During the annual reception at the Vatican Embassy this year to mark the 7th anniversary of the pontificate of his holiness pope Benedict XVI, His Excellency Paul Tschang In-Nam the apostolic Nuncio to Uganda made key notes to broaden educational spectrum; with special attention and need to integrate holistic educational opportunities. Basing himself on the Papal message, the nuncio made the following observations:
World day of peace
The prelate says: This year the pope’s message is dedicated to the theme of the education of the youth, with the title: “educating young people in justice and peace.” It is addressed to the all the stake –holders in the sector of education, namely: “to parents, families and all those involved in the area of education and formation, as well as to leaders in the various spheres of religious, social, political, economic and cultural life and in the media” (n.1). And his holiness has words for each one of them. First, on top of the ladder is the important and indispensable role of the family in the education of their children. True education takes place, first of all in the family, since parents are the first educators. “It is in the family that children learn the human and Christian values which enable them to have a constructive and peaceful co-existence. It is in the family that they learn solidarity
between generations, respect for rules, forgiveness and how to welcome others. The family is the first school in which we are trained in justice and peace.” Underlining the irreplaceable and primordial role of the parents in the education of the youth, the Pope encourages them to educate “children by the example of their lives” (n.2).
Leaders of Educational Institutions
To those incharge of educational institutions, the pope reminds them that “every educational setting can be a place of openness and transcendence to others; a place of dialogue, cohesiveness and attentive listening, where young people feel appreciated for their personal abilities and inner riches, and can learn to esteem their brothers and sisters” (n.2). To the political leaders the pope asks “to offer concrete assistance to families and educational institutions in the exercise of their right and duty to educate. Adequate support should never be lacking to parents in their task
…” in this regard, the nuncio was happy to express his appreciation to the Ugandan government for their efforts to make the universal primary education as well as secondary education available for the whole population. The pope further exhorts the politicians: “let them give young people a transparent image of politics as a genuine service to the good of all” (n.2). Educational Content
As for the content of education, the pope reminds us that education should aim towards “the integral formation of the person, including the moral and spiritual dimension, focused upon man’s final end and that of the society to which he belongs.” The truth regarding the human person should be the foundation of all education, since “man is a being who bears within his heart a thirst for the infinite, a thirst for truth- a truth which is not partial but capable of explaining life’s meaning- since he was created in the image and likeness of God…. Hence, the first step in education is learning to recognize the creator ‘s image in man, and consequently learning to have a profound respect for every human being” (n.3) The pope concludes his message addressing the youth with the following words: “Dear young people, you are a precious gift for society. Do not yield to discouragement in the face of difficulties and do not abandon yourselves to false solutions which often seem the easiest way to overcome problems. Do not be afraid to make a commitment to face hard work and sacrifice, to choose the paths that demand fidelity and constancy, humility
and dedication!” (n.6).
Educational Institutions
“I am proud of the contribution of the local church in this important sector of youth education,” the prelate remarked in his speech. The Catholic Church in this country has 4,175 primary schools with the total number of 2,799,434 students, 603 secondary schools (with 290,402 students), 8 high educational institutions (1,331 students) and 3 universities (3,512 students). I take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to those priests, religious brothers and sisters,
and lay faithful who dedicate themselves to the education of the youth. The Church is grateful for your dedication and commitment with which you serve not only the faithful of the Catholic Church, but also the entire population in this important sector of education for a brilliant future of the society.
Congratulatory notes
This year Uganda is celebrating 50 years of independence. We congratulate all theUgandan people and the government for this happy occasion. We thank God for all the good things Uganda has achieved during the last 50 years. At the same time, we encourage the Ugandan people in their efforts towards peace, stability, reconciliation. We accompany you in your efforts for economic development, transparency and good governance, peaceful coexistence among different currents of thoughts based on mutual respect, and sincere collaboration for the common good of the society. Our sincere best wishes for Uganda, so that it may become a country where every citizen can live with due dignity and respect.
It all ended in a toast for the prosperity and well- being of people of Uganda and for the President his Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. May God bless Uganda! Present were the dean of diplomatic corps, H.E Jeroen Verheul, dignitaries, his Grace Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Chairman of Uganda Bishops’ conference, Bishops, Priests, Religious, lay faithful, Representatives
of different church institutions.
