(in Polish) Funkcja wychowawcza w teorii i praktyce kościelnej WT-KRS-AL-FW

Church education demands the integral and harmonious development of the human being as a person. In this process, learning - the acquisition of knowledge, the formation of dignity (personalisation), the formation of social attitudes (socialisation), the training of skills and the practical implementation of realised tasks - are equally important. The educational function of the Church is also revealed in these aspects of pedagogy. In the theological-pastoral study of ecclesial education, the different meanings of education in general, religious education, Christian education and Catholic education need to be defined. The historical context of ecclesial pedagogical practice demands the identification of their socio-cultural and religious-moral conditions. Further research can identify opportunities for introducing the principles of education into everyday ecclesial practice. These elements can be treated separately, but will always remain interdependent. This is how they are approached in this work, as mutually interpenetrating, homogeneous elements. Indeed, education is an activity made up of many elements that are interdependent but retain their autonomy.
Given the difficulties of modern man in forming a religious consciousness, fulfilling devotional duties and preserving the principles of Christian life, it is necessary to examine what the reasons for this are. One of them is that the Church, as an institution, pays too little attention to the preparation of its members for their pedagogical functions, so that those who undertake them often have great problems in carrying out their educational tasks. Putting the vision of Christian education in the perspective of the subjects of the Church's activity is essential for the fulfilment of the Church's pastoral mission, which focuses on the proclamation and implementation of the teachings of Jesus, the Gospel Teacher of faith and life.
In the educational function of the Church, theory and practice are intertwined. John XXIII argues that an education which does not link the duty to educate with the task of educating, and which does not link action, undertaken for the sake of experience, with the transmission of learning, is insufficient. This practicalisation of theory in the educational function is the task of pastoral theology. However, it requires the inclusion of Christian anthropology in the theological-pastoral reflection, as well as a diagnosis of current reality in order to discern the relationship between the conditions of human life and the principles of integral development. Christian anthropology and the interpretation of the "signs of the times" will ensure that in ecclesial pedagogy, theory and practice are on an equal footing and can serve a single purpose: to help man in his human development and in the realisation of his vocation to holiness.
Involvement in the educational function of the lay faithful is primarily associated with family and school education, while ecclesial activity is underestimated. However, this is not only the result of the Church's negligence in supporting the apostolate of the laity, but also a consequence of the lack of educational cooperation between pastors and parents. For in the implementation of ecclesial education, neither the priest's contacts with active members of the parish in the ordinary pastoral ministry nor formation in Catholic schools or religious associations are sufficient. A well-organised educational function of the Church requires the cooperation of pastors with parents. In this work, both pastors and parents can find answers to many questions relating to the educational activities of the Church to which they belong, which they themselves form and in whose mission they participate.
The main purpose of the lecture is to point out the basic theological-pastoral problems that arise from the theory and practice of the Church's educational function. Various methodological schemes can be used in the scientific reflection on ecclesial education. In order to put into practice the principles of social doctrine, which by virtue of the subject matter dealt with is similar to the Church's educational function, one first examines what the actual state of affairs is, then makes a careful assessment of this state of affairs in the light of the principles, and finally determines what can and should be done to put the principles given into practice according to the circumstances of place and time. These three stages of action are sometimes referred to by the words: "investigate, evaluate, act".
In this scheme, proposed by John XXIII, it is assumed that principles are ready-made material that can be used. However, in order to identify principles, a thorough theological and pastoral research is needed. To carry them out, it is necessary to refer to the revealed sources and the Magisterium of the Church. Important material for this research is also the results of reflection carried out within the various theological specialities, which help to prepare theological theories. Finally, a very useful factor in establishing principles is the experience flowing from ecclesiastical practice.
This content richness of the principles of ecclesial activity points first to the possibility of using them as a building block in interpreting the changes taking place in the Church and in the world, and then in staging their practical use (practical syllogism). The principles, however, can be treated as a certain whole in which both the potential possibilities of Christian development and the current conditions of the educational function carried out by the Church are accommodated. This is also how it is framed in this work.
Practical syllogism, which is used by pastoral theology, is useful above all in research concerning the salvific mission of the Church. The fundamental ingredient of principle in the fulfilment of this mission is Revelation and the Magisterium, from which the immutable truths that condition the supernatural character of the Church's salvific mission emerge. John XXII puts this criterion of "truth" as follows: "If, however, it happens that in a particular matter the Church hierarchy recommends or decides something, Catholics must of course strictly adhere to it. For the Church has the right and the duty not only to safeguard the integrity of the principles of religion and morals, but also to take an authoritative stand when it comes to putting these principles into practice".
