Here is the address Benedict XVI gave today to a meeting of more
than 400 Catholic educators at the Catholic University of
America.
Your Eminences,
Dear Brother Bishops,
Distinguished Professors, Teachers and Educators,
"How beautiful are the footsteps of those who bring good news"
(Rom 10:15-17). With these words of Isaiah quoted by Saint Paul,
I warmly greet each of you -- bearers of wisdom -- and through
you the staff, students and families of the many and varied
institutions of learning that you represent. It is my great
pleasure to meet you and to share with you some thoughts
regarding the nature and identity of Catholic education today. I
especially wish to thank Father David O'Connell, President and
Rector of the Catholic University of America. Your kind words of
welcome are much appreciated. Please extend my heartfelt
gratitude to the entire community - faculty, staff and students
- of this University.
Education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim
the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational
institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus
Christ reveals his transforming love and truth (cf. Spe Salvi,
4). This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the
knowledge and understanding of Christ and his teaching. In this
way those who meet him are drawn by the very power of the Gospel
to lead a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good,
and true; a life of Christian witness nurtured and strengthened
within the community of our Lord's disciples, the Church.
The dynamic between personal encounter, knowledge and Christian
witness is integral to the diakonia of truth which the Church
exercises in the midst of humanity. God's revelation offers
every generation the opportunity to discover the ultimate truth
about its own life and the goal of history. This task is never
easy; it involves the entire Christian community and motivates
each generation of Christian educators to ensure that the power
of God's truth permeates every dimension of the institutions
they serve. In this way, Christ's Good News is set to work,
guiding both teacher and student towards the objective truth
which, in transcending the particular and the subjective, points
to the universal and absolute that enables us to proclaim with
confidence the hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Set
against personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of
knowledge, the noble goals of scholarship and education, founded
on the unity of truth and in service of the person and the
community, become an especially powerful instrument of hope.
Dear friends, the history of this nation includes many examples
of the Church's commitment in this regard. The Catholic
community here has in fact made education one of its highest
priorities. This undertaking has not come without great
sacrifice. Towering figures, like Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and
other founders and foundresses, with great tenacity and
foresight, laid the foundations of what is today a remarkable
network of parochial schools contributing to the spiritual
well-being of the Church and the nation. Some, like Saint
Katharine Drexel, devoted their lives to educating those whom
others had neglected -- in her case, African Americans and
Native Americans. Countless dedicated Religious Sisters,
Brothers, and Priests together with selfless parents have,
through Catholic schools, helped generations of immigrants to
rise from poverty and take their place in mainstream society.
This sacrifice continues today. It is an outstanding apostolate
of hope, seeking to address the material, intellectual and
spiritual needs of over three million children and students. It
also provides a highly commendable opportunity for the entire
Catholic community to contribute generously to the financial
needs of our institutions. Their long-term sustainability must
be assured. Indeed, everything possible must be done, in
cooperation with the wider community, to ensure that they are
accessible to people of all social and economic strata. No child
should be denied his or her right to an education in faith,
which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation.
Some today question the Church's involvement in education,
wondering whether her resources might be better placed
elsewhere. Certainly in a nation such as this, the State
provides ample opportunities for education and attracts
committed and generous men and women to this honorable
profession. It is timely, then, to reflect on what is particular
to our Catholic institutions. How do they contribute to the good
of society through the Church's primary mission of
evangelization?
All the Church's activities stem from her awareness that she is
the bearer of a message which has its origin in God himself: in
his goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal himself and to make
known the hidden purpose of his will (cf. Eph 1:9; Dei Verbum,
2). God's desire to make himself known, and the innate desire of
all human beings to know the truth, provide the context for
human inquiry into the meaning of life. This unique encounter is
sustained within our Christian community: the one who seeks the
truth becomes the one who lives by faith (cf. Fides et Ratio,
31). It can be described as a move from "I" to "we", leading the
individual to be numbered among God's people.
This same dynamic of communal identity -- to whom do I belong?
-- vivifies the ethos of our Catholic institutions. A university
or school's Catholic identity is not simply a question of the
number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction --
do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made
flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear (cf. Gaudium
et Spes, 22)? Are we ready to commit our entire self --
intellect and will, mind and heart -- to God? Do we accept the
truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our universities
and schools? Is it given fervent expression liturgically,
sacramentally, through prayer, acts of charity, a concern for
justice, and respect for God's creation? Only in this way do we
really bear witness to the meaning of who we are and what we
uphold.
