In September 2019, five years ago, Pope Francis invited us to build a Global Education Pactwith the aim of rekindling the commitment for and with the young generations, renewing the passion for a more open and inclusive education. This pact seeks to build an alliance between the school, the family and the best energies of society to promote the integral development of the person and the care of the Common Home.
In a video message, he invited representatives of the major religions, international organizations and the academic, economic, political and cultural world to sign this global pact for education. The initial event, scheduled for May 2020, was postponed due to the pandemic, but on October 15, 2020, the Pope relaunched the Pact from the Lateran University in Rome.
In his message, the Pope offered seven keys to carry the Pact forward:
- To place the person at the center of every educational process.
- Listening to the voice of children, adolescents and young people.
- Encourage the full participation of girls and young women in education.
- To have the family as the first and indispensable educator.
- Educate to welcome, opening ourselves to the most vulnerable.
- Commit ourselves to studying new ways of understanding the economy and politics.
- Safeguarding and cultivating our Common Home.
In response, the Superior General, Graciela Francovig, made an appeal to transmit and promote the Holy Father’s message on the Global Education Pact:
“In what way does this call of the Popechallenge us, who are called to evangelize people through education?”
(Graciela Francovig, letter number 11)
As part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation, we began the response to the sixth Call to apostolic action (topromote the union and articulation of educators) with an international meeting of Mother Candida’s educators. The confluence of this call with the Global Education Pact was undeniable. After this meeting, the Congregation publicly joined the Pact and the International Team of Educators continued to work to encourage us to deepen it.
A year later, the Team sent a letter to the management teams of Mother Candida’s schools to join in this commitment to build a more humane world. To date, 82% of these schools have joined the PEG, 82% of these schools have joined the PEG.
In April 2024 we will celebrate a new International Gathering of Educators to strengthen our global connection under the legacy of Mother Candida and the path marked out for us by Jesus. This meeting helped us to identify the Global Education Pact with the educational challenges facing our world (stage 2). Teresa Pinto FIinvited us to enter the 3rd stage: making alliances, which requires going out of the center itself to establish alliances with the environment:
The challenge, after learning about the Pact and analyzing how we can be more coherent with its seven principles, is for each Center to influence its surroundings, as when a drop of water falls on more water and forms a shock wave.
The road to a more just and equitable education is a long one and, five years after Pope Francis’ first message, we continue to take significant steps towards achieving it.
Those who have not yet joined the PEG are in time to learn about it and take it on board (Stage I).
Those who have assumed it and have not yet started a simple analysis of their activity and climate with respect to the objectives are at the right time to be encouraged by their capabilities and to face a “meaningful” and charismatic improvement (Stage II).
Those who have completed the previous Stages are at the moment of looking at the environment and seeking allies, in mutual help, to promote “the educational village” (Stage III).
