Education-- especially of young women-- is vital work, Pope tells leaders of scouting movement

June 26, 2015

“Education is the indispensable means for enabling girls to grow into active and responsible women,” Pope Francis said in a June 26 address to delegates of the International Catholic Conference of Guiding (ICCG), who were in Rome to celebrate their institution’s 50th anniversary.

The Pope praised the ICCG—a consortium of groups involved in the “guiding,” or scouting, movement-- for its commitment to education and formation as means of evangelization. He also praised their ecumenical approach, encouraging them to “establish a sincere dialogue with guides of different cultures and religions, with respect for the beliefs of each one, and serenely affirming their Catholic faith and identity.”

Citing his encyclical Laudato Si’, with its call for an appreciation of the environment, the Pope said that scouting provides valuable lessons for young people in appreciating their surroundings. “I hope that guides will continue to be alert to the presence and the goodness of the Creator in the beauty of the world that surrounds them,” he said.

Next the Pope turned to the necessity for recognition of women’s role in society, and in this context he said that education is the best assurance of women’s active participation. Education is particularly crucial in countries where women are now held in subservient positions, he said. The Pope said:

We are in a world where we see the spread of ideologies contrary to nature and God's design for the family and marriage. It is therefore a question not only of educating girls in the beauty and greatness of their vocation as women, in a just relationship recognizing the difference between man and woman, but also to take on important responsibilities in the Church and in society.

 

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Further information:

• The Pope to the International Catholic Conference of Guiding: the education of women is vital (VIS)