From this perspective one can recognize that the contemporary
"crisis of truth" is rooted in a "crisis of faith". Only through
faith can we freely give our assent to God's testimony and
acknowledge him as the transcendent guarantor of the truth he
reveals. Again, we see why fostering personal intimacy with
Jesus Christ and communal witness to his loving truth is
indispensable in Catholic institutions of learning. Yet we all
know, and observe with concern, the difficulty or reluctance
many people have today in entrusting themselves to God. It is a
complex phenomenon and one which I ponder continually. While we
have sought diligently to engage the intellect of our young,
perhaps we have neglected the will. Subsequently we observe,
with distress, the notion of freedom being distorted. Freedom is
not an opting out. It is an opting in -- a participation in
Being itself. Hence authentic freedom can never be attained by
turning away from God. Such a choice would ultimately disregard
the very truth we need in order to understand ourselves. A
particular responsibility therefore for each of you, and your
colleagues, is to evoke among the young the desire for the act
of faith, encouraging them to commit themselves to the ecclesial
life that follows from this belief. It is here that freedom
reaches the certainty of truth. In choosing to live by that
truth, we embrace the fullness of the life of faith which is
given to us in the Church.
Clearly, then, Catholic identity is not dependent upon
statistics. Neither can it be equated simply with orthodoxy of
course content. It demands and inspires much more: namely that
each and every aspect of your learning communities reverberates
within the ecclesial life of faith. Only in faith can truth
become incarnate and reason truly human, capable of directing
the will along the path of freedom (cf. Spe Salvi, 23).
In this way our institutions make a vital contribution to the
mission of the Church and truly serve society. They become
places in which God's active presence in human affairs is
recognized and in which every young person discovers the joy of
entering into Christ's "being for others" (cf. ibid., 28).
The Church's primary mission of evangelization, in which
educational institutions play a crucial role, is consonant with
a nation's fundamental aspiration to develop a society truly
worthy of the human person's dignity. At times, however, the
value of the Church's contribution to the public forum is
questioned. It is important therefore to recall that the truths
of faith and of reason never contradict one another (cf. First
Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the
Catholic Faith Dei Filius, IV: DS 3017; St. Augustine, Contra
Academicos, III, 20, 43). The Church's mission, in fact,
involves her in humanity's struggle to arrive at truth. In
articulating revealed truth she serves all members of society by
purifying reason, ensuring that it remains open to the
consideration of ultimate truths. Drawing upon divine wisdom,
she sheds light on the foundation of human morality and ethics,
and reminds all groups in society that it is not praxis that
creates truth but truth that should serve as the basis of
praxis. Far from undermining the tolerance of legitimate
diversity, such a contribution illuminates the very truth which
makes consensus attainable, and helps to keep public debate
rational, honest and accountable. Similarly the Church never
tires of upholding the essential moral categories of right and
wrong, without which hope could only wither, giving way to cold
pragmatic calculations of utility which render the person little
more than a pawn on some ideological chess-board.
With regard to the educational forum, the diakonia of truth
takes on a heightened significance in societies where secularist
ideology drives a wedge between truth and faith. This division
has led to a tendency to equate truth with knowledge and to
adopt a positivistic mentality which, in rejecting metaphysics,
denies the foundations of faith and rejects the need for a moral
vision. Truth means more than knowledge: knowing the truth leads
us to discover the good. Truth speaks to the individual in his
or her the entirety, inviting us to respond with our whole
being. This optimistic vision is found in our Christian faith
because such faith has been granted the vision of the Logos,
God's creative Reason, which in the Incarnation, is revealed as
Goodness itself. Far from being just a communication of factual
data - "informative" - the loving truth of the Gospel is
creative and life-changing - "performative" (cf. Spe Salvi,
2). With confidence, Christian educators can liberate the young
from the limits of positivism and awaken receptivity to the
truth, to God and his goodness. In this way you will also help
to form their conscience which, enriched by faith, opens a sure
path to inner peace and to respect for others.
