Message of the Polish Bishops' Conference on the occasion of the beginning of the new school year 2024/2025

Message

of the Polish Bishops' Conference

on the occasion of the beginning of the new school year 2024/2025

A new school year is beginning. We place this time of learning and education in the care of God. May Christ, the Teacher of teachers, grant everyone the necessary graces.

In a special way, we address you, Dear Parents, asking you to take care of the religious education of your children. We thank you for sending them to Religious Education classes. This is the fulfilment of your commitment expressed in the sacrament of marriage and confirmed in the baptism of your children. Thanks to religious education, your children have the opportunity to learn about God and to form the attitudes that flow from it. Religious instruction is also of great educational importance. It helps to form conscience, characters and attitudes of young people. It shapes social attitudes, teaches love of neighbour, sensitivity, openness, empathy and cooperation. A religious education is also a valuable aid to understanding one's own culture and history.

Dear Pupils, we encourage you to take part in Religious Education classes at school. Take advantage of this opportunity to get to know God more deeply. If necessary, make an effort to overcome any difficulties that arise. By choosing to take part in Religious Education, you are giving a beautiful testimony of your faith.

We express our great gratitude to all those involved in the work of religious education at school. We thank the headmasters and governing bodies of the schools for their concern to ensure that religious instruction takes place in suitable conditions. We thank you, dear catechists, who, by teaching about God and educating in the spirit of Christian values, accompany children and young people every day on their journey through life. Thank you, Teachers and Educators, for your hard work. Thank you for your constant willingness to undertake the work of teaching and educating.

At the same time, we would like to confirm that we do not agree with the decisions of the Ministry of Education regarding the organisation of Religious Education classes at school. We consider the exclusion of the grade of Religious Education from the average grade and the combination of classes as unfair and unjust. Similarly, we read the announcements of the reduction of hours and the placement of Religious Education classes in the first and last hour. We would like to remind you that changes to the 1992 regulation on the organisation of Religious Education should always be undertaken in consultation with churches and religious associations. They should be made through dialogue and in accordance with the law. We express our continuing readiness for such dialogue.

For the coming year 2025, we receive the gift of the Holy Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis. Let us open ourselves to God so that, following the message of the Holy Year, we may become Pilgrims of Hope in the work of educating in faith.

For the new school year, we wish all of you God's blessings.

Signed by: Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops present at the Session of the Diocesan Bishops' Council

Jasna Gora, 27 August 2024.

The Message is intended to be read on Sunday, 1 September 2024.