Participants of the V Global Symposium Uniservitate at the audience with Pope Francis in the Clementine Hall, Vatican.
When the side door opened, Pope Francis stepped through, and loud applause filled the beautiful Clementine Hall of the Vati can. He was applauded by some 120 people from 35 countries who had participated in the previous two days of the V Uniservitate Global Symposium. On the morning of Saturday, 9th November, this private audience with the Pope was the highlight of the event organized by Uniservitate-CLAYSS and LUMSA University.
Before the Holy Father’s entry, the group had remained in respectful silence, admiring the frescoes on the walls and containing the strong emotion and anxiety that the imminent meeting generated in them. They had also prayed the Prayer for Peace of St. Francis of Assisi and shared the intention to live this awaited meeting with an open heart and spirit. Someone commented: “If we feel like this on this occasion, what will it be like when we are waiting for the Supreme Good God in Heaven.”
Maria Nieves Tapia, founder and director of CLAYSS, presented Pope Francis with the book La solidaridad como futuro de la educación, a collaboration between UNESCO and CLAYSS.
Francis entered the room and, keeping eye contact with the visitors, read a message prepared with his spontaneous additions, as is his habit. As he had done in previous messages addressed to Uniservitate, the Pope highlighted the solidarity service-learning pedagogy implemented in this Programme because, he said, “it consistently responds to the goals of the Global Compact on Education by cultivating educational processes engaging everyone.”
Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education with H.H. Pope Francis.
Commenting on the idea that “we cannot change the world if we do not change education,” the Holy Father remarked that “it is interesting to see how Uniservitate has developed the service-learning approach, fostering in students a sense of community responsibility through social projects that are an organic part of their academic programme.”
Students whose projects won the Uniservitate Award 2024 were able to participate in the private audience.
Then, in line with Uniservitate’s proposal, he stressed that “education is done with head, hands and heart.” In contrast, he pointed out that a challenge for the educational world is to “confront the different ideologies,” which “whatever they may be,” are “enemies of maturity.” He also encouraged us to form an alliance that promotes peace, justice, and acceptance among all peoples, encourages dialogue between religions, and cares for our common home. “We know that it is a hard but exciting task! Educating is an adventure, a great adventure,” he added. To face such a challenge, he suggested that all Catholic schools are called to make changes by orienting their activities according to Jesus’ teachings, following two principles: “Reality is superior to the ideas” and “the whole is greater than the part,” i.e. a Catholic education that encourages “contact with reality so as not to lose oneself in the idea” and a “culture of curiosity” that values the art of asking questions.
Pope Francis in brief conversation with those attending the private audience.
In good humour, the Pope smiled and looked tenderly at the audience: gestures and attitudes with which he generated a calm and friendly atmosphere that became clear at the end of His message when the participants were invited to greet the Holy Father. He was kind and ready to welcome each one and listen to what they had to say to get their presents.
H.H. Pope Francis with Maria Nieves Tapia (founder and director of CLAYSS), Maria Rosa Tapia (Uniservitate coordinator)
and Andrés Peregalli (vice coordinator Uniservitate).
Many gave him a meaningful gift. The students who were in Rome representing the winning projects of the Uniservitate Award 2024 gave the Pope a poster of their experiences; others asked him to autograph editions of their encyclicals that they had brought for that special purpose, or gave him football team t-shirts, flags or drawings made by children. María Nieves Tapia, founder and director of CLAYSS, presented him with a copy of Solidarity as the Future of Education. This publication is the first collaborative effort between the UNESCO Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and CLAYSS. It discusses UNESCO’s perspectives on the future of education, alongside examples of solidarity service-learning experiences in Ibero-America.
To read the full speech of the Holy Father Francis to the participants of the V Global Symposium Uniservitate, please click here.
© 2024 Divisione Fotográfica – Vatican Media
