Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santiago (Agenzia Fides) - A vibrant request, addressed to all Chileans, to commit themselves to winning back trust, was made by the Archbishop of Santiago, His Exc. Mgr. Ricardo Ezzati, on the occasion of the Te Deum celebrated on September 18, National Day of Independence. "It is impossible to grow in distrust - the Archbishop said -. There is a lack of social and polical trust that affects the field of education and culture." With regard to education, Mgr. Ezzati said that "regardless of who mangages it, society and the State must take care of education... the essential thing is the content of education, the quality of teachers. "
On September 23, the Archbishop, in an interview with the newspaper Il Mercurio, whose text was sent to Fides Agency by the Archdiocese of Santiago, underlined these issues. "The claim to offer only material goods to people, to make them feel fulfilled, is wrong - said Mgr. Ezzati -. It is the same with education. If we believe that education is only knowledge, we are wrong. A person is not only the head, but is also the heart, spiritual, social dimension ... When young people rebel against profit, they are right. In the field of education a fundamental dimension has been neglected: gratuity. Not only free economy, but also free education. They have a right to protest, because education has become for many a struggle to reach the highest score."
When asked about how we can change this situation, Mgr. Ezzati said: "We need profound dialogue. We must recognize that there are many elements of truth and justice in social movements, beyond the phenomenon of violence, which is unacceptable. This is why I said in the homily on September 18 that dialogue between social movements and politics is necessary. You cannot think of a policy that does not take into account the experience of contemporary life." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 26/09/2012)