The salvific mission of the Church is fulfilled in pastoral ministry, which is supported by evangelistic, apostolic and educational activities, as well as socio-cultural and educational activities in the broadest sense. In the study of the various aspects of ecclesiastical education in a broad sense, a fundamental role is played by revealed Truth, which makes it possible to explain and interpret the human conditions of the pedagogical process (signs of the times). The Church, which wants to serve contemporary man, "has the duty to study the signs of the times and explain them in the light of the Gospel, so that she can answer people's perennial questions about the meaning of present and future life and their relationship to each other in a way that is adapted to the mentality of each generation. It is therefore necessary to know and understand the world in which we live and its sometimes dramatic expectations, aspirations and characteristics".
In the perspective of ecclesial education, both man and the world and the changes taking place in it are signs of the times that need to be known and interpreted in the light of the Gospel. This does not mean that the supernatural character of Gospel Truth loses its meaning and value. For in this case, it is not a question of prioritising Truth, but of emphasising the human character of ecclesial education, which as a "sign of the times" is the work of man cooperating with God's grace.
In examining the Church's educational function as a 'sign of the times', the teaching of John XXIII, who believed that Catholics should adopt an attitude full of objective benevolence towards other people's views, not try to turn everything to their own advantage, and show a readiness to cooperate loyally in the pursuit, by common efforts, of what is either good by its very nature or leads to good. The process of church education is such a form of activity which is good by its very nature. Any other education can also be accepted by the Church if it leads to good. In such educational cooperation, however, Catholics must be "as careful as possible to act always in accordance with their own conscience and not to resort to such compromises, because of which either religion or the integrity of morals could raise harm".
If the assumption is made that in the study of the educational function of the Church, principles are not an exclusive part but are treated as theory in practice, then the theological-pastoral reflection becomes at the same time a pastoral pedagogy, i.e. a theory for the practice of ecclesial education. For the point is that the principles that are prepared for practice already become practice in the phase of their creation, since the best ecclesial practice is a good pastoral ecclesiology. This is the nature of the theological-pastoral principles of education, since ecclesial pedagogy seeks to educate human beings by making demands on them, justifying them and pointing out the paths that lead to the realisation of these demands. This is in harmony with the nature of the evangelical principles, which in themselves reflect the Truth, but at the same time have a pedagogical character in that they make concrete demands on man, helping him to follow Christ.
The purpose of the lecture on the educational function is to formulate concrete educational theories and to indicate the possibilities of their practical implementation in the current conditions of church and world life. It should be emphasised, however, that the effectiveness of the actions taken in the educational function depends on the degree and manner in which the principles of pastoral educational theory are implemented. Since they are conditioned by the processes that take place both in the Church and in the world, it is therefore necessary to continually carry out theological-pastoral research aimed at adapting the educational function to ecclesial theory and practice. The theological-pastoral research concerning the educational function poses ever greater and more serious tasks with regard to the organisation of education, as well as the aims, methods and means of education.
The study of the Church's educative function brings together two types of pastoral concerns, which are distinct and have their own autonomy, but at the same time together form a whole. On the one hand, it is the salvific mission (pastoral care supported by evangelisation and apostolate) which is the foundation of the educational function. On the other hand, consideration must be given to the theory and practice of ecclesial education, in which pastoral and pedagogical elements are combined. Pedagogical theories, focusing on the foundations of education, create models. The ecclesial pedagogical experience, on the other hand, is of a practical nature and is directed towards the possibilities of improving pastoral action, the permanent development of the ecclesial community and the renewal of the pedagogical means used in the practice of ecclesial education.
The interdisciplinary nature of the study of the ecclesial function of education calls for ecclesiology, anthropology and pastoral praxeology on the one hand. On the other hand, knowledge from the secular sciences, which is complementary and supportive, helps to carry out a correct interpretation of the phenomenon of ecclesial education. In pastoral research, the educational practice itself is also very important, which, in relation to ecclesial pedagogy and the customs and traditions associated with it, provides the necessary scientific information. For methodological reasons, the description and evaluation of the activities undertaken within the educational function of the Church demand a distinction between two concepts: education as a phenomenon and educational practice. The phenomenon of upbringing is a broader concept. For it encompasses the theoretical foundations of education, but in close connection with practice. Educational activities, on the other hand, have a purely practical dimension and, in ecclesiastical activity, can be carried out on the basis of already existing structures with the use of intuitive knowledge and general apostolic or pastoral skills by educators.
In the development of theories for the educational function of the Church, the use of pedagogical knowledge is necessary. Dialogue between theologians and pedagogues can be hampered because, according to some theorists, scientific (academic) pedagogy is experiencing a crisis of blurring the boundaries between science, philosophy and ideology, resulting in a lack of clarity about the object, tasks, methods and boundaries of a scientific theory of education as opposed to a 'non-scientific pedagogy' of the practical and philosophical type. There is much evidence of this, such as: 1) exuberant meta-pedagogical reflection at the expense of pedagogical cognition; 2) assimilation by pedagogy of too many elements from distant fields of knowledge, leading to the loss of its own object of interest; 3) atrophy of professional pedagogical language. Scientific (academic) pedagogy "no longer teaches pedagogical looking and thinking, it uses a language that, when used in the presence of lay people, parents and non-professional educators, takes away its speech". The chaos of the technical language of pedagogy is not only a manifestation of the confusion in educational theory, but also one of its causes, argues Wolfgang Brezinka.
