Katecheza grup szczególnej troski

Abstract

As the personas who are especially loved by Jesus Christ the Church regards those who – especially among the smallest – suffer from some physical, mental, and other handicaps. Recently, we have noticed a growing social and ecclesial awareness and an indubitable progress of special pedagogy. Therefore family and other formative institutions may provide appropriate catechesis for such people, to which they are entitled as those who are baptized, that is called to salvation. The Magisterial Office of the Church emphasizes that one should avoid the risk that catechesis of this kind, of necessity specialistic, could become pushed to the margins of communal pastoral care. The Catechetic Directory of the Catholic Church in Poland teaches that these persons should be offered appropriate religious instruction beth at school and in their parish, or in other formative institutions, supporting especially their family. The most recent Curriculum for the Catechesis of the Catholic Church in Poland (2001) presents the catechetic aims of the groups of special care. Therefore it defines the purposes of religious teaching and upbringing in school. It presents actions designed to carry out catechetic aims by teachers. They are named tasks of religious instruction. It makes precise the contents, that is defines indispensable information, which the curriculum of religious instruction should contain. It determines procedures by which to accomplish aims, that is describes knowledge and skills acquired by students. They are the result of the teacher’s effort to fulfil concrete tasks and transmit contents in order to carry out the catechetic aims of religious instruction. The Church stresses its specific contribution into the help for people of special care, especially by being faithful to the example and teaching set by its Founder. Jesus Christ in the first place took particular care about the suffering, giving them His merciful love in His ministry and showing them His redemptive power. This power encompasses man in his uniqueness and fullness. Through words and deeds he gave them to know that those marginalized, the poor, suffering and sick were privileged addressees of the Good News about the Kingdom of God which had entered the history of mankind. Following the example of Christ, the fellowship of His disciples has made that over the ages the works of extraordinary magnanimity have brought fruit. They are the testimony of faith and hope place in God. The catechesis of the groups of special care joins this mission. It is conducted in every Polish school and in all milieus where such people live.