The fifth Catholic Education Conference about “Education, Family and Mercy” started in Santiago de Chile yesterday, promoted by the Episcopal Conference of Chile (CECh) and FIDE. After the initial greetings of Msgr. Héctor Vargas, in charge of the CECh education area, and Jesús Triguero, president of FIDE, the initial address was made by Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, archbishop of Santiago and President of CECh, who emphasised the “virtue typical of the progressive dynamism of education: hope”, saying: “Hope is the most urgent thing needed by our people today”. Then, Card. Ezzati pointed out the service performed by the Church in favour of education; he said: “It is not enough, or it is not good to linger on assessing whether a certain law damages or fosters Catholic education”, since “a prophetic mission has to be fulfilled: rooting Catholic education as a service for the country”. “Christian faith can be announced and may originate in all environments, all cultures, and under all circumstances”. Moreover, President of CECh referred to the Year of Mercy, hoping that all the Catholic schools of the country will be welcoming, “open doors”.