The Catholic Church's document Gravissimum educationis is the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Christian Education. It was promulgated on 28 October 1965 by Pope Paul VI, following approval by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,290 to 35. The declaration is concerned with "education" in itself, including adult education, and specifically with "Christian education".
To revitalize this teaching, updating it to today's challenges, Pope Francis created the Gravissimum Educationis Foundation â Culture for Education in 2015.
The document is generally referred to by the opening words of its original Latin text, which refer to "how extremely important education is in the life of man".
The document quotes at length from Divini illius Magistri (That divine teacher), an encyclical letter issued in 1929 by Pope Pius XI. In particular, it emphasises the role and purpose of a Catholic school, "proclaim[ing] anew what has already been taught in several documents of the magisterium: ... the right of the Church freely to establish and to conduct schools of every type and level".
After the declaration's introductory material, its numbered sections are as follows:
The document ends with concluding entreaties to young people, priests, religious men and women, and the laity, to "persevere generously", and to "strive to excel in pedagogy and the pursuit of knowledge".
A note referenced in the Introduction refers to several earlier Catholic documents which had already highlighted "the importance of education", including the works of Popes Benedict XV, Pius XI, Pius XII and John XXIII.
Sections 1 and 2 both speak of rights: the universal "right to education", and the right endowed on "all Christians" to access a "Christian education". In outline, the latter right extends beyond "the maturing of a human person" and
The declaration states that To this are added two clarifications:
The declaration itself anticipated that the principles which it enunciated would "have to be developed at greater length by a special post-conciliar commission and applied by episcopal conferences to varying local situations".
On October 28, 2015, Pope Francis founded the Gravissimum Educationis Foundation.
The Foundation is a not-for-profit, and pursues scientific and cultural aims to promote education and culture in the world. In particular, the Foundation aims to promote projects aimed at establishing and consolidating collaborative relationships between entities and institutions active in the educational sector; promote cultural projects and events aimed at fostering, also in the educational sphere, reflection on key topics of contemporary debate and dialogue between arts, cultures and faith; implement projects and initiatives related to the Global Compact on Education.
The Foundation is an instrumental entity and participates in the mission of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See, that preserves and promotes the cultural and educational heritage of the Catholic Church.
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça. The Secretary General is Monsignor Davide Milani, and the Treasurer is Dr. Paolo Buzzonetti.
On October 27, 2025, Pope Leo XIV, at the conclusion of the Jubilee Mass with Pontifical university students, signed an Apostolic Letter entitled Drawing New Maps of Hope in St. Peter's Basilica. The letter, described as "a text that weaves together memory and prophecy, faith and culture, digital awareness and discernment", was made public on the following day, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum educationis.