Update of March 3, 2020 - The Congregation for Catholic Education reports that, due to the uncertainty related to the spread of Coronavirus, as well as the decisions taken by public authorities worldwide, the Global Compact on Education has been postponed to next autumn (October 11-18, 2020). Adhesion to the Pact will be signed on October 15th.
“It takes a whole village to educate a child”. Pope Francis chose this African proverb as the slogan to launch the Global Compact on Education, a call to “rebuild the global educational pact” that will be signed in the Vatican on 14 May, 2020 by representatives of the main religions, spokespersons of international bodies and humanitarian institutions, and members of the academic, economic, political, and cultural communities.
The Holy Father has assigned the Congregation for Catholic Education the task of involving in the pact those who care about the education of younger generations. The Congregation is the body of the Holy See acting as point of reference for 216,000 schools and 1,750 Catholic universities worldwide.
In anticipation of this global event, the Pontifical Gregorian University (the Gregorian Centre for Interreligious Studies and the Cardinal Bea Centre for Judaic Studies), in collaboration with the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, has organised a day of study entitled “When Religions Contribute to Education for a more Fraternal Humanity” on the upcoming 24 February 2020.
Seven speakers representing seven different religious traditions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and traditional African religions) will participate in two roundtable discussions. The first, reserved for professors and students, will be held in the morning and will consider the topic: “The Image of the Other in Our Own Religion”. The second roundtable, beginning at 5:00 pm and open to the general public, will be held in the Aula Magna and will examine the resources available to each religious tradition for building a universal fraternity. Fr Laurent Basanese S.J., Director of the Gregorian Centre for Interreligious Studies, will moderate the table, while conclusions will be entrusted to Fr Diego Cucarella M. Afr., President of the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies. Finally, Pupils from the Comprehensive Institute “Teresa Spinelli” of Rome, will perform a “Song to Fraternity”.
Simultaneous translation in Italian, English, and French will be available. Admission to the public session is free, with mandatory registration by 17 February 2020 on the event page.
The speakers:
- Ms Hana Bendcowsky, The Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, Israel
- Prof. Clémentine Faïk-nzuji, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
- Massimo Gargiulo, PhD, Cardinal Bea Centre for Judaic Studies, Pontifical Gregorian University, Italy
- Jaya Murthy, PhD, Essayist and Scholar of Hinduism, Italy
- Nayla Tabbara, PhD, Adyan Foundation, Lebanon
- Rev. Halyale Wimalarathana Thero, International Buddhist Foundation, Switzerland
For information:
Gregorian Centre for Interreligious Studies
+39 06 6701 5531 - [email protected]
Pontifical Gregorian University
Piazza della Pilotta 4 - 00187 Rome