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Pope
Benedict XVI - Addresses |
"True Wisdom Is Inseparable From Knowledge
of the Creator"
Chapel and Sports Arena of St Mary’s
University College in Twickenham
H.H. Benedict XVI
September 17, 2010
www.zenit.org
Your Excellency the Secretary of State
for Education,
Bishop Stack, Dr Naylor,
Reverend Fathers, Brothers and Sisters in
Christ,
I am pleased to have this opportunity to pay
tribute to the outstanding contribution made
by religious men and women in this land to
the noble task of education. I thank the
young people for their fine singing, and I
thank Sister Teresa for her words. To her
and to all the dedicated men and women who
devote their lives to teaching the young, I
want to express sentiments of deep
appreciation. You form new generations not
only in knowledge of the faith, but in every
aspect of what it means to live as mature
and responsible citizens in today’s world.
As you know, the task of a teacher is not
simply to impart information or to provide
training in skills intended to deliver some
economic benefit to society; education is
not and must never be considered as purely
utilitarian. It is about forming the human
person, equipping him or her to live life to
the full – in short it is about imparting
wisdom. And true wisdom is inseparable from
knowledge of the Creator, for "both we and
our words are in his hand, as are all
understanding and skill in crafts" (Wis
7:16).
This transcendent dimension of study and
teaching was clearly grasped by the monks
who contributed so much to the
evangelization of these islands. I am
thinking of the Benedictines who accompanied
Saint Augustine on his mission to England,
of the disciples of Saint Columba who spread
the faith across Scotland and Northern
England, of Saint David and his companions
in Wales. Since the search for God, which
lies at the heart of the monastic vocation,
requires active engagement with the means by
which he makes himself known – his creation
and his revealed word – it was only natural
that the monastery should have a library and
a school (cf. Address to representatives
from the world of culture at the "Collège
des Bernardins" in Paris, 12 September
2008). It was the monks’ dedication to
learning as the path on which to encounter
the Incarnate Word of God that was to lay
the foundations of our Western culture and
civilization.
Looking around me today, I see many
apostolic religious whose charism includes
the education of the young. This gives me an
opportunity to give thanks to God for the
life and work of the Venerable Mary Ward, a
native of this land whose pioneering vision
of apostolic religious life for women has
borne so much fruit. I myself as a young boy
was taught by the "English Ladies" and I owe
them a deep debt of gratitude. Many of you
belong to teaching orders that have carried
the light of the Gospel to far-off lands as
part of the Church’s great missionary work,
and for this too I give thanks and praise to
God. Often you laid the foundations of
educational provision long before the State
assumed a responsibility for this vital
service to the individual and to society. As
the relative roles of Church and State in
the field of education continue to evolve,
never forget that religious have a unique
contribution to offer to this apostolate,
above all through lives consecrated to God
and through faithful, loving witness to
Christ, the supreme Teacher.
Indeed, the presence of religious in
Catholic schools is a powerful reminder of
the much-discussed Catholic ethos that needs
to inform every aspect of school life. This
extends far beyond the self-evident
requirement that the content of the teaching
should always be in conformity with Church
doctrine. It means that the life of faith
needs to be the driving force behind every
activity in the school, so that the Church’s
mission may be served effectively, and the
young people may discover the joy of
entering into Christ’s "being for others" (Spe
Salvi, 28).
Before I conclude, I wish to add a
particular word of appreciation for those
whose task it is to ensure that our schools
provide a safe environment for children and
young people. Our responsibility towards
those entrusted to us for their Christian
formation demands nothing less. Indeed, the
life of faith can only be effectively
nurtured when the prevailing atmosphere is
one of respectful and affectionate trust. I
pray that this may continue to be a hallmark
of the Catholic schools in this country.
With these sentiments, dear Brothers and
Sisters, I invite you now to stand and pray.
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