Pastoral theology does not enter into the terrain of these disputes between theorists and practitioners of education. In the study of the ecclesiastical function of education, however, the achievements of the secular sciences, especially pedagogy, should be taken into account as supporting material, but only insofar as they serve the research objectives of the theological-pastoral reflection. Taking into account, therefore, the differences in terminology used by theorists and practitioners of education, their achievements can be used in pastoral theology to develop the theory and practice of ecclesial education. The pedagogical sciences and pastoral theology should therefore maintain their autonomy, while at the same time creating optimal conditions for exchange and dialogue between scholars (theologians and pedagogues) and the practitioners of education.
Pastoral theology is an interdisciplinary science, so in their research pastoralists make use of the methodology and language of the human sciences (psychology, sociology, pedagogy, medicine), of philosophy, as well as of the practical sciences. This is one source of enriching the cognitive value of theological-pastoral research. For pastoral theology is concerned with creating holistic, integral concepts of the phenomena under study. With regard to the educational function of the Church, pastoral theology has the task of developing both a critical theory of education and preparing a reflective pedagogical practice. In examining the educational function of the Church, the pastoralist must therefore take an unbiased view of the achievements of the pedagogical sciences in order to critically evaluate their scientific conceptions of education. At the same time, the objectivity of the study of ecclesial education also requires the pastoralist to take a critical approach to the Church's pedagogical theory and practice.
In theological and pastoral research, the methodological assumption must be that the Church's pedagogical theory and practice focuses on man, who will always remain a mystery not only to science but also to himself. At the same time, pastoral theology, following the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, discovers the mystery of man in Christ, who has entered into his "heart". Vatican II thus rightly teaches that the mystery of man is only truly explained in the mystery of the Incarnate Word. Christ, the new Adam, already in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of his Love, reveals man fully to man himself and shows him his highest vocation. Christ, who is "the image of the invisible God", is the perfect man who restored to the sons of Adam the likeness of God, deformed since the first sin. Since in Him the assumed nature was not destroyed, by the same token it was also elevated in every human being to a high dignity. The Son of God, through His incarnation, united Himself to every human being. With human hands He worked, with human mind He thought, with human will He acted, with human heart He loved, born of the Virgin Mary, He became truly one of us, in all things like us except sin.
The teaching of the Second Vatican Council, as well as of the Popes, especially John Paul II, shows that today the priority of pastoral mission is man, whom the Church serves in his integral development and helps to fulfil his vocation. Man, then, is the Church's path which leads, as it were, at the base of all those paths which the Church should follow, since every man without exception has been redeemed by Christ and with every man without exception Christ is united in some way, even if he were not aware of it.
The recognition of the Church's fundamental journey in man, however, does not change the essence of her salvific mission, for it is Jesus Christ who is the permanent beginning and perpetual centre of the mission which God has directed to man. In this mission all Christians, members of the Body of Christ, must participate. And if this mission seems to encounter more resistance in the modern age than ever, this circumstance also testifies to the fact that it is more needed and more expected in this age than ever.
The lecture on the educational function of the Church is a response to this new challenge relating to her activity. The contemporary Church is not free from internal difficulties and tensions, but at the same time she is more inwardly secure against the excesses of self-criticism and "more critical of various unwise criticisms", more resistant to various "novelties", more mature in the spirit of "discernment", more capable of bringing out of the eternal Treasury "things new and old", more focused on her own Mystery and, through all this, more ready to serve the salvation of all. For God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth". This new situation of the Church also poses new tasks for pastoral theology. One of the priority tasks seems to be to reflect on ecclesial education, which will enable the Church to focus on the human person, who must be educated and formed in the spirit of Christ's Gospel. Church education is a human activity to which the words of Christ can be applied: "the sons of this world are more prudent ... than the sons of light". However, education should be integrated into the great mission of the Church: to show Christ to the world, to help each person to find himself in him, to help contemporary humanity to know the "unfathomable riches of Christ", since he is a good for each person.
It is in the educative function that the Church encounters man in the whole truth of his life, his conscience, in his ever-affirming sinfulness, and at the same time in his ever-revealing striving for truth, goodness, beauty, justice and love. The Second Vatican Council, in presenting the situation of man in the modern world, emphasised the immanent truth of humanity: "For in man himself many elements combat one another. For, being a creature, he experiences, on the one hand, manifold limitations; on the other hand, he feels unlimited in his desires and called to a higher life. Attracted by many enticements, he must constantly choose between them and renounce some. Moreover, being weak and sinful, he often does what he does not want to do rather than what he would like to do. Hence he suffers a rift within himself, from which in turn so many and such great rifts are born in society".