Pope Francis received in audience at the Vatican a delegation from the University of Notre Dame (Paris), to whom he explained what “the secret of Catholic education” is.
At the beginning of his speech on 1 February, the Holy Father explained that the key is that “one thinks what one feels and does, one feels what one thinks and does, one does what one feels and thinks.”
Next, the Pontiff reflected on these three languages; that of the head, that of the heart and that of the hands.
Regarding the first, the Holy Father highlighted that “by their very nature, Catholic universities pursue the development of knowledge through academic study and research.”
“In the globalized world,” he stated, “this implies the need for a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, which brings together various fields of study and research.”
He also highlighted the conviction of Catholic institutions about the existence of a harmony between faith and reason, from which derives “the relevance of the Christian message for all spheres of life, personal and social.”
In this sense, he stated that “there is an intellectual tradition that we must always preserve and grow.”
Later, he specified that the task of a Catholic university is not only to develop the mind but to “expand the heart.” For this reason, he assured us that “if we think and not feel, we are human.”
“The entire university community is called to accompany people, especially young people, with wisdom and respect, along the paths of life and to help them cultivate openness to everything that is true, good and beautiful,” he said.
Pope Francis also asked them if they “help young people to dream” and stressed that this means “promoting dialogue and the culture of encounter, so that everyone learns to recognize, appreciate and love each other as a brother and, above all, as a beloved child of God.”
The Holy Father urged not to forget “the essential role of religion in the education of people’s hearts,” while emphasizing that “Catholic education commits us, among other things, to building a better world, teaching mutual coexistence.”, fraternal solidarity and peace.”
Finally, he assured us that “we cannot remain locked in the walls or borders of our institutions, but we must strive to go out to the peripheries, to find and serve Christ in our neighbors.”