Religious education

How often we are witnessing the wrong attitude of children and youth during the celebration of the Eucharist. It is common to see them running around the Church, eating, sending texts and playing. All under the sight of the parents who do not correct, inviting them to behave and respect the House of God.

Obviously, the religious education is absent. Children and youth, as well as parents, do not have any idea of what's going on during the celebration of the Mass thus, not participating.  In a country like the Philippines where 80 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, it is difficult to explain such situation. What is the reason? Where can we find the answer?  Very simple, just read a very interesting document titled "Declaration on Christian Education" (Gravissimum Educationis) proclaimed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on October 28 1965.

In this important document explaining and guiding all concerns about the seriousness of education in the life of man and how its influence ever grows in the social progress of old age. Although the 12 sections are of great interest, section 3 “The Authors of Education?” retains my attention. Hereafter is an excerpt:

“Since parents have given children their life, they are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their offspring's and therefore must be recognized as the primary and principal education. This role of education is so important that only with difficulty can it be supplied where it is lacking. Parents are the ones who must create a family atmosphere animated by love and respect for God and man, in which the well-rounded personal and social education of children is fostered. Hence, the family is the first school of the social virtues that every society needs. It is particularly in the Christian family, enriched by the grace and office of the sacrament of matrimony, that children should be taught from their early years to have knowledge of God according to the faith received in Baptism, to worship Him and to love their neighbor. Here, too, they find their first experience of a wholesome human society and of the Church. Finally, it is through the family that they are gradually led to a companionship with their fellowmen and with the people of God. Let parents, then, recognize the inestimable importance a truly Christian family has for the life and progress of God's own people.

The family, which has the primary duty of imparting education, needs help from the whole community. In addition, therefore, to the rights of parents and others to whom the parents entrust a share of the work of education, certain rights and duties belong indeed to civil society, whose role is to direct what is required for the common temporal good. Its function is to promote the education of youth in many ways, namely: to protect the duties and rights of parents and others who share the education and to give them aid; according to the principle of subsidiary, when the endeavors of parents and other societies are lacking, to carry out the common good demands, to build schools and institutions.

Finally, in a special way, the duty of education belongs to the Church, not merely because she must be recognized as a human society capable of education, but especially because she has the responsibility of announcing the way of salvation to all men, of communicating the life of Christ to those who believe, and, in her unfailing solicitude, of assisting men to be able to come to the fullness of this life. The Church is bound as a mother to give to those children an education by which their whole life can be imbued with spirit of Christ and at the same time do all she can to promote for all peoples the complete perfection of the human person, the good of earthly society and the building of a world that is more human.”

“It has been said that if a boy has not acquired an apostolic spirit by the age of 14, his faith is in danger.”

(John Cardinal Heenan, Archbishop of Westminster on March 19, 1963)

The Church is not a playground or a market place. It is the House of God, a House of Silence, Contemplation and Prayer. She must be respected. Let us seriously reflect about it and do something for the benefits of parents, educators, children and youth bringing them closer to the Church, to God.