Faithful must be equipped to live their faith – Apostolic Nuncio

The faithful must be prepared and equipped to live their faith by the provision of sound education in both schools and in adult life, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli said today.

Archbishop De Paoli focused on the value of education in his speech during the opening session of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Plenary Meeting in Sydney.

“The Catholic School is very much a part of instructing in the faith, although not the only one,” he said. “You have an enviably extensive, strong and justly esteemed system of schools in Australia which serves the Church and Society. To keep it so, a periodic re-visit to its fundamental double challenge is necessary.”

Archbishop De Paoli recalled the recent National Catholic Education Commission conference which asked those involved in Catholic education the twin questions of “How are we doing? And what should we be doing?”

“We quite easily refer to a changing society, which is true, but that changing society is a contribution to, as well as a certain reflection of, the ‘changing Catholicity’ of our faithful as well as of our students,” he said. And this touches the core of the ‘why’ of Catholic Schools.”

Education in the faith is not limited to children in Catholic schools, he said.

“The question of instruction of adults not involved in Church ministries and leading them further in understanding the faith is perhaps even more challenging than that of instructing children and, perhaps, even more important. And this is especially true when the adults are parents.

“As you begin your deliberations, mine is the sentiment and prayer of the first letter to Timothy: ‘take care of all that has been entrusted to you … Grace be with you’: (,20-21).”