In his address to Italian bishops Benedict XVI highlights an “educational emergency” at a time of relativism and nihilism. This calls for educators who know to how “trust in life and in man, in his reason and in his capacity to love.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The effects of the financial crisis that has affected the entire world affects the weakest in society, and Catholics must aim their solidarity towards them, said Benedict XVI today in his address to Italian bishops who are meeting in general assembly in the Vatican.

In his speech he expressed his appreciation for an initiative undertaken by the bishops called “Loan of Hope”, which is “a reminder of the collection promoted by the Apostle Paul in favour of the Church of Jerusalem” and “an eloquent example of sharing one’s burdens. At a time of hardships, which affect especially those who lost their job, the aforementioned becomes a true act of worship born from the charity elicited in the hearts of believers by the Spirit of the Risen. It is an eloquent statement of the inner conversion generated by the Gospel and a touching sign of ecclesial communion.”

The Holy Father proceeded to focus in particular on the need for Christian education in particular and education in general, which are “an inherent and permanent need in the life of the Church and which today have become pressing needs, if not an outright emergency.”

“At a time in which relativistic and nihilistic concepts of life exercise a powerful enticement, a time in which the very legitimacy of education is placed in doubt, the principal contribution we can make is that of bearing witness to our trust in life and in man, in his reason and in his capacity to love. It is not the fruit of naive optimism but comes from that ‘trustworthy hope’ (Spe salvi, 1) that is given to us through the redemption performed by Jesus Christ.  On the basis of this established act of love for mankind an educational alliance can emerge among all those who hold responsibilities in this sensitive field of social and Church life.”

“The difficulty in forming authentic Christians interweaves and melds with the difficulty of creating responsible and mature men and women,” the Pope explained. It is also important that “awareness of truth and goodness, and free adherence to these values, should be at the core of the educational project, so as to give form to a process of overall development. For this reason,” he added, “alongside an appropriate curriculum that identifies the aim of education in the light of the model to be followed, there is a need for authoritative educators to whom new generations can look with trust”

In the year dedicated to Saint Paul, the Lord’s invitation “to ‘Be imitators of me’ (1 Cor, 11:1), resonates forcefully. A true educator places himself in the front line and knows how to unite authority and exemplarity in the task of educating those entrusted to his care. We ourselves are aware of this, having been given the role of guides among the People of God, guides whom the Apostle Peter invites to tend God's sheep and to ‘be examples to the flock’ (1 Peter, 5:3).”

“We are quite fortunate that the occasion we are preparing to celebrate, after the year of the Apostle of Nations, is the Year for Priests. Together with our priests we are called to rediscover the grace and duties of the presbyterial ministry. It is a service to the Church and to Christian people, requiring a profound spirituality . . . nourished by prayer and by intense personal union with the Lord, in order to be able to serve our brothers and sisters through preaching, the Sacraments, orderly community life and help for the poor. All priestly ministries reveal . . . the importance of commitment to education, so that people may grow freely and responsibly as mature and conscientious Christians.”

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