The Editorial Message from Hervé Lecomte, the Secretary-General of OIEC:
"In these pages, the OIEC wishes to pay tribute to one of the most significant pontificates in contemporary history. Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has constantly called on the Church and the world to overcome indifference, to go to the peripheries, to build bridges rather than walls, and to make mercy, fraternity and justice the pillars of a common future.
With the quiet strength of a pastor inhabited by the Gospel, he knew how to speak to the heart of everyone, whether believer or non-believer, young or adult, poor or politician. He sowed an active, humble and universal hope, breathing new life into a Church on the move, daring to reach out to those on the periphery, building fraternity and believing in education as a path to peace.
At the OIEC, we welcomed his words not as just another speech, but as a living call, a light for the road ahead. His invitation to a Global Compact on Education, to an integral ecology, to a fraternity without borders resonates deeply with our mission to accompany Catholic schools throughout the world in their commitment to the service of human dignity.
The purpose of this booklet is to recall, in a few pages, the main lines of his teaching and his witness, so that we do not lose the memory of him, and so that we can continue to make his call come alive in our hearts and in our actions. It is a mark of gratitude, but also a springboard: it is not just a question of remembering, but of acting. May it inspire new gestures of conversion, covenant and shared joy in every educational community. And may the voice of Pope Francis, full of the Spirit, continue to guide us in the ever-new adventure of education."
