Pope addresses Congregation for Catholic Education

(February 07, 2011) In today’s culture marked heavily by relativism, Catholic formation houses and educational institutions have an ‘educative emergency’ of asserting the Christian vision of man and reality, said Pope Benedict XVI on Monday. He was addressing members of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education who are holding their plenary assembly in Rome, Feb. 7-9. “The educative task appears more and more difficult because in a culture where relativism is often regarded as a creed, one lacks the light of truth or rather is considered dangerous to talk about truth, thus instilling doubts regarding the basis of personal and community life,” the Pope noted. He underscored the important service rendered by numerous Catholic formation institutions around the world that are inspired by the Christian vision of man and reality. “Education,” the Pope said, “is an act of love, it is an exercise of ‘intellectual charity’ that requires responsibility, dedication and coherent living.” Pope Benedict said that the plenary assembly of the Congregation for Catholic Education would certainly contribute in responding to this “educative emergency” of today. Touching upon the issue of seminaries, the German pontiff said that candidates to priesthood must be formed to build an intimacy with Christ in prayer in the silence of the heart, while at the same time loving to live together as a family in the community. The Congregation for Catholic Education is currently studying a draft document on The Internet and Formation in Seminaries. The Pope said that the internet is not only a study aid but can also serve the pastoral action of the Church in areas such as evangelization, mission, catechesis, education and management of institutions.