Catholic Education: a Framework for Catholic Administrators in Thailand
The purpose of a Catholic school must be a Catholic school . Any institution that bears the name of Catholic and participate in this mission must find its own specific mission under its shadow maternal. The Catholic school should be, with and for the church because their purpose, identity and mission come from the communion of the Church. In the words of the Congregation for Catholic schools, the Church clearly states that the establishment of the Catholic school is to the mission of the church. It states that “To carry out its mission of salvation within the Church uses, especially, means that Jesus Christ has given you. It also uses other means in different times and in different cultures have proved effective in achieving and promoting development of the human person. She set her own school, because they are considered as a privileged means of promoting the formation of the whole man, since the school is a center in which a specific concept in the world, of man and history develops and spreads. ” the Sacred Congregation for Catholic School stresses the Catholic school for Catholic and clearly presented only for this reason that the Catholic school has the right to exist. It states the following: “While recognizing the right of local churches, the Sacred Congregation believes that now is the time to offer emphasizing its own contribution clearly the value of Catholic school education. It is in this setting that the rationale of the existing Catholic school and the basis of his true ministry is. “ In line with this, the great Bishop Augustine western states “Catholic schools are an extension of the Catholic Church, a cell of the Body of Christ.” Since the Church has a mission in evangelism, she established her own school, because they are considered as a privileged means of promoting the formation of the whole man, since the school is a center in which a specific concept of the world, man, and the story develops and spreads. In support of this view, Deacon Keith Fournier, a deacon of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia said: “The Catholic school derives its” reason for existence, their identity, living in the heart of the Church. Find your missionary work only when it is considered that its location in the Ark of the Church. Therefore, as the Church of which is an extension, the contributions of Catholic schools in the mission of Jesus Christ. “ Finally Catholic schools do not exist for itself. He has his life on the mission of the Church is to evangelize. The existence of Catholics therefore is to inform and educate the student, is an integral human being, in education, “the mind “of the Catholic Church, thus preparing men and women with a profoundly Catholic vision of life. therefore Catholic school finds its true justification in the mission of the Church. This justification finds its meaning in an educational philosophy in which faith, are brought into the culture and life in harmony. Through her evangelizing Catholic school, educates and contributes to the formation of a healthy and morally sound life style among students. the only way school Catholic fulfill its vital mission and has the right to exercise its existence. As mentioned above, the Catholic school gives meaning to the mission of the church. The Church itself is clear of its long mission to seriously reflect on it. In the Catholic school (1977), states that the Church is constantly deepening its consciousness of itself and meditating on the mystery of her being and mission. Therefore it is increasingly rediscover your relationship alive with Christ “to find out more light, energy and joy in the accomplishment of its mission and determine the best way to ensure that his relationship with humanity is closer and more effective “- that humanity of which is a part and yet so undeniably different. His fate is to serve humanity until it reaches its fullness in Christ. Evangelism is, therefore, the mission of the Church, so you must proclaim the good news of salvation to all, create new creatures in Christ through baptism, and enable them to live knowingly as children of God . In light of the above Catholic school as part of the church can not do anything, but to evangelize, so you must proclaim the good news of salvation to all, create new creatures in Christ through baptism, and enable them to live consciously as children of God. the Church realizes that to find his light and strength that needs to constantly renew your relationship alive with Christ. Moved by the Spirit, the Catholic school must always deepen their knowledge and meditate on mystery of his being and mission, so that each time is to rediscover your relationship alive with Christ. As a result of the Catholic school will be able to find more light, energy and joy in the accomplishment of its mission and determine the best way to ensure that their educational mission with young people will be more effective and fruitful until it reaches its fullness in Christ. In the words of the Congregation for Catholic Education The church further shed light on the Catholic school of their commitment. He says: “The Catholic school is committed to bringing the development of all man, since in Christ, the Perfect Man, all human values find their fulfillment and unity. Herein lies the specifically Catholic school. Your duty to cultivate human values in their own legitimate right in accordance with its mission to serve all men has its origin in the figure of Christ. He is the One who ennobles man, gives meaning to human life, and is the model that the Catholic school offers its students. “ The document continues to insist that Catholic schools should transition from one institution to a community. This aspect of the community is mostly built on the