Position of the Presidium of the Polish Bishops’ Conference “The Young Person Deserves More”

https://episkopat.pl/doc/251595.Prezydium-KEP-Z-niepokojem-plynacym-z-troski-o-mlode-pokolenia

We publish the full text of the Position: 

Position of the Presidium of the Polish Bishops’ Conference “The Young Person Deserves More”

The upbringing of the younger generation is not the responsibility of any single institution. The family, school, religious communities, social organisations, and the state jointly create the environment in which young people grow. The cooperation of those stakeholders, based on mutual respect and recognition of the competences of each stakeholder in the educational process, is indispensable. We see today how much children and young people need genuine support, clear guidance, and environments in which they can grow in a sense of security and dignity. At the start of the new school year, in the face of the major challenges confronting education and upbringing, the Presidium of the Polish Bishops’ Conference feels obliged to speak out in a spirit of pastoral concern for the younger generations in our Homeland.

1. The Church in the service of the integral development of the human person

The Church has for centuries accompanied the human person on their path towards maturity, not as an institution claiming a monopoly on upbringing, but rather as a community which discovers in the Gospel the fullest image of man and strives to bring it to fulfilment. We understand upbringing as the caring accompaniment of a young person in discovering the truth about themselves, God and the world. It is not merely a matter of offering knowledge or developing skills, but rather a question of the formation of the whole person, so that they may love, live in truth, and choose what is good. A particular challenge of our times is the weakening of bonds in families, neighbourhoods, and among peers. Young people are increasingly growing up in a world of intensive digital communication, at the same time experiencing loneliness. They need places in which they will be heard, seen, and guided towards maturity. The Church cannot remain indifferent in the face of such serious challenges. We understand that no institution can replace a caring parent or a wise educator, but we wish to offer support in the difficult task of upbringing.

2. Religious education classes: a right of pupils and parents

We wish to make it clear that religious education classes are not a privilege of the Church. They are a constitutional right of pupils and parents, deriving from the principle of freedom of conscience and religion and from the right of parents to raise their children in keeping with their own convictions. Religious education classes help to shape conscience, teach responsibility, and establish a hierarchy of values. They do not serve solely the personal formation of believers. They enable pupils to gain a better understanding of the history of Poland and Europe, literature, art, social ethics, and multiple other aspects of culture. Furthermore, they help them to understand themselves better, to find meaning in life, and to deepen their understanding of their faith. They make a unique contribution to school education, offering an answer to the deepest questions concerning the meaning, value, and purpose of human life. For many pupils, especially in times of crisis, it is precisely the content acquired during religious education classes that proves to be a guiding light that prevents them from getting lost.

In this context, with concern arising from our care for the younger generations and with apprehension, we observe the actions of Poland’s Ministry of National Education. The requirement that religious education classes be scheduled before or after other school lessons, the reduction of the number of teaching hours to one hour per week, the possibility of combining classes, and the removal of the grade in religious education from the calculation of the grade point average all result in the marginalisation of these classes in Polish schools. We therefore call for the adequate place of religious education classes to be restored without delay and for genuine dialogue to be undertaken with representatives of religious communities.

3. The need for axiological formation

We strongly support the draft law submitted by citizens, which seeks to ensure that every pupil is provided with school classes that shape the axiological foundation of life, within religious education or ethics classes. A young person needs a space to talk about responsibility, the dignity of the person, honesty, solidarity, and the sense of shared life. Formation in values is not opposed to pluralism; on the contrary, it enables respectful dialogue and the building of community despite differences. For those reasons, pupils should choose between religious education and ethics. This is a matter of responsibility for the future of the young generation.

4. Health education with respect for the family and the rights of parents

The Church has, since its very beginnings, been concerned with the development of the human person in every possible aspect. We therefore recognise the need for health education in schools and acknowledge its importance for disease prevention, mental health and responsible social attitudes. Our concerns, however, relate to the vision of the human person, marriage and the family that emerges from the curricular framework and the published textbooks. We therefore receive with concern and apprehension the decision of the Ministry of National Education to make the subject of Health Education compulsory from 1 September of this year. We point out that leaving the module concerning sexuality as optional does not resolve the problem. Education in such a sensitive sphere of human life must respect parents’ right to decide on its content and form. The state should support the family in education and upbringing, rather than assume its fundamental functions. Sexuality should be presented from the perspective of marital and family relationships, since it is in this context that it serves the authentic good of the human person. It is also a matter of concern that there is no unequivocal statement that marriage is a union between a woman and a man. We therefore ask parents to remain constantly vigilant regarding the education of their own children in such an important and, at the same time, sensitive sphere of life. We further point out that the development of the curricular framework lacked broad dialogue with the communities responsible for education and upbringing. The proposals and requests of the Roman Catholic Church were not taken into account. We believe that such an important area of education requires broad social consensus, curricular transparency, and the genuine participation of parents and educational communities. We call for substantive consultations with parents, educational communities and religious communities, and for the content of the curriculum to be jointly developed in a manner that respects the worldviews of all parents, children, and young people.

5. Gratitude to parents, teachers, and educators

We wish to address words of particular gratitude and heartfelt encouragement to all parents, teachers and educators who undertake each day the demanding task of upbringing grounded in values. Your efforts are of immense importance, and every hour devoted to discussing what truly matters is a priceless gift placed in the heart of a young person. We especially thank you, dear teachers of religious education, for your perseverance and dedication in the face of mounting difficulties. Nothing can replace your love, presence and daily witness. Dear parents, please engage in school life, enquire about the content of the teaching, and exercise your constitutional rights. Your concern for the upbringing of your children is indispensable, and the Church is always ready to support you in consultations, in preparing programmes to support families, in developing psychological assistance, and in creating spaces for dialogue between schools, parents and religious communities.

We bestow our pastoral blessing for the new school year upon all those engaged in the work of education and upbringing, asking God to grant you strength, wisdom, and perseverance in this beautiful, responsible, and demanding ministry. May Mary, the Mother of all educators, surround you with her maternal care as you serve the younger generation.

+ Tadeusz Wojda SAC
Metropolitan Archbishop of Gdańsk
President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference

+ Józef Kupny
Metropolitan Archbishop of Wrocław
Vice-President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference

+ Marek Marczak
Secretary General of the Polish Bishops’ Conference

Warsaw, 24 August 2026