Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 73 No. 4, 2003.
Original scientific paper
Pastoral Care for the Youngest Members of the Church
Josip Šimunović
orcid.org/0000-0003-0253-1393
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Based on empirical data, the article attempts to demonstrate that in Croatian transitional society, the Church must ensure pastoral care for its youngest members. The Church in Croatia can help in the formation for children's qualitative entry into the world of joy, responsibility, a world of quality, friendships, entertainment, freedom, a world of success ... according to the principles of the Good News, in the same manner that Jesus of Nazareth taught. As segment of society, the Church is called to improve the quality of the child's life, because the future of children and of society is to a greater part dependent of the quality of life in childhood. The path for pastoral care of the youngest includes their families, preschool institutions and parish communities.
The conducted research amongst pedagogues in kindergartens who have completed the additional theological-catechetical training as pedagogues for preschool institutions, has confirmed the hypothesis that religious formation in kindergartens is necessary and has been welcomed by the majority in Croatian society, while only a minority find it difficult to accept. This confirms the hypothesis that the youngest members of the Church in Croatian deserve specific pastoral care.
Keywords
religious formation; pedagogue for preschool institutions; family; parish community; pastoral care
Hrčak ID:
27508
URI
Publication date:
10.2.2004.
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