Cardinal Pizzaballa calls for education to be a 'sign of hope' in the Holy Land

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, has issued a message for the start of the new school year asking that education become a "sign of hope" for the children of the Holy Land. The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land published the text on August 26, 2026.

Pizzaballa referred to the situation of many children whose classrooms have been destroyed and whose families have been marked by death, displacement and devastation. "There are children whose classrooms no longer exist," he said. He said he trusts that "destruction will not have the last word" and that in time those children will be able to return to "learning and ordinary life."

The role of Christian schools

Christian schools in the Holy Land are "much more than educational institutions," Pizzaballa said. They are pillars of the Christian presence in the region and welcome students and families from different religious traditions, encouraging people to live together, respect one another and remain open to others.

The schools must be open to everyone, he said, but it is essential that they keep their Christian identity, which should be visible in their values, symbols, traditions and daily educational activities. Holding on to that identity under the many pressures these schools face requires "patience, firmness and courage," he said, and it is a responsibility shared by principals, teachers and the whole Church community.

A living and personal religious education

The message also addressed the religious formation of students. It is not enough for a Christian student to recite prayers or mention the sacraments without understanding what they mean, Pizzaballa said. Religious education should lead to a living and personal knowledge of the faith.

Being a Christian in the Holy Land means cultivating a deep relationship with the land of the Gospel and coming to know the mysteries of the faith through the places where they took place, he said. He encouraged schools to make visits to the holy sites part of students' religious formation.

Where distance, borders or restrictions prevent students from reaching those places, schools should look for other ways to bring them closer to the spiritual heritage of the Holy Land, he said, through Scripture, study and visual resources.

The message ends with thanks to educators and families and a prayer for all the children of the region, especially those who lack security and access to education. Pizzaballa said he hopes the schools will remain "places of faith, knowledge, encounter and hope."