The Jubilee of the world of educators ended with a wave of emotion, enthusiasm and hope, an event that brought together students, teachers and trainers from all over the world in the capital to reflect together on the profound value of education, on what “learning” and “teaching” really means.
Thanks to the “School is life” initiative, promoted by the Ministry of Education and Merit and the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See, Rome became the beating heart of the educational world for a week.
Thirty different nationalities, languages and cultures have intertwined in one great common question: what does “education” really mean?
From the voices of young people, a new, vibrant vision has emerged: for them, education is not just study or memorization, but a path of growth, discovery and freedom. It is the means through which you learn to believe in yourself and give shape to your dreams. An experience that will remain imprinted in the hearts of many.
Among the participants also a delegation from the “Fermi – Brutium Technical Center” scientific high school, led by the director Prof. Rosita Paradiso and a group of teachers.
In this great “educational constellation”, Rome has become the bright center of a shared dream: a world in which education is truly life, dialogue and a common path upwards. For teachers and students of Fermi – Brutium, as well as for all participants, the Jubilee was a unique opportunity: two generations side by side, united by the desire to grow and build a better future together.
A great privilege to participate in the audience of Pope Leo XIV in the packed Paul VI Hall (Nervi Hall), a moment of intense communion and collective reflection. Seeing thousands of young people united by the same desire for knowledge and peace was exciting. The incredible atmosphere: enthusiasm, curiosity, desire to understand and change. All with hearts lit and minds aligned towards a single goal
Making school a place of life, freedom and shared growth.
The Pope spoke with simple but profound words that touched everyone. Addressing young people, he reminded them that “education is one of the most beautiful and powerful tools for changing the world”, inviting them to “look up, not towards the screens of their mobile phones, but towards the sky”. He then added: “Each of you is a star, and together you are called to guide the future. Education unites people in living communities and organizes ideas into constellations of meaning.” Words that lit the hearts of those present, becoming an echo and compass for those who believe in the power of learning together.
One of the strongest points of the papal speech was dedicated to the interior life and the search for meaning. “My heart is restless until it rests in You”, recalled Pope Leo XIV, quoting Saint Augustine, and inviting us not to suffocate restlessness with what does not satisfy. “Educating about interior life means listening to our restlessness, not being satisfied, always seeking something greater.” A message that deeply touched those present, bringing attention back to the human and spiritual dimension of education, too often obscured by the frenzy of everyday life and the dominance of the digital.
The Jubilee of the educational world also represented a moment of reflection on the new challenges of the Global Educational Pact, launched by Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo XIV. Among the central themes: the urgency of humanizing digital, promoting peace education and building more inclusive and supportive societies. “It is not enough to silence weapons – underlined the Pope – we need to disarm hearts, renouncing all violence and vulgarity.”
The final message of the Jubilee remains clear: education is one of the most beautiful and powerful tools for changing the world. And in Rome, for a few days, this dream really seemed possible!
The event ended with a choral appeal for peace. “It is not enough to silence weapons – the Pontiff recalled – we need to disarm hearts, renouncing all violence and vulgarity.” A powerful message that resonates in a time in which schools, more than ever, are called to train builders of bridges and not walls, educators of hope and brotherhood.
The Roman experience left a profound mark on the participants, it was more than an event: it was a journey into the essence of the school, a shared journey between dreams, ideals and reality, which led to rediscovering the authentic sense of being an educating community: generations comparing and listening to each other. Educating means building constellations of meaning together, and school is not just a place of study, but a living community, capable of orienting the future. And returning home, with a full heart and a more open mind, it was possible to affirm: “school is truly life!”.