XVII. European FORUM RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS AS ACCOMPANYING ON THE ROAD TO EMAUS EUROPEAN SOCIETY BETWEEN FAST CHANGES

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1 XVII. European FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS AS ACCOMPANYING ON THE ROAD TO EMAUS EUROPEAN SOCIETY BETWEEN FAST CHANGES AND CHRISTIAN IDENTITY Katowice, 30 March 3 April 2016 St. Martin Home (Central of Caritas) ul. Wita Stwosza 20, Katowice (Poland) ks. Roman Buchta: tel ; r.buchta@wp.pl ks. Robert Kaczmarek: tel ; robert.kaczmarek@archidiecezja.katowice.pl

2 XVII. European FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS Dear Madams and Sirs On behalf of EuFRES Education Office we have the honour to invite you to participate in our next conference which will be held in Katowice from 30th March to 3rd April The main topic of the meeting is : Religious education as accompanying on the road to Emaus. According to the EuFRES tradition academics and people responsible for religioius education in state schools from European countries will take part in the conference.eufres is and independent religious-pedagogic research and sharing experience committee in the field of religious education in schools. This initiative, financially independent from public, national and European institutions, derives from the catholic environment but is open to other faiths. According to our statutes, the participants themselves incur all the travel and participation costs as well as contribute to overall costs of the conference. The Education Office, chosen by the plenary assembly, is responsible for all activities concerning the meeting organization, including setting up studies conferences and examining current enquiries referring to education and upbringing which constitute part of mutual interest of EuFRES members. The statutes of the organization, to be found on the website, contain all the guidelines for the rules of the meeting. During the 17th EuFRES conference the debate on the issues concerning the contribution of religious education to shaping bonds of European societies will be held. One should pay special attention to the role played by religious education on ways of faith of children and the youth in the context of contemporary social-religious situation in particular countries. This is the subject of academic lectures as well as sharing experiences of the participants. In the enclosed materials there is a detailed agenda and enrollment form of the meeting in Katowice. As it was during the previous conference, translation and interpretation of speeches will be provided in the following languages: Italian, English, German, Spanish and Polish. We kindly ask you to convey this information to all interested in the subject and to those who deal with these issues professionally or are responsible for religious education in schools. According to our customs, each participant has an opportunity to give comments on a given topic in the form of spontaneous speech or previously prepared lecture. You are all warmly welcome to share your personal experience in the topic. We look forward to meeting you at the conference in Katowice. Filippo Morlacchi President of EuFRES Roman Buchta Secretary-General of EuFRES

3 XVII. European FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS Subject of Conference Religious education in schools as accompanying on the road to Emaus European society between fast changes and Christian identity. Initiated in the last decades social transformations in Europe led to radical religious cultural changes. The complexity of the surrounding living contexts, ubiquitous pluralism of systems offering indifference to life goals and values, made people face previously unprecedented demands concerning shaping the vision of their own world. As a result, a lot of christened face the problem of losing their religious identity. Among a whole host of promises of sensible and fulfilled life, the Christian address seems to be one of many proposals. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is an offer which must be proved of its sensibility and rightness in this polyphonic concert. As a result of the undergoing changes, over the last years the context of religious education has changed too. There is an increasing number of students taking part in religious education but devoid of personal faith experience. According to teachers reports from European countries, plenty of students cannot make the sign of the cross or say Paternoster prayer. Also the building of church and the Holy Mass are almost entirely alien to them as well as charity and mission activities which remain totally unknown. It is hard to talk about any kind of religious upbringing in many European families. This is reinforced by the fact of uncertainty of faith and lack of welldeveloped religious knowledge. Among other unfavorable social causes one should point at widely common distance from faith and the Church. Some parents reject religious education by definition, driven by falsely understood respect for their children s freedom which, in parents opinion, faith should be left to their children s independent decision. However, it is often forgotten that one can intentionally resist something which had been well studied and understood before. A lot of parents are of the opinion that their sacrosanct duty of religious education should be left to the specialists in a parish and school (see: GE 3). In this case when so many children and adolescents in Europe have only an occasional contact with a parish, the school religious education is for them the most important place to meet the Christian address. Thus religious education must not be disregarded (see: CT 69) but be the way of asking and considering crucial life questions, seeking answers in the light of the gospel. Of great importance remains the fact that the vision of contemporary students life is shaped in the context of religious pluralism. Coexistence of Christians catholics and protestants with representatives of other religions has been present in schools for long now. For many decades the Muslim minority has been living in Europe and has significantly increased due to the recent refugees immigration. In some countries a big part of citizens has been irreligious for generations. Besides, religiousness scattered by its syncretism is becoming more popular. Sociologists of religion draw attention to the problem of patchwork or bricolage religiousness. This social trend is reflected in schools too. Even in confessional type of homogenous classes students represent very diverse attitudes to faith and the Church. One can be noticed that a significant number of students are truly open and show a genuine interest in the Christian address, but there are also those who present a distant attitude towards the Church. In this case it seems reasonable to set the main question of our forum: How can religious education accompany young people from different European countries on their road to Emaus?

