Pope praises natural harmony between faith and reason in education

Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the Fraternity of Saint Thomas Aquinas Groups, founded in 1962 by Father Aníbal Fosbery, Pope Francis praised first of all the way in which this fraternity has made the conciliar message his own and has launched several projects of evangelization of culture, youth and family, creating a wide variety of educational institutions.

The Fraternity of Saint Thomas Aquinas Groups and the Apostolic Fraternity of Saint Catherine of Siena (founded in 2005 for consecrated women) are “a precious service to ripen the charisms of teaching in all the faithful“, affirmed the bishop of Rome, recalling some elements of the historical context of their patron saint, Thomas Aquinas.

The natural harmony between faith and reason

At that time – in the 13th century – the writings of the Greek philosopher Aristotle were rediscovered in the West. “Some were reluctant to study his works, as they feared his pagan thinking would contradict the Christian faith.“, notes the Pope. However, St. Thomas discovered that most of Aristotle’s works were in harmony with Christian Revelation. “In other words, Saint Thomas was able to show that there is a natural harmony between faith and reason”he noted.

According to Francis, when one becomes aware of this richness, “essential to overcome fundamentalisms, fanaticisms and ideologies», a wide path is opening up to spread the message of the Good News in the different cultures, “always with proposals compatible with human intelligence and respectful of the identity of each people”.

The Eucharistic hymns of Saint Thomas

Another witness left by Saint Thomas and emphasized by the Pope is his deep relationship with God, manifested for example in his adoration of Jesus in his real presence in the Eucharist. “We know that he was the author of very beautiful eucharistic hymns still used today in the liturgy of the Church. His spirituality helped him discover the mystery of God, while his talents allowed him to shape it through writing.“, explained the Pope, adding: “It is precisely faith and reason, when they go hand in hand, which are capable of enhancing the culture of human beings, of imbuing the world with meaning, of building societies that are more human, more fraternal and , therefore, more full of God“.

Thus the challenge of evangelization shared as an association, in the context of plural, multicultural and multireligious cities, implies great humility to know how to approach everyone, without excluding anyone, even those who do not share our faith or our values, Francis then urged.

Education polishes the diamond placed by God

“In living your charism, which you concretely realize through education, it is important that you remember that teaching is precisely one of the works of spiritual mercy”, he continued. Indeed, education offers a meaning, a narrative to each element of human life, recalls François, specifying: “It is not limited to the sharing of knowledge or the development of skills, but, as its etymology shows, it helps to bring out the best in everyone, to polish the diamond that the Lord has placed in everyone”.

Education contributes to this diamond allowing the Light, which is Christ, to pass through and thus shine in the midst of the world, noted the Bishop of Rome, quoting the Gospel of Matthew: “You are the light of the world […] And you don’t light a lamp to put it under a bushel; we put it on the lamppost, and it shines for everyone in the house“. (Matthew 5, 14-15).