Scholas Occurrentes concluded its Second International Meeting on Meaning at the Vatican on Thursday, honoring Pope Francis as its spiritual founder and unveiling new global initiatives aimed at fostering education, peacebuilding, and ethical innovation among young people.
The three-day gathering, held in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall, brought together youth leaders, religious figures, academics, and government representatives from more than 30 countries.
The meeting opened with a visit to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where participants paid tribute to Pope Francis. Argentine Bishop Mons. Ariel Torrado Mosconi led the ceremony.
By day’s end, participants reflected on “the beauty of Pope Francis’ legacy for young people” and outlined the network’s vision leading to 2030.
Scholas’ newly launched “Scholas 2030” plan includes the rollout of its first global app, which aims to connect 7.5 million students, educators, and parents.
The organization also announced the expansion of its programs in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore, as well as renewed efforts in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
The plan further includes the creation of film schools in Africa and Latin America, along with the release of three new film productions.
On the second day, participants joined the public audience of Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square. During the gathering, inclusion advocate Juan Pablo Dos Santos handed the pope a Scholas t-shirt on behalf of youth from the network.
Back at the Synod Hall, panels tackled urgent global concerns, including artificial intelligence, interreligious dialogue, and ethical communication.
Among the speakers were Mons. Lucio Ruiz, secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications, and Catholic Argentine influencer Lucas Rodriguez.
Scholas also announced its next major event: the International “Youth for Peace” Encounter, which will bring together young people from different cultures and religions—including Israeli and Palestinian youth—for a process of “formation, dialogue, and collective creation around peace.”
One of the most emotional sessions was a panel titled Art as a Language of Meaning, where Sicilian youth Giuseppe Burrafato and Pietro Macaione shared their experience with the Aldeas Mov project and meeting filmmaker Martin Scorsese in their hometown.
A video message from Scorsese was also shown, where the director expressed his support for Aldeas: A New Story, a film project on adolescent mental health and suicide prevention.
“I believe the Aldeas Scholas project is a beautiful dream,” Scorsese said. “And in this moment in human history, it’s truly a necessity.”
The meeting also saw the launch of the Algor-Ethics initiative through the signing of an agreement titled Algorithms for Humanity – Technology in the Service of the Common Good, reinforcing Scholas’ commitment to “ethical and human-centered innovation.”
In his closing remarks, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, emphasized the central role of education in the vision of both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.
The event ended with Cardinal Tolentino blessing an Olive Tree of Peace, dedicated to new Scholas communities in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay—symbolically uniting “the Global South with the Global South.”
