looks beyond annual budgets.

Innovation, he continued, "means reconciling technology with wisdom, including ancestral wisdom, while maintaining a vision for the future."

"It is not a matter of rejecting technological advances," Pope Leo said, "but rather of integrating them with the wisdom of farmers who have deepened their understanding of the soil and the climate through centuries of conscientious observation."

He said this also involves protecting water as an inalienable common good.

Encouraging the FAO to continue contributing to the universal common good

In the text, the Pope encouraged the Food and Agriculture Organization and its member States "not to settle for abstract analyses or declarations of limited effectiveness."

"Now is the time for moral audacity," he said, stressing that "a new global food order is essential — one in which technological innovation is unconditionally subordinated to respect for God-given human dignity and the universal common good."

Furthermore, the Pope said there is "an urgent ethical imperative to redirect resources invested in the war industry towards sustainable agricultural research and the regeneration of degraded soils."

Courage to resist unethical innovation

Tomorrow, the Holy Father said, is "not an abstract span of time that awaits us passively"; rather, he insisted, "it is the harvest of what we sow today through our decisions."

"If we sow unethical innovation based on a desire to dominate the earth and exclude the weak," he said, "we will reap barrenness and strife."

"If, on the other hand," he observed, "innovation stems from respect for the natural order and justice for the hungry, tomorrow will bring a table spread wide for the nourishment of humanity."

Vatican News

 

domenica 4 ottobre 2026

LE PAPE A L'UNESCO


 LA PRESENCE DU

 PAPE LEON XIV

 A L’UNESCO


POUR L’EDUCATION, LE DIALOGUE

 ET LA PAIX

L’Union Mondiale des Enseignants Catholiques (UMEC/WUCT) par son représentant auprès de l’UNESCO a été bien concernée par le message du Pape Léon XIV au cœur de l’UNESCO à Paris le 25 septembre 2026. L’UMEC fait partie du Centre Catholique International pour la Coopération avec l’UNESCO pour une voix chrétienne au sein de cette grand institution mondiale.

L’UMEC/WUCT par sa mission, elle est au service des associations nationales d'enseignants catholiques et d'enseignants travaillant dans des écoles et des universités catholiques et publiques, en coordonnant leurs activités d'étude et de recherche visant à témoigner des valeurs de l’Évangile.

La visite du Pape Léon XIV encourage l’UMEC/WUCT dans ses actions qui visent à rejoindre tous les éducateurs où qu’ils soient en étant des témoins dans la terre numérique en visant l’éducation qui permet d’être des acteurs de communion et d’unité.

Comme membres de l’UMEC/WUCT, nous nous engageons à suivre les indications exprimées par le Pape Léon XIV et du directeur générale de l’UNESCO monsieur Khaled El-Enany:

- Construire les passerelles entre les humains, entre les nations, l’importance du dialogue et du rapprochement entre les peuples et les cultures ; agir pour le bien commun.

- L’éducation commence dès la naissance, nous sommes nés nus et pauvres, nous avons besoin de tout, oublier notre histoire de naissance, c’est oublier celle de notre vie.

- L’éducation et la culture doivent prendre soin de l’être humain, la paix est authentique quand elle sort de la vertu de la justice, la paix nous amène à reconnaître l’autre qui est en face de moi,

- La technologie doit être au service de l’homme et non pour la domination… »

- Prendre soin de ceux qui sont improductifs

L’UMEC/WUCT avec cette visite du Pape Léon XIV ouvre des pistes d’organiser des rencontres au niveau des régions pour des formations des enseignants afin qu’ils demeurent des missionnaires de l’espérance dans les écoles et universités. Ainsi l’appel est lancé de construire la paix avec les autres dans un esprit de confiance par l’éducation en tenant compte de la terre numérique pour que la dignité de la personne soit respectée.

Nous adressons notre gratitude à l’Observateur Permanent du Vatican à l’UNESCO, Mgr Roberto Campisi qui nous a permis de vivre cette rencontre avec le Pape Léon XIV dans un esprit de fraternité et à madame Isabelle Chaperon, pour le suivi de la participation comme membre du CCIC. Nous tenons à remercier notre Président Jan De Groof avec son comité pour l’accompagnement dans cette présence à l’UNESCO.

Etant une organisation pour les enseignants catholiques, éduquons en transmettant les valeurs évangéliques pour la construction de la paix qui vient d’une démarche de l’intérieur et en collaborant avec le directeur générale monsieur Khaled El-Enany qui nous rappelle en ces termes : « Une UNESCO pour les peuples. »

KITUNGWA KABUGE Albert, SDB

Représentant de l’UMEC/WUCT auprès de l’UNESCO