Education is an act of hope: Pope Francis' vision
"Education is always an act of hope." With this brief but meaningful phrase, Pope Francis summarized his profound conviction that education is an essential means of reducing injustice and building peace. For him, education is a concrete way of believing in the future, in people, and in the possibility of a better world. In a time marked by individualism, uncertainty, social inequalities, and a culture of rejection, the Pope proposes a fully human education.
In his particular and straightforward way of explaining things, he said that education should be directed toward "the heart, the mind, and the hands": the heart to educate students in compassion and to be moved by the suffering of others; the mind to delve into knowledge and wisdom; and the hands so that all this leads them to commit themselves and give themselves to others. His particular prescription for education includes what we now call "emotional education," not by focusing on oneself but rather by seeking out and engaging in dialogue with others, especially those who are weakest: "It is not an option to live indifferent to pain. We must descend from our serenity to be moved by human suffering. This is dignity," he tells Fratelli Tutti.
In his words: "Educating is investing and giving the best of oneself so that others may grow." It is an act of trust in the new generations, an invitation to engage in the present to sow the future. "Education is an act of hope" because it must invest in the dignity of the person and trust in the capacity of human beings to build a more just, supportive, and fraternal world. The phrase may seem like a pleasing expression, but he intended it to be a commitment in the constitution of the Global Compact for Education. Presented in 2019, this compact is a call to all sectors of society—families, as the primary responsible parties for education, schools, governments, young people, and the media—to join forces to rethink and renew education on a global scale. His vision was to create a global alliance. The Compact proposes putting the person at the center, listening to the new generations, promoting women as protagonists of education, empowering the family, fostering welcoming and inclusive education, rethinking the economy, and caring for our common home. As the Pope says: "It takes a whole village to educate one person."
As we read in many of his encyclicals, the Pope denounces the crises that seriously affect the social world. One of the most profound is individualism, which separates, isolates, and weakens the social fabric. He also criticizes the culture of rejection, which despises the most vulnerable and considers people who don't "produce" or adapt to the system's standards as expendable. These values, he affirms, have a direct impact on education.
For Christian schools, Pope Francis has left us not only a good testimony but also an encouraging challenge: we must educate for sharing, not for competition; for collaboration, not for standing out; for service, not for consumption. "We need an education that educates for service, for compassion, and for peace." He asks us to be Christian schools founded on the Gospel as a guide for life, not as an ideology. The Pope reminds us that "Christian education is above all a witness" and must be consistent with the values it proclaims: love, forgiveness, service, and hope. And above all, it must provide educational attention to the weakest. In a world wounded by division, violence, and isolation, the Pope proposes that Christian schools be "the seed of a culture of dialogue, fostering respect, encounter, and collaboration between peoples and traditions." "Only an education open to dialogue with others can form people capable of breaking down the barriers of confrontation and building bridges of peace."
One of the last tasks he leaves us is to educate in "the culture of care," transmitting values based on "the recognition of the dignity of every person, of every linguistic, ethnic, and religious community, of every people." The culture of care must become "a compass for forming people dedicated to patient listening, constructive dialogue, and mutual understanding."
Pope Francis's educational vision is a call to transform the world from its roots, starting with education. An education that doesn't indoctrinate, but liberates; that doesn't separate, but unites; that doesn't impose, but accompanies. An education that, as he himself says, "may be light in times of darkness and hope in times of uncertainty." His witness, joy, and determination will always remain with us.
