On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the conciliar Declaration Gravissimum educationis, Pope Leo XIV has published the Apostolic Letter Drawing New Maps of Hope (28 October 2025).

In this text, the Holy Father invites the Church and the entire Catholic educational community to renew their commitment to an integral form of education — one that unites faith and culture, knowledge and justice, tradition and innovation.

Pope Leo XIV describes the Church’s educational mission as a true “constellation of hope”, in which schools, universities, religious congregations, families, and lay people collaborate to form free, responsible, and open-hearted persons. Education, he affirms, is one of the highest expressions of Christian charity and a concrete way of building fraternity and peace.

Among the central themes of the Letter, the Pope highlights:

• the enduring value of Gravissimum educationis and of the Global Compact on Education;
• the centrality of the person and the family in the educational process;
• the need for a wise and humane use of digital technologies;
• the urgency of education for peace, social justice, and care for creation.

With a prophetic and encouraging tone, Pope Leo XIV calls upon educational communities to “draw new maps of hope,” urging them to disarm their words, lift their gaze, and guard their hearts — choosing the way of gentleness, dialogue, and trust.

Read the full text of the Apostolic Letter