The Teresian Association participated in the Jubilee of the World of Education, held in Rome from October 30 to November 1, 2025, which included, among other events, the International Congress ‘Educational Constellations –A Pact with the Future.’
Lurdes Figueiral, representing the Governing Council of the TA, Inmaculada Balfagón, president of the Council for Culture, Carmelo Coco, member of the Council for Culture, and Paola Finocchiaro, member of ACIT Italy, attended the numerous meetings organized within the framework of this event, which culminated in Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of the Solemnity of All Saints with the proclamation of St. John Henry Newman as Doctor of the Church and co-patron of education.
By clicking here, you can read the original text in Italian.
Maps of Hope
The events promoted within the framework of the Jubilee of Education were inaugurated with the publication, on October 27, 2025, of the Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, by Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Conciliar Declaration Gravissimum Educationis. The aim is to reflect on the quality of the Conciliar Declaration and relaunch the Global Compact on Education by adding three new objectives to those already outlined by Pope Francis: the development of the interior life; the humanization of digital technology; and education for peace.
Constellation in figures
Among the many events in which the TA delegation participated, the International Congress ‘Educational Constellations –A Pact with the Future.’ stood out, focusing on the challenges facing schools and universities in the face of the continuous and rapid transformations of our time. It was a meeting full of insights and reflections that offered a vivid portrait of the present, through experiences, ideas, and perspectives on the Catholic educational world.
A total of 71.9 million students (from preschool to university) are enrolled in 231,568 Catholic educational institutions worldwide, as Antonello Maruotti, professor of statistics at Lumsa University in Rome, pointed out in his speech. The leading region in the Catholic constellation is Africa, with 30.8 million students, followed by Asia with 15.2 million and Europe with 10.4 million.
Educational constellations whose commitment and presence counteract the situation of the 61 million children worldwide who do not have access to primary school (more than 41 million in Africa, more than 15 million in Asia, more than 2 million in Central and South America, more than 1 million in North America and Europe) and the 160 million adolescents who drop out of secondary school (more than 57 million in Africa, more than 89 million in Asia, more than 5 million in Central and South America, more than 3 million in North America and Europe).
Sowers of the future
Educational Constellations, which Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, president of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, describes as “a living and pluralistic network... of sowers of the future who embrace the task of education with conviction and commitment, who feel it as a vocation, a way of being present and a passionate mission... in a world torn apart by polarization and conflict... to rebuild trust, with the conviction that education is the new name for peace.”
In his message to the participants of the congress, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgency of consolidating the universal right to education and the role of schools as centers of learning and solidarity, as well as teaching and learning as a form of care for creation, “in a world suffering from the devastating effects of war and climate change, the destruction of nature and pollution.”
Hope in fragile times
The relevance of the universal right to education, the quality of education, the contribution of religions to the implementation of this right, and urgent issues related to education and learning in the face of cultural and technological change were the topics addressed and explored in the sessions of the International Congress, projecting a renewed commitment to "Educating for hope in fragile times... Reviving peace with hope: Educational and cultural commitment of Catholic schools and universities."
This is a commitment that the Teresian Association extends wherever it is present, for an education that is constantly transforming itself in dialogue with the circumstances and dynamics that shape our societies, to ensure a more just and sustainable world.
TA Encounter
The theme of a sustainable future, explored in light of the document prepared by the Culture Council, Towards an Ecological Conversion, was addressed in a meeting, both in person and online, that the delegation that traveled to Rome held with the Teresian Association of Italy and friends, on the afternoon of October 31 at the TA headquarters in Via Cornelio Celso in Rome.
It was a fruitful meeting, full of reflections and suggestions, which confirmed the concrete interest in the initiatives that the Teresian Association has proposed and intends to implement in accordance with the commitments made at the 19th General Assembly.
Carmelo Coco, Rome.
Fotos I.B.C.
Original Italian, translated by TA Translators Team.
Here you can read the original text in Italian.
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