Pope Leo XIV to Address Educators

Pope Leo XIV urged those in Catholic school and university pastoral ministry to help young people encounter Christ despite a culture that constantly compares and ranks them. Addressing participants at the International Congress on School and University Pastoral Ministry on October 22, the pope said educators should respond to this environment with the trust Christ showed the apostles.

The congress, organized by the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, brought together 1,200 participants from 60 countries. The gathering was inspired by the pope's first apostolic letter, Charting New Maps of Hope. In that document, the pope proposed an educational model based on three pillars: cultivating interiority, promoting the humane and rational use of digital technologies, and educating for peace.

The pope encouraged educators to help students become builders of fraternity and a more just society. He noted that courage grows from being believed in by others.