Participants of the X General Conference sign a commitment to the Global Compact Education
On the 22nd of March 2022, during the afternoon session of the General Conference, participants had an interactive session with the Secretariat for Education and Evangelization centering on the understanding of the Global Compact on Education. Recall that the Global Compact on Education is an invitation by Pope Francis “to rekindle our dedication for and with young people, renewing the passion for a more open and inclusive education”. The Compact is not limited to educational and academic institutions but rather, in the belief that commitment to education must be shared by all, i.e., representatives of religions, international bodies and the various humanitarian institutions, of the academic, economic, political, and cultural world.
The inspiration of the Compact is based on an African proverb that “It takes a village to raise a child”. The Pope, however, goes further saying that in our days, “We have to create such a village before we can educate. In the first place, the ground must be cleared of discrimination and fraternity must be allowed to flourish”. It is about educating children and young people in fraternity, learning to overcome divisions and conflicts, promoting hospitality, justice, and peace.
The director of the Secretariat for Education and Evangelization, Brother Carlos Alberto Rojas traced and history of the Compact and invited the Marist Institute to continue the initiative already in vogue. A booklet created in collaboration with the International Office for Catholic Education (OIEC) was presented and put at the disposal of the Provinces and District leaders to enable them to spread wide the highlights on the Compact and the ways to move forward in its operation. The material is available to all Marists on our website. (English | Español | Français | Português).
A second session took place during a solemn Eucharistic celebration where all the participant of the General Conference signed a declaration of commitment. In his remark, the Superior General, Brother Ernesto Sanchez reminded the participant that the Compact fall within our mission as educators and caregivers to children and young people. Brother Ernesto led the signing ceremony and encouraged the participant to replicate the gesture in all Marist ministries across the globe. The letter from the Pope to the Superior General was also read to the participant with copies available in all the official languages of the Institute: (English | Español | Français | Português | Italiano).
Together, we can be the real advocate of integral education emphasized in the Compact. Let’s join and promote the initiative.
THE INSTITUTE OF THE MARIST BROTHERS IS COMMITTED TO THE GLOBAL COMPACT ON EDUCATION
During the X General Conference of the Marist Brothers’ Institute, Brother Ernesto Sanchez Barba, Superior General, his Council, and the Provincials and District leaders who are gathered in Rome, Italy, from the 8th to the 27th of March 2022, resolved to support and participate in the Global Compact on Education with the following statement:
As Marists of Champagnat, we are committed to the Global Compact on Education promoted and launched by Pope Francis to facilitate a renewed commitment to the education of children and young people not only in the formal classroom setting, but also in the family and the community.
Consequently, the Marists of Champagnat will continue to place the human person at the center of all our efforts, promote the full education and participation of children and young people, whether male or female, listen to their voices, and acknowledge the family as the principal and essential “educating component” in all systems of education.
We will continue to educate the culture of encounter to avoid the culture of indifference, promote processes to achieve an integral ecology in all our ministries, and protect and nurture our “common home”.
Our commitment to the Global Compact also extends through our participation in the local and international events which support the Compact’s underlying principles. We will continue partnering with the International Organization for Catholic Education (OIEC), the Education Commission of the Union of Superiors General (UISG/USG), and other like-minded entities to engage in studies to find other ways of understanding economics, politics, growth, and ecology.
Signed on behalf of the Institute of the Marist Brothers:
