Scholas Occurrentes has its roots in the “Escuela de Vecinos” (“Neighbourhood School”) and “Escuelas Hermanas” (“Sister Schools”) programmes developed in the city of Buenos Aires, at the initiative of the then archbishop, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, and is growing continuously, becoming today an immense worldwide network of schools that share assets, having common objectives, with special attention to those with the least resources.

After acquiring juridical personality in civil law, in Spain, as a non-profit Foundation, and spreading rapidly in more than seventy countries throughout the five continents, in accordance with canons 1303, §. 1, 1°, 116, § 1 and 118, it was recognized as an “autonomous pious foundation” of pontifical law and erected as a private juridical person (cf. can. 116, § 2) within the canonical order, on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on 15 August 2015.

Taking into account that the Pontifical Foundation Scholas Occurrentes today continues to expand its beneficial action and to structure itself as a community of communities and an educational movement of international character, it requires a new juridical form in keeping with this new reality.

Echoing the request expressed by its Founders, I express my approval for the Pontifical Foundation Scholas Occurrentes to become a Private Association of the Faithful of an international character in conformity with canons 298-311 and 321-329, erected as a private juridical person within the canonical order, in accordance with canon 322, § 1.

The aforementioned Association is governed by the Statutes annexed hereto, which are approved by the present Chirograph and form part of it. These Statutes come into force as from 19 March 2022, and from that date all the rights and obligations of the Pontifical Foundation Scholas Occurrentes are in perfectly continuity with the rights and obligations of the new private Association of the Faithful of an international character, Scholas Occurrentes.

All that is established in the present Chirograph is fully valid and effective, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary.

Given at the Vatican City, on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, 19 March 2022, the tenth of my pontificate.

FRANCIS