4 Agenda Wednesday Up to Arrival at Kraków/Katowice airport transfer to St. Martin Home (Centrala Caritas) or to Park Hotel Diament Accommodation Dinner (St. Martin Home) OPENING FORUM Openning Introduction programme and participants Welcome ceremony - J.E. ks. abp dr Wiktor Skworc, Metropolitan Archbishop - Ks. prof. Filippo Morlacchi, President of EuFRES Thursday 8.00 Eucharist (preparation: Spanish group) 31-O Breakfast (St. Martin Home) TOPIC I 9.30 Europe as a society becoming more complex and diverse. European students between secularized, positivist approach, in fear of the future and looking for sense PROF. DR. MICHAEL EBERTZ, FREIBURG Break coffee Group discussion (in language groups) Group questions and discussion with the presenter Lunch (St. Martin Home) CONTRIBUTION Contribution from specific countries - I Break coffee CONTRIBUTION Contribution from specific countries - II Dinner (St. Martin Home) Cultural program Friday 8.00 Eucharist (preparation: the Polish group) Breakfast (St. Martin Home) TOPIC II 9.30 Religious education as accompanying: from superficiality to spirituality and meeting incarnate God. DR HAB. ELŻBIETA OSEWSKA TARNÓW, PAŃSTWOWA WYŻSZA SZKOŁA ZAWODOWA Discussion with the presenter Break coffee CONTRIBUTION Contribution from specific cantries - III Lunch (St. Martin Home) CONTRIBUTION Contribution from specific cantries - IV CULTURAL PROGRAM Trip to the historic coal mine Guido in Zabrze ( Dinner in Zabrze Return to St. Martin Home/ Park Hotel Diament

5 Saturday GENERAL ASEEMBLY CLOSING CULTURAL PROGRAM Sunday Eucharist (preparation: the German group) 8.45 Breakfast (St. Martin Home) 9.30 Work summary introduction and language group work Break coffee General assembly of Forum 2016 Approval of the final announcement Lunch (St. Martin Home) Trip to Kraków sightseeing Dinner in Kraków and return 8.00 Eucharist together with the priests living in St. Joseph Home 9.00 Breakfast (St. Martin Home) From 9.30 Leaving * * * * * AT THE EUFRES CONFERENCE IT IS POSSIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN EVERYDAY EUCHARIST.PRIESTS ARE ASKED TO TAKE AN ALB AND A WHITE STOLE. * * * * * Speakers: PROF. DR. MICHAEL N. EBERTZ, Hochschule Freiburg DR HAB. ELŻBIETA OSEWSKA, Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa w Tarnowie

6 XVII. European Forum For Religious Education in Schools Subject of conference Religious education as accompanying on the road to Emaus European society between fast changes and Christian identity Sharing experiences All Forum s participants are welcome to present their speeches with reference to the situation in their countries. The criteria concerning speeches: 1. The main question is to show the role of school religious education on the roads to personal faith experience of children and the youth. It is advisable to make an introductory diagnosis of the catechetic pastoral situations of the religious education addresses in particular European countries. 2. We ask you to send your papers by 29 February The paper of max. three A4 pages should be prepared in two of the following languages: Italian, Spanish, German and English. 4. Those participants who will prepare a speech will be given a participation discount of 50 Euro. 5. The speech should not exceed 15 minutes. It is possible to make use of Powerpoint presentation. 6. All participants will be given prints of particular speeches. The papers should be sent to the Secretary Office of Forum 2016: Ks. dr Roman Buchta Dyrektor Wydziału Katechetycznego Kurii Metropolitalnej w Katowicach Telefon: ; r.buchta@wp.pl

7 XVII European Forum For Religious Education in Schools Religious education as accompanying on the road to Emaus European socjety between fast changes and Christian identity. Enrollment All the members of EUFRES and those attending the XVII conference must send the enrollment form enclosed with this brochure (even if you are not to attend it) to the address you may find below, before February 1 st, Later on, we will ask for the details concerning your dates of arrival and departure, in order to organize transfers. Send the forms to: Secretary Office of Forum 2016 Ks. Dr Roman Buchta Dyrektor Wydziału Katechetycznego Kurii Metropolitalnej w Katowicach Telefon: ; r.buchta@wp.pl Before February 1 st, 2016

8 ENROLLMENT FORM ( to Secretary Office of Forum 2016: untill ) XVII. CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN FORUM FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Katowice, Name, Surname... Mailing address... Degree, occupation or position... Phone Fax Will attend the XVII conference of European Forum on Religious Education. Yes No 2. Will pay the full fee (400 ), which includes full board in single room and enrollment fee. 3. Will need some help to fund my attendance (only if is strictly necessary, as regulated in art. n. 6 of the Forum Statutes) 4. To take part in the working groups, which languages can you speak? Italian english German Spanish Polish 5. I will present a paper, written in two languages (that implies I will get a 50 discount in the fee of the Forum) 6. Personal suggestions you want to advance to the organizers of the conference Place and date Signature

9 Theologisches Fakultät der Schlesischen Universität in Kattowitz

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