The Vatican is asking Catholic schools and universities to take the lead in pioneering education networks which value both individual identity and talent and help students see how their own gifts can contribute to the common good.
Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, released a key document at a press conference in the Vatican last Friday.
Entitled “Educating to Fraternal Humanism”, the document stresses “how urgent and necessary it is to humanise education, favouring a culture of networking and dialogue between educational institutions.”
Versaldi says the new document contains the guidelines for this education and describes “the need to look after the good of others as if it were one’s own” as “a clear priority for the political agenda of our civil systems”.
The document will be distributed to all 216,000 catholic schools and universities around the world.
Catholic schools are well-equipped to help foster this attitude by educating students with Christian values, Versaldi says.
He went on to say solidarity and brotherhood can be promoted by Catholic schools and universities “through a formative experience capable of integrating science and conscience.”
Because they know Christ’s offer of salvation is open to all people, Catholic schools should be agents for “globalising hope,” educating young people to promote solidarity, brotherhood and care for the environment.
Besides helping students find and share their talents, the document also aims to promote a culture of dialogue.
In this each person would be free to express his or her identity and thoughts while respecting the rights of others to do the same.
Versaldi says the Catholic schools’ combined student population exceeds 60 million, with pupils from every faith and ethnic group.
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