Pope Francis Visits UNESCO Headquarters in Paris

The Pope arrived at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Friday, September 25, 2026, as part of his apostolic journey to France. He was received by the organization's director general, Mr. Khaled Al-Anani, and the Holy See's permanent observer to UNESCO. A formal ceremony took place in the Sigor Hall, where senior officials of the organization greeted him before a closed meeting with the director general was held in the UNESCO library. During the meeting, the Pope signed the golden register and exchanged gifts of historical and symbolic value. In a gesture reflecting the Church's commitment to coexistence and brotherhood, the Pope and the director general planted an olive tree in the Garden of Tolerance, affirming the importance of sowing peace in minds and hearts. After listening to a summary of the "Youth Forum in the Digital Age" presented in the main hall with representatives of member states, the Pope delivered a historic address to the world, emphasizing that the future depends primarily on respecting the inalienable dignity of every human being. He called for scientific and technological progress to serve the human person, and for education and culture to become genuine tools for building peace and fraternity among peoples. The Pope stated, "It is a joy to be today in this body of the United Nations, where languages and cultures meet to cooperate on a project that concerns the entire human family: the contribution to preserving peace and security through strengthening cooperation among nations via education, science and culture, with a view to ensuring global respect for justice, law, human rights and fundamental freedoms." He added that building a just world together is, in fact, the very foundation of international cooperation. The Pope's remarks highlighted the Church's longstanding experience in education, noting that for centuries its communities have founded schools and universities, taught literacy, and been present even in the most impoverished and remote areas. Through the Global Educational Pact, Pope Francis sought to incorporate this experience into a broader educational alliance open to all contributions.

He stressed that what matters is not merely the works themselves but the conviction that underlies them: no education is complete unless it addresses the question of meaning. He recalled Pope John Paul II's words that "humanity lives by art and intellect," and that "culture is the way of being that gives meaning to everything a person does." After forty-six years, the Pope reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to cooperation, urging that UNESCO be seen not only as a prestigious international organization but also as a place where humanity reflects on itself, its history and its future. He emphasized that promoting education, science and culture is impossible without strengthening the lives of men and women, who are their protagonists. In the field of education, the Catholic Church possesses extensive experience: for centuries its communities have opened schools and universities, taught reading and writing, and been present even in the most deprived and isolated places. Through the Global Educational Pact, Pope Francis wanted to include this experience in a wider educational alliance open to everyone's contribution. He noted that what he wishes to convey is not the works themselves but the conviction from which they spring, namely that any education must confront the issue of meaning. He reminded the audience that education means helping a person to "be" more, not merely to "have" more, while recognizing the transcendence that distinguishes the person and belongs to their full humanity. The Pope also posed a fundamental question to the assembly: what does it mean to be human? He said every culture concerned with this question touches the point of convergence between all knowledge, art and religion. Even in the twenty-first century, we cannot finally assume we know in advance who a human being is or what it means to live a human life. Each generation is called to face this cultural challenge, especially in the face of tragedies that unfortunately recur today. The Pope began by stating that a human being is one who is carried and born; therefore, to be human means first to be a child.

No one chose to be a child, nor decided from which person, or when or where they would be born. This obvious fact highlights an aspect that is not only biological but also ethical: as children, we are all brothers and sisters. Our humanity is, from the beginning, a gift and a test, a promise and a responsibility. For all human beings, birth entails an inherent bond and a shared life that finds its source and context in the family, the first educational environment. The Pope added that we are all born naked and poor, in need of bread and word, of care and love, of everything that nourishes body and spirit. We know this well, yet we risk, when we become adults, forgetting this truth. The consequences of this forgetting hurt the poorest especially, whenever their humanity is betrayed or rejected, exploited or deceived. Forgetting our birth obscures the idea of human life, separating it from the shared history of all of us. Then life is no longer understood as a gift but as a commodity. It is no longer seen as a call to care and responsibility but as a product for exploitation. This tragic alternative reminds us that to be human means to be free by nature. And because each of us is a child, our freedom begins with responding to the freedom of the one who first addresses us with a word, through acts of kindness or rejection, through loving acceptance or harshness. The Pope concluded by recalling his predecessor Saint John Paul II's words that "humanity lives by art and intellect," and that culture gives meaning to everything a person does. He reiterated the Church's role as a "message" and a "dialogue" addressed to all peoples, to men and women of good will. He thanked Mr. Khaled Al-Anani, director general of the organization, for his warm invitation and for the words he addressed to them. The Pope's visit underscores the shared commitment of the Holy See and UNESCO to promote education, science and culture as essential foundations for a just and peaceful world.