theological concept but a sociological category. Catholic school, therefore, reflect the mission entrusted to the Lord, the Church will develop its pastoral instruments so they can be even more effective in proclaiming the Gospel and promoting total human formation. The Catholic school is one of these pastoral instruments, and specific pastoral service consists in mediating between faith and culture: being faithful to the newness of the Gospel and at the same time respecting the autonomy and the appropriate methods for human knowledge. ; The document identifies, in addition, that the Catholic school finds its true justification in the mission of the Church, and is based on an educational philosophy in which faith, from being placed in culture and life in harmony. Through it, local church evangelism, education and contributes to the formation of a healthy and morally sound life style among its members. The Holy Father states that “the need for Catholic schools is evidently clear when we consider what contributes to the mission of the People of God, the dialogue between the Church and the human community, to safeguard freedom of conscience … “. Above all, according to the Holy Father, the Catholic school is contributing to a dual objective:” to their nature, men and women guides human and Christian perfection, and also helps them to mature in their faith. For those who believe in Christ, are two facets of the same reality “ Thus, Catholic schools must deepen their understanding of the mission of the church. Conscious the importance of their mission will give a clear and distinct idea of what Catholic schools should be run as their own and so the service will be directed in the right direction in improving their students in line with the mission of the church. Review Mission Catholic School: A Synthesis of the Faith, Culture and Life < / p> In order to respond to new challenges with fidelity and truth, the Catholic school must review the hallmark of a Catholic school. Moreover, the Church also invites school Catholic and think whether what the Council, have become a reality. The Church is described as: “The Catholic school pursues cultural goals and the natural development of youth in the same way as any other school. What makes the Catholic school distinctive is its attempt to create a climate of community at school that is permeated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and love. Try to guide teenagers in such a way that personality development goes hand in hand with the development of the “new creature” that each has become baptized. It is to relate all human culture to the good news of salvation so that the light of faith illuminates everything that students gradually come to learn about the world, about life and about the human person “(the religious dimension of education in Catholic schools). The Declaration on Christian Education, the document states that “Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise in a Catholic school. His revelation gives new meaning to life and helps man to direct his thought, action and according to the Gospel, the Beatitudes as its standard of living. The fact that in their own individual ways all members of the school community this Christian vision, makes the school “Catholic” gospel principles thus become standards of school education since then has internal motivation and ultimate goal. “This vision is to train students in the development of the whole person in Christ, the Perfect Man. In Him all human values find their fulfillment and unity. Meaning that the core mission of the Catholic school is in Christ and in him finds its expression in the principles of the Gospel. Catholic school so they should be aware of this and is dedicated to cultivate the values humans in their own legitimate right in accordance with its mission to serve all students and their origin in the figure of Christ. Thus the only Catholic school can claim progress on these rules and only Catholic school education itself may qualify . In light of this vision, the Church suggests a means to train their children in school. She considers culture as a means communication to do so. She says that “the Catholic school aims at communicating the critique of human culture and the total formation of the individual, it works towards this goal guided by his Christian vision of reality” through which cultural heritage takes on its special place in the total professional life of man “” The church also suggests that the Catholic school is aware of the relationship between faith and human culture and help them grow beyond the limited human reality. In Gaudium et Spes, said: “The human culture human remains, and should be taught with scientific objectivity. But the lessons of the teacher and receiving students who are not believers faith divorce culture. This would be an important spiritual loss. The world of human culture and the world of religion are like two parallel lines never meet, the contact points are established within the individual. … … …. All must work together, each developing their own subject area with professional competence, but sensitive to opportunities that can help students see beyond the limited horizon of human reality. “ The church is clear that the achievement of Catholic education is in. She believes that the goal of Catholic schools rather than on the method of teaching or issues but in the person of the teacher to be able to integrate culture and faith together. In the same document states that “To achieve this specific objective of the Catholic school depends not so much matter or the methodology and people who work there. The extent to which the Christian message is transmitted through education depends largely on the teachers. The integration of culture and faith is through the integration of faith and life in the