Pope Leo XIV Signs Apostolic Letter Celebrating 60th Anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis

Signing the Apostolic Letter on education

Pope Leo XIV participated in a ceremony held on Monday at which students from Pontifical Universities gathered for the Jubilee of the World of Education; Pope Leo signed an Apostolic Letter as part of this event. The purpose of the letter was to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis and to reflect on the present day relevance of the Conciliar Declaration, and to reflect on current challenges facing education, especially within Catholic Schools and Universities. The letter will be released publicly on the 28th of October 2022.

After he signed the Document, the Pope celebrated the Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica using his homily about how deeply meaningful the pilgrimage aspect of the Jubilee is. The Pope explained that "the only way you can understand your life is to live it like a journey." He also went on to explain the symbolism of passing through the Holy Door and how it represents that faith, like life, is not a static experience, but rather an ongoing passing from death to life, and from bondage or slavery into freedom, representing the Paschal Mystery. The Pope encouraged continual renewal and hope in our lives.

A more expansive perspective

Reflecting on from their students and scholastic backgrounds; Pope Leo will address the area of grace itself and how it has a major impact in your life. He responded with a comprehensive view or comprehensive vision and so being able to see further throughout and past...

In the Gospel of Luke (13:10-17), Jesus healed a woman who had suffered from an ailment that caused her to bend over for 18 years. The Pope compared the woman's healing with the gift of knowledge. He said the woman's physical ailment represented a spiritual and intellectual prison. She was unable to comprehend anything outside herself or her own experiences, ideas, beliefs, and plans. The Pope stated, “When people cannot look outside themselves for answers, they become prisoners and slaves of themselves and cannot make sound decisions.”

True education can thus become a vehicle of deliverance; just as Jesus lifted the woman up from her fallen condition, so does learning raise the human spirit, heal the self-focus of individuals, and give them an increasing understanding of the larger picture of life, including its mysteries, the nature of truth and how we fit into the puzzle of humanity. In the words of the Pope, “The one who learns from books [is] ‘lifted up’ and has an expanded vision and perspective to regain a vision that is not looking down, but looking up: toward God; toward others; toward the mystery of life.”

The harmonious relationship between faith and reason

Pope Leo was worried that present-day humanity is very good at knowing all the little details about reality but has difficulty achieving a big picture to help him connect what he knows with what is meaningful. As a response to this fragmentation, he asked scholars to restore the balance between the intellect and spirit, a concept represented by people such as Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of Avila and Edith Stein.

He stressed that “the Church needs a cohesive perspective in terms of now and in the future,” encouraging students and faculty to be sure that their academic works are not only abstract academic exercises but also a way to change lives, enrich their faith, and give testimony to the Gospel.

Education as an expression of affection

According to the Pope, the educator is giving a true act of mercy. He described how teaching is like the miracle described in the Gospel to lift others up and assist them in becoming who they were created to be as well as to develop informed conscience and critical ability. He stated that pontifical universities should continue Jesus’ example, which is “an act of charity performed through study.”

He claimed to feel a fundamental duty both as a scholar trying to fulfill our thirst for knowledge, and as a person who has a strong desire to seek and know the truth. "The desire for the truth, for meaning, is a basic obligation of all human beings, if we fail to nurture it, we shall suffer destruction and, perhaps, even death."

A journey of belonging and optimism

At the end of the homily, Pope Leo reminded those who had gathered together about how pursuing truth leads not only to knowledge being revealed but also provides a sense of belonging. He cited Saint Paul's statement, "For you did not receive a spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption" (Rom 8:15). He expressed that by studying and researching, one can return to the ultimate truth of our existence, which is that we are all part of the family of a loving Father with a plan for our individual lives.

In his final reflections, the Pope encourages all those working in academia to exemplify what it means to be "men and women who have their gaze turned outward and are not pre-occupied with themselves" while sharing "the joy and consolation of the Gospel" through their work with others.