It comes as no surprise, then, that not just our own ecclesial
communities but society in general has high expectations of
Catholic educators. This places upon you a responsibility and
offers an opportunity. More and more people - parents in
particular - recognize the need for excellence in the human
formation of their children. As Mater et Magistra, the Church
shares their concern. When nothing beyond the individual is
recognized as definitive, the ultimate criterion of judgment
becomes the self and the satisfaction of the individual's
immediate wishes. The objectivity and perspective, which can
only come through a recognition of the essential transcendent
dimension of the human person, can be lost. Within such a
relativistic horizon the goals of education are inevitably
curtailed. Slowly, a lowering of standards occurs. We observe
today a timidity in the face of the category of the good and an
aimless pursuit of novelty parading as the realization of
freedom. We witness an assumption that every experience is of
equal worth and a reluctance to admit imperfection and mistakes.
And particularly disturbing, is the reduction of the precious
and delicate area of education in sexuality to management of
'risk', bereft of any reference to the beauty of conjugal love.
How might Christian educators respond? These harmful
developments point to the particular urgency of what we might
call "intellectual charity". This aspect of charity calls the
educator to recognize that the profound responsibility to lead
the young to truth is nothing less than an act of love. Indeed,
the dignity of education lies in fostering the true perfection
and happiness of those to be educated. In practice "intellectual
charity" upholds the essential unity of knowledge against the
fragmentation which ensues when reason is detached from the
pursuit of truth. It guides the young towards the deep
satisfaction of exercising freedom in relation to truth, and it
strives to articulate the relationship between faith and all
aspects of family and civic life. Once their passion for the
fullness and unity of truth has been awakened, young people will
surely relish the discovery that the question of what they can
know opens up the vast adventure of what they ought to do. Here
they will experience "in what" and "in whom" it is possible to
hope, and be inspired to contribute to society in a way that
engenders hope in others.
Dear friends, I wish to conclude by focusing our attention
specifically on the paramount importance of your own
professionalism and witness within our Catholic universities and
schools. First, let me thank you for your dedication and
generosity. I know from my own days as a professor, and I have
heard from your Bishops and officials of the Congregation for
Catholic Education, that the reputation of Catholic institutes
of learning in this country is largely due to yourselves and
your predecessors. Your selfless contributions - from
outstanding research to the dedication of those working in
inner-city schools - serve both your country and the Church. For
this I express my profound gratitude.
In regard to faculty members at Catholic colleges universities,
I wish to reaffirm the great value of academic freedom. In
virtue of this freedom you are called to search for the truth
wherever careful analysis of evidence leads you. Yet it is also
the case that any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in
order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the
teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the
university's identity and mission; a mission at the heart of the
Church's munus docendi and not somehow autonomous or independent
of it.
Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools,
have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive
instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. This requires
that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel
and upheld by the Church's Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an
institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom.
Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far
from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether
moral, intellectual or spiritual.
I wish also to express a particular word of encouragement to
both lay and Religious teachers of catechesis who strive to
ensure that young people become daily more appreciative of the
gift of faith. Religious education is a challenging apostolate,
yet there are many signs of a desire among young people to learn
about the faith and practice it with vigor. If this awakening is
to grow, teachers require a clear and precise understanding of
the specific nature and role of Catholic education. They must
also be ready to lead the commitment made by the entire school
community to assist our young people, and their families, to
experience the harmony between faith, life and culture.
Here I wish to make a special appeal to Religious Brothers,
Sisters and Priests: do not abandon the school apostolate;
indeed, renew your commitment to schools especially those in
poorer areas. In places where there are many hollow promises
which lure young people away from the path of truth and genuine
freedom, the consecrated person's witness to the evangelical
counsels is an irreplaceable gift. I encourage the Religious
present to bring renewed enthusiasm to the promotion of
vocations. Know that your witness to the ideal of consecration
and mission among the young is a source of great inspiration in
faith for them and their families.
To all of you I say: bear witness to hope. Nourish your witness
with prayer. Account for the hope that characterizes your lives
(cf. 1 Pet 3:15) by living the truth which you propose to your
students. Help them to know and love the One you have
encountered, whose truth and goodness you have experienced with
joy. With Saint Augustine, let us say: "we who speak and you who
listen acknowledge ourselves as fellow disciples of a single
teacher" (Sermons, 23:2). With these sentiments of communion, I
gladly impart to you, your colleagues and students, and to your
families, my Apostolic Blessing.
© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Address
to Catholic Educators