person of the teacher. The nobility of the task you are called demands that, in imitation of Christ, the one Teacher, they reveal the Christian message not only in words but in every gesture of his behavior. This is what makes the difference between a school whose education is permeated by the Christian spirit and in which religion is only regarded as an academic subject like any other. “ Again, the communication of culture, teachers have a special role to play. They are the authors of, and participants, more secular aspects of culture and mission, then, is to help students come to understand, from a secular perspective, the global nature that is inherent in the culture, the synthesis that will unite the secular and the religious aspects of culture, and personal contribution to the laity in the state can expect to make the culture. Moreover, the Church considers teachers to be in an excellent position to guide students to deepen their faith and to enrich and illuminate the human knowledge with the data of faith. The Church suggests that teachers need to find occasions in teaching when students can be stimulated by perceptions of the faith. They can use academic subjects to train students for the development of Christian personality and a total commitment to Christ. In addition, teachers also should be concerned with the educational context to which they apply their teaching methods. In support of this aspect of the church says: < ; / p> “culture communication in an educational context implies a methodology, the principles and techniques come together in a coherent pedagogy. A variety of pedagogical theories exist, the choice of the Catholic educator, based on a Christian conception of the human person must be the practice of a pedagogy that places particular emphasis on direct personal contact with students. If the teacher agrees that contact with the conviction that students already possess predominantly positive values, the relationship will allow for openness and dialogue to facilitate understanding of the testimony of faith that is revealed through the behavior of the teacher. “ It follows that the Catholic school must review its entire program of training, both in content and methods used in the light of that vision reality that draws its inspiration and on which it depends. This means that all subjects and all activities in a Catholic school should be conducted and taught in consideration with the culture of the students under the same objective as Christ is the center of their lives and it is the fulfillment of their lives. The achievement of this objective is primarily placed on the teachers’ efforts, their efforts at the crossroads of faith and culture that has become the heart of the subjects individual, makes the unit, articulation and coordination, giving birth in what is learned in school a Christian vision of the world, life, culture and history. Conclusion The intent of this work was presented to Catholic educators in Thailand a framework on which to base its response to new challenges as the crisis of values assumes the forms, often exalted by the media, of subjectivism, moral relativism and nihilism, the extreme pluralism that pervades today’s society leads to patterns of behavior that are sometimes as opposed to each other as to undermine any notion of community identity, and the rapid structural changes, profound technical innovations and globalization of the economy affect human life increasingly worldwide (The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium). To function as an effective Catholic educational institution, the Catholic school can not fail to realize himself as a Catholic. Understanding the concept will come as a Catholic school an accident. You need to be constantly thinking about their mission as part of the church is to evangelize. itself deeply into the actual knowledge of its mission of Catholic schools in Ultimately, crystallize your idea of what the Catholic school is like the light of church teaching. As a result, a framework in which new content, new skills and new educational models can be extracted to meet new challenges. This framework focuses on the importance of the synthesis of faith and culture of life that means integrating all the different aspects of human knowledge and growth that characterize the Christian virtues by the subjects, in light of the Gospel . Achieving this objective is primarily placed on the effort of teachers, their efforts at the crossroads of faith and culture that has become the heart of the subjects individual, makes the unit, articulation and coordination, forward in what is learned in school a Christian world view, life, culture and history. Master also has to lead the student to a personal integration of faith and life through a relationship that allows openness and dialogue to facilitate understanding of the testimony of faith that is revealed through the behavior of the teacher. “ 1. Catholic schools in Thailand should not be clouded only by the vision of how to respond appropriately to new challenges, but also how to preserve its identity as a Catholic school. 2. Catholic schools must give due importance to training of their teachers and also provide them with adequate knowledge and practice. 3. Establishment of Advanced Learning for Catholic Educators should be considered urgent and necessary. Congregation for Catholic Education, Catholic School, 1977. Congregation for Catholic Education, Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, 1982. Congregation for Catholic Education, Religious Dimension of Catholic school education, 1988. Pope John Paul II, at the beginning of the Third Millennium, 2001. Pope John Paul II, The Church in America, 1999. Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, 1997.
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