On November 26, 2005, bishops from Poland met with the Holy Father as part of their ad limina schedule. In his address to the bishops, Pope Benedict XVI chose the topic of Catholic Education.

He called Catholic Education one of the most fundamental tasks of the Church's saving mission and of episcopal pastoral service.

The nature of Catholic education

Quoting from the teaching of the late Pope John Paul II, the Holy Father stated that "Catholic Education is not simply a matter of passing on knowledge, it is a personal encounter with a person, the witness of the teacher and the communication of values from one person to another."

The dynamic here is the relationship of the catechist, parents, religious and clergy to the young through which the young can be influenced to develop a relationship with Christ.

Implications for the young

The Holy Father then raised the issue of evaluation not only for Catholic education but also for the entire life context of the young. The Holy Father encouraged the bishops to help the young to acquire a taste for prayer, to develop their natural sensitivity to serve the poor and sick and to integrate them into the Church, e.g. by giving them the opportunity to plan and participate in the liturgy especially through music and altar service.

Implications for adults

The remainder of his address to the bishops was about adults: collaboration of adults in Catholic education and adult catechesis.

1) The Holy Father emphasised the collaboration of adults in catechetical ministry within the family and within the parish. While many people do not give much thought to their natural role as educators within the family, it is clear that only adults can fulfill this important family responsibility.

The Holy Father warned the Bishops that the teaching of religion in schools cannot be allowed to become a study of the science of religion. He stressed that the teaching of religion in schools by clergy, religious and laypersons must be sustained by the witness of believing teachers and it must keep its authentic evangelical dimension of the transmission and witness of faith.

2) The Holy Father spoke to the issue of adult catechesis clearly and firmly. He stated, collaboration in the task of education requires, "personal training and a continuous deepening of: 2.1) Religious knowledge; 2.2) Spirituality; 2.3) The correction of attitudes based on the teaching of the Gospel and the teaching of the Magisterium."

These three challenges for continuous growth require study. The Holy Father specified the sources for study: the study of the Scriptures, the study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church , the study of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , the study of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the study of the patrimony of Catholic wisdom in the writings of his predecessors.

The care for universities

University ministry is another priority for the Holy Father. While his address was primarily directed at theological faculties in State universities, he called the Bishops to seek ever new forms of university ministry. The Holy Father stressed, in particular, the need to supervise teaching and to accept responsibility for the development of both clerical and lay personnel.

The media

The Holy Father asked the Bishops to be responsive to the challenge of secularisation which, if not confronted, will lead to the abandonment of Christian values and Christian culture. He specified the need to be involved in the media in all its forms in order to evangelise and disseminate Catholic social teaching. He encouraged the development of Catholic media to spread the culture of truth.

Application to the Caribbean region

As the Chairman of the Catechetical Commission of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, I found that the address of the Holy Father was outstanding.

Its content was very supportive of the efforts of the Caribbean Bishops' Conference to serve the needs of youth and to highlight adult education/formation. The reader will recall the Pastoral Letter, On the Ministry of Catechesis that was published in 2000 and the companion document, Guidelines for Catechesis that was published in 2004.

Each document emphasised the catechetical formula of 'Think 4" - the interaction of knowledge, formation, commitment and mission.

The efforts at implementing the documents continue. In October 2005, the "Head Catechists" of each (arch)diocese along with one priest from the Presbyteral Council of each (arch)diocese in the Conference gathered for a three-day workshop to move the catechetical agenda forward. The resolutions of the meeting will be presented to the Permanent Board of Bishops in January of 2006.

Application to the Archdiocese of Port of Spain

The Archdiocesan Catechetical department has used the teaching of the Bishops to issue new sacramental preparation programmes, is presently developing a new curriculum for the Catholic school system and has been mandated to develop parish/vicariate based Adult Formation programmes.

The methodology of using media for catechesis was quite successful during the preparations for the Eucharistic Congress. That experiment will be expanded. The two TV studios in the Archdiocese will be especially valuable for this aspect of catechesis.

The plan to evaluate the Catholic school system should establish a list of educational goals for the archdiocese by the end of the year. The presence and ministry of the Catholic Students Movement at the University is another dimension of Catholic education/formation. The Chaplaincy at the University is an asset for the Archdiocese in the ever-broadening programme of catechetical ministry.

Concluding application: to individuals

I invite each person in the Archdiocese to make 2006 a year of personal and communal growth through prayer, study, dialogue and pastoral commitment. What do we need to do to strengthen the "Catholic-ness" of our lives? How do we need to grow so our commitment and witness will be more evident to God, self and others?

Happy New Year!