The Diplomat
The Madrid City Council, the Business Council Alliance for Ibero-America (CEAPI) and the Scholas Occurrentes Foundation met yesterday in the Juan Pablo II Park (Madrid) to plant the olive tree, a symbol of Encounter and Peace, whose commemorative plaque was blessed by His Holiness Pope Francis.
Almudena Maíllo, Delegate Councillor for Tourism of Madrid City Council and Secretary General of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI); Borja Carabante, Delegate of the Environment and Mobility Area of Madrid City Council; José María Del Corral, world director of the Scholas Occurrentes Foundation; and Núria Vilanova, president of CEAPI, attended the planting of this olive tree that the Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, an international organisation of Pontifical Right created by the Pope, gave to the city of Madrid through CEAPI.
“It is necessary to sow, cultivate and then reap the fruits, and today we have taken the first step to make this tree a meeting place for peace, which is already part of the city of Madrid,” said Maíllo during his speech at the 4th CEAPI Ibero-American Congress, appropriating the words of Saint Isidro, patron saint of Madrid.
For his part, Carabante stressed that “Pope Francis is doing incredible work with young people and has touched their conscience”. For this very reason, the councillor wanted to show “the willingness of Madrid City Council to collaborate with all the associations that work with young people and, of course, with Scholas”.
The olive tree is now part of Madrid’s Parque Juan Pablo II, where it can be found next to the plaque that the Holy Father blessed during the trip to the Vatican City of four young people from CEAPI and the Scholas Occurrentes Foundation. A meeting with the Pontiff in which the representatives of the CEAPI Youth Forum and Núria Vilanova were able to exchange ideas and opinions on the opportunities presented to the new generations of Ibero-America.
Núria Vilanova stated that CEAPI’s work “is to unite Ibero-America, and our motto is to believe and create. To believe in our teams, projects and companies and, from there, to create. That is why projects like Scholas are essential because we cannot stop creating without thinking about the new generations.
“We remember at this moment that the first Scholas olive tree in Europe, accompanied by the plaque blessed by Pope Francis, was planted here in Madrid, in Plaza Colón, together with the then mayoress, Ana Botella, and the bishop of Madrid, Monsignor Carlos Osoro. Today, after the work done by Scholas, not only in Madrid but throughout Spain, this olive tree of Pope Francis is now planted in the Plaza San Juan Pablo II, also in continuity with the Popes of the Church and the response of each one to the times in which we live. I thank the president of CEAPI for the Ibero-American Youth Meeting carried out with the Scholas methodology and the authorities of Madrid,” said José María del Corral.
The event also featured the testimony of Felipe Cárdenas, a member of the CEAPI youth group, who gave his vision of the role of young people in global progress. After his experience at the CEAPI – Scholas Ibero-American youth meeting held last May on the occasion of the IV Ibero-American CEAPI Congress, he highlighted the support and willingness of His Holiness Pope Francis to listen to the concerns of the new generations.
