"Although these messages were originaly given to educators in Argentina, in a certain time and place, with particular social and economic problems in view, they have universal appeal. The challenge to form the whole person, which involves more than providing a child with the ability to calculate, is relevant to teachers everywhere, regardless of their particular circumstances. The cardinal began these reflections with the assertion that teaching is an act of hope, which requires a vision of what it means to be human, the belief that this vision can be realized to some degree even in a fallen world, and the creativity to find ways to achieve it."--Back cover.