Pope Leo XIV addressed the Brothers of the Christian Schools on May 15, the solemnity of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, in one of the first audiences of his pontificate.
Brother Superior Armin Luistro, FSC, the General Council, Brothers from the Generalate and over 135 members of the Lasallian family were in attendance. They presented the pope with a gift, including a first class relic of Blessed James Miller, FSC.
The Holy Father noted that the day marked both the 300th anniversary of the promulgation of the papal bull “In apostolicae Dignitatis solio,” which recognized the Institute as a religious order, and the 75th anniversary of the declaration of Saint La Salle as patron saint of educators.
Pope Leo reflected on two aspects of the Brothers’ history: attention to current events and the ministerial and missionary dimension of teaching. He spoke about how De La Salle began a new teaching system of Christian schools that were free and open to all, and how the saint introduced a “pedagogical revolution” — teaching in the vernacular, instructing in groups rather than individually, involving families and holding lessons on Sundays.
Considering this, “what, in the world of youth today are the most urgent challenges to be faced? What values are to be promoted? What resources can be counted on?” the pope asked. He commended the Brothers for the attention paid to their schools, the training of teachers and the creation of educational communities where all are invited to contribute.
“I encourage you to continue along these paths,” he said.
Pope Leo said that De La Salle unknowingly promoted a future reality in the church, that of “lay teachers and catechists, invested in the community with a genuine ‘ministry’ in accordance with the principle of evangelizing by educating and educating by evangelizing.”
“The charism of the school, which you embrace with the fourth vow of teaching,” he added, “still appears today as one of the most beautiful and eloquent expressions of that priestly, prophetic and kingly ‘munus’ (office) we have all received in baptism.” The Christian Brothers take a fourth vow of association for the service of the poor through education.
“Thank you for what you do! I pray for you and I impart the apostolic blessing, which I gladly extend to the Lasallian family,” the pope said in closing.
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