杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

鈥淏y means of education, religions contribute to promoting the human person, and they aim to cooperate actively with international organizations to educate young people to a culture of peace and fraternity.鈥�  The Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education made the statement in a communique on Tuesday, at the end of the meeting of some 20 representatives of the world鈥檚 religions with 杏MAP导航 Francis in the Vatican, on the theme, 鈥淩eligions and Education: Towards a Global Compact on Education鈥�. 

The Congregation organized the meeting for October 5, World Teachers鈥� Day of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 鈥渢o actuate all necessary measures to put education and the human person at the centre of the international agenda鈥�.

The event was part of the Global Compact on Education, an initiative that 杏MAP导航 Francis originally launched on 12 September 2019.  Due to the pandemic, he launched it again on 15 October 2020. 

Appeal to governments

In his address to Tuesday鈥檚 gathering, 杏MAP导航 Francis stressed the special relationship that religious traditions have with education. He said that religions are called to add their voice to the movement for a new education that can redirect the world towards universal fraternity. In this regard, he urged everyone who cares about education to sign the pact.

鈥淥n this background,鈥� the Congregation said, 鈥渢he representatives of religions, who for the first time have met to discuss matters of education, direct an appeal to governments to rediscover the priority of education in their countries鈥� political agendas, by offering better support to educators and giving more consideration to all aspects of this category of professionals鈥�.

Educational Pact鈥檚 5 areas of action

The contributions and reflections of the meeting will help further research in the five areas of the Global Compact on Education: human dignity and rights; fraternity and cooperation; technology and holistic ecology; peace and citizenship; and culture and religions. These themes will be analyzed in subsequent events with the aim of actualizing the undertakings of the educational pact both locally and globally, in cooperation with a wide network of universities.

The Congregation for Catholic Education has noted a rising number of educational projects around the world since the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 initial launch of the project in 2019. 鈥淲e are all invited to place ourselves at the service of the common good, by promoting open and inclusive education鈥�, it said. 

Message to teachers

This has been made clear in the participants鈥� message to the teachers and educations on the occasion of World Teachers鈥� Day. They expressed gratitude to teachers and educators for their dedication and sacrifice in carrying out their 鈥渘oble mission of educating young people鈥�, and for encouraging them 鈥渢o continue on this path with hope鈥�, despite the challenges made acute by the pandemic.

Contribution of religions and youth

Stressing that the Global Compact on Education is not only an idea but also has practical implications, the Congregation said young people are already making an energetic contribution to it. Placing themselves in the frontline of the culture of dialogue and of a civilization of harmony, they are challenging the adults.

The Congregation noted that representatives of religions at the meeting have made suggestions and ideas about education arising out of their different experiences and traditions. 鈥淜nowing and appreciating each other鈥檚 plans for education is a way to consolidate contacts among the members of diverse confessions, with a view to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue鈥�, the Vatican Congregation said.