By Fr.Tim Zak
Dear Salesian Family,
Two months ago, on Palm Sunday during the audience in Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis received students and teachers from Visconti High School in Rome. During their time together the Pope shared a message which I think is very relevant for SDB communities and our Salesian presences. He said that schools must promote a culture of encounter. “Please don’t be afraid of diversity. Dialogue between different cultures enriches the country, enriches our homeland: it teaches us to look to a future in which there is a place and a home for all, not just for some,” he said.
This theme of a culture of encounter is not new in the Pope’s messages, or to our communities. You will remember that we all reflected on this theme during the provincial visitations last year, connecting the culture of encounter with the GC27 theme of prophets of fraternity. A week before speaking with the students from Visconti High School, Pope Francis welcomed students, parents, and teachers from San Carlo Institute in Milan. A teacher asked the Pope how to educate the students in confronting and encountering other cultures. “The Pope said that ‘multiethnicity’ and ‘multiculturalism’ are the water of life which, unlike distilled water, is tasty and quenches thirst. The Holy Father went on to urge teachers to encourage the young to grow in the culture of encounter, able to meet different people and grow with differences.
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