Archbishop Elias Gonsalves Represents Asia at Vatican Congress on Catholic Education and Hope

Rome, October 31, 2025: Archbishop Elias Gonsalves of Nagpur and Chairperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Office for Education and Culture, represented Asia as the sole Asian speaker at the International Congress on “Reviving the Pact with Hope: The Educational and Cultural Commitment of Catholic Schools and Universities”, held at the Vatican on October 30, 2025.

Organized by the Dicastery for Education and Culture, the Congress brought together global leaders in Catholic education to reflect on the renewal of hope and human formation in today’s world. Archbishop Gonsalves participated in Panel 4, moderated by Dr. Isabel Capelão Gil, President of the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities. Other panelists included Cardinal Antoine Kambanda (Archbishop of Kigali, Rwanda), Cardinal Mario Poli (Archbishop Emeritus of Buenos Aires, Argentina), and education experts Fr. Ezio Bono and Carina Rossa.

In his keynote address, Archbishop Gonsalves described Catholic education as a profound act of hope and transformation, both for India and the global community. He noted that Catholic institutions in India — encompassing six universities, 650 colleges, and over 16,000 schools serving 8.7 million students — stand as moral and intellectual forces shaping a just and compassionate nation.

Grounded in Church teachings such as Gravissimum Educationis and Ex Corde Ecclesiae, and inspired by Pope Francis’s Global Compact on Education, Archbishop Gonsalves called education “a prophetic act designed to rekindle humanity’s faith in the future.” He emphasized that “education loses its very soul if it neglects the poor,” echoing Pope Leo’s Apostolic Letter, Drawing New Maps of Hope.

Reflecting on India’s diverse context, the Archbishop affirmed that Catholic schools and universities serve as bridges of fraternity fostering dialogue, inclusion, and mutual respect. He cited initiatives like Don Bosco institutions empowering tribal youth and Loreto schools advancing women’s education as exemplary models of holistic formation rooted in faith and service.

Addressing the emerging challenges of Education 5.0, Archbishop Gonsalves urged educators to form learners who are both digitally competent and ethically grounded. He highlighted several CBCI-led initiatives — Mindful Educator, Compassionate Leader, and Digital Literacy for Life — designed to nurture integral human development and moral discernment.

He also commended innovative partnerships such as Christ University’s collaboration with UNESCO and Don Bosco Tech’s engagement with India’s Ministry of Skill Development, describing them as expressions of Pope Francis’s vision of an “educational village” where the Church and society co-create pathways of hope.

“Education is hope in action,” Archbishop Gonsalves declared. “Catholic schools and universities must become gardens of hope — communities where reason is illumined by faith, culture is elevated by learning, and the Gospel inspires a world grounded in compassion, justice, and peace.”