VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father welcomed 7,000 faithful, including Brothers, associates, teachers, parents and students, who are participating in a meeting promoted by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools to celebrate its third centenary in Italy. Founded in France by St. John Baptist de La Salle, the Institute was brought to Italy in 1702 by Brother Gabriel Drolin.
The Pope recalled that St. John Baptist de La Salle, in his testament, wrote: "I encourage my Brothers to always and totally submit themselves to the Church, especially in such terrible times and, to give proof of this, may they never separate themselves from our Holy Father the Pope and from the Church of Rome." He added that "these words have lost none of their strength ... and they inspire the mission entrusted to you in the service of the integral formation of young people."
John Paul II noted that brother Drolin left France in 1702 "on an important and difficult mission: to make known a new educational, pedagogical and methodological reality. ... The La Salle ascetic-educational thought aimed not so much at 'how to educate', as it did at 'how to be' an educator. .... La Salle aims at educating youth through the renewal of the educator."
He went on to say that "if the educator, with his witness and word, is not a model for young people, the school has not achieved its goal. 'You - La Salle told the Brothers - are ambassadors and ministers of Christ in the profession you exercise; you must therefore act as representatives of Christ Himself'."
"La Salle's educational works continue to be a providential resource for the good of young people, the Church and all of society," said the Holy Father. "You have a glorious history to remember and recount, but a great history yet to be built."
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