Pope Francis in a video message expressed support for the launch of a collaborative project promoted by the Vatican and the United Nations.
The pope noted that the pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented crisis in many areas, including education.
POPE FRANCIS
“More than a billion children have faced disruptions to their education. Hundreds of millions of children have been left behind in opportunities for social and cognitive development, and in many places, the biological, psychological and economic crises have been aggravated by the political and social crises that accompany them.”
He praised participants of the two-day virtual conference for their tireless work in combating indifference and the throwaway culture that still plague society.
POPE FRANCIS
“You have gathered today in an act of hope, an act of hope so that impulses of hatred, division and ignorance can be overcome through a new good wave, if you will—a new good wave of educational opportunities based on social justice and mutual love.”
The event is a collaborative effort between the Global Compact for Education, which was launched in October, and Mission 4.7, which comes from the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
POPE FRANCIS
“The Global Compact for Education and Mission 4.7 will work together for a civilization of love, beauty and unity. Allow me to say that I hope you will be poets of a new human beauty, a new fraternal and friendly beauty, as that of safeguarding the land we walk on.”
The pope encouraged governments to continue to work together to achieve these goals, and he concluded his message by asking participants not to forget the elderly, whom he described as “the bearers of the most decisive human values.”
CT
