In a message to the participants of the 22nd National Congress of the Italian Catholic Union of Middle School Teachers, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State of the Holy See said that an, “appreciation for the positive value of life must be communicated to young people, stirring up in them the desire for dedicating themselves to service of the Good.”

In his message sent in the name of Pope Benedict XVI, the cardinal said the formation of the new generations today requires “the development of educational and pastoral strategies that respond to the hopes of young people of the third millennium.”

Such an endeavor requires the “responsible contribution of everyone: teachers, parents, pastors, and all people genuinely concerned about the future of humanity,” he stressed.

Cardinal Bertone also expressed the Pope’s appreciation for the work of their organization, which is very active in promoting proper formation for teachers, especially in spiritual and religious matters.  

Continue forward, Bertone said, “courageously facing the challenges of the modern era.”