Pope Francis inaugurates new Scola Occurrentes and says "... that is what I notice in Scholas; that is, to "believe" for freedom."

INAUGURATION OF THE NEW HEADQUARTERS OF “SCHOLAS OCCURRENTES”

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER

San Calixto Palace
Friday, December 13, 2019


What happened to hearing all this happening in Scholas?

I think the first thing that comes to me is: "express, freedom, not be afraid, uninhibited" All those words that have come to my heart. The ability to get out what you have inside, but that in an accompanied way, not only. If you start to get out what you have inside alone, you can go crazy or invent defenses so you don't go out. When you do it in a group, the group contains you and helps you, and together they make their way, they make history.

The capacity for disinhibition - which I saw - which creates in the boys and girls who participate in Scholas, is great and healthy.

Disinhibit yourself in the good sense of the word, that is, that there is nothing that does not allow you to express yourself. And that has a word that expresses everything: poetry.

That is, what Scholas "triggers" in each one is "poetry."

Poetry does not mean alienating into things that are flying overhead. But, poetry is - as the etymology of the word says - "creativity."

And the man and the woman are either creative or remain infants, boys, they don't grow up. What makes you grow is creativity, and that is what I see in all these. That each one has grown.

And this creativity accompanied by symbols, stories, stories that are symbols. Starting with the "crazy" of La strada and today the "Telemachus." I still have on my desk the little stone that was given to me the first year after the madman of La Strada. I have it there, and I remember that.

It is a whole path, but a path of poetry, a poetry that leads you to creativity and to understand the human path. The great "models" of human cravings, human wisdom or human failures, but they show you the way, and that is what I notice in Scholas; that is, to "believe" for freedom.

And one thing I said with the first ladies, is that Scholas does not proselytize, creates freedom. Because you bet on what each one has in his heart, which is the ability to grow and make his future. That's what I feel.