Formowanie postawy katechety

Abstract

The Church continuously takes care about the formation of catechists, according to the statement of the Catechetical Board that "first there are catechists", and then catechisms, methods or teaching aids (DCG 108). Writing about "The Formation of a Correct Attitude in the Catechist", the author meets the need of the present times, wherein the religious instruction is conducted in the school setting, and sees the need to form the attitude of the catechist. The first part of the paper explains the concept of attitude as a reference of the person to the person, to the subject matter, or the complex reality. Taking up the issue of a correct attitude of the catechist, we touch upon the problem, as the author states, of a personal contact and the catechist’s reference to the contents of Revelation, the catechist’s attitude towards the catechized and their life problems. Finally, what is important is the catechist’s attitude towards himself, and how the mature personal attitude and mature attitude of faith should be formed. The following part of the paper shows the biblical attitudes of the Servants of the Word and the catechist’s attitude towards the Word of God, the Word which the catechist teaches during religious instruction and plays the double role here: that of a disciple and servant of the Word. As a disciple, the catechist should know the Lord and follow Him. Now his service is a grateful response to the gift of the Word. He has received the Word, which he proclaims to others, therefore he feels the Servant of the Word on the model of Christ. The next point shows the attitude of the catechist as a teacher, educator and witness in the process of religious instruction. The formation of the catechist’s attitude as a teacher tends to form such traits of personality as openness, sensitivity, dialogic and ancillary attitudes. As an educator, in the process of catechesis, he leads his pupils to learn the contents of Revelation and to incorporate them in the life of faith. As a witness of the salvational events, he is the "living sign of what he proclaims". The last part discusses the formation of a mature emotional attitude in the catechist. The formation is carried out through a personal contact and depends on the emotional attitude that the catechist adopts towards his pupil. The adequate and mature communication of emotions, full of love and kindness, is called assertiveness, and leads to the formation of a mature attitude of faith.