Confronted with a shift away from traditional practices of transmitting the faith in childhood, leaders in the Quebec Church are rethinking how to approach children鱿鱼视频app spirituality.
Data compiled by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Quebec shows the number of baptisms declined from 42,213 (of 88,933 births) in 2012 to 30,394 (of 83,900 births) in 2017. The figures represent a 28-per-cent decline in five years.
Clement Vigneault, director of the Catechesis Office of Quebec, is monitoring the situation. Before the question of baptizing and catechizing children is even raised, he sees a growing concern 鈥� especially among grandparents 鈥� to consider the spiritual life of children.
鈥淭here鱿鱼视频app a trend of waiting to baptize children in order to give them the opportunity to choose later,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut how will they choose if they have never been accompanied in their spiritual life?鈥�
Elaine Champagne, associate professor of theology and religious studies at Laval University, has been working on children鱿鱼视频app spirituality for several years. It was while working in pediatric health care for eight years that she developed her interest in the topic.
She noted that spiritual care in health facilities was mainly oriented toward parents and that children sometimes were forgotten. She said, however, that being interested in this 鈥渟acred, very personal space鈥� in children is just as important.
Champagne鱿鱼视频app research has enabled her to identify three modes to better grasp children鱿鱼视频app spirituality in everyday life.
The 鈥渆xistential鈥� mode is interested in how they live in the present. In the 鈥渟ensitive鈥� mode, children communicate with their bodies and senses. 鈥淪omething is said all over their bodies. The whole body expresses it, their being is coherent,鈥� Champagne said. In the 鈥渞elational鈥� mode, it鱿鱼视频app about the relationship to oneself, to others, to God and to one鱿鱼视频app environment.
Champagne invites adults to go beyond the image they may have of children鱿鱼视频app spirituality. Certainly, the children have a 鈥渂eautiful capacity for wonder,鈥� but it鱿鱼视频app also necessary to know how to respect that 鈥渋n this state of becoming, there鱿鱼视频app fragility, a dependence.鈥�
The Rev. Jean-Daniel Williams is working on a doctorate in practical theology on children鱿鱼视频app ministries. As a part-time chaplain at McGill University and an associate priest at the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, he works with children of all ages.
鈥淭here鱿鱼视频app of course a difference between a three-year-old and a 10-year-old child. However, it should be emphasized that children are completely human from the beginning. If we see children as adults in the making, we don鈥檛 respect the reality of their current spirituality,鈥� he explained.
For Williams, children are the 鈥渕ost spiritual beings in the world鈥� simply because they ask so many questions.
鈥淚sn鈥檛 the very foundation of religion people asking, 鈥榃hy?鈥� 鈥� he said. Curiosity and openness are, he said, two distinct marks of children鱿鱼视频app spirituality.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app important to understand that in institutional religion, there has been a tradition of having a normalized path: baptism, communion and so on. But the questions 鈥榃hy I exist?鈥� 鈥楬ow to make the right moral choice?鈥� 鈥楧o I belong to something bigger than myself?鈥� remain regardless of the institutional or family context,鈥� said Williams, who is the father of 11-year-old twins.
Williams said that it鱿鱼视频app difficult to find the right balance to recognize the child as he or she is without treating the child as an adult. He believes that churches have not always been able to set an example in this regard.
鈥淛esus says we must attract children with all our hearts. Otherwise we are not the Church.鈥�
In order to allow children younger than five years old to 鈥渁waken to the faith while having fun,鈥� officials from the Office of Faith Education of the Archdiocese of Montreal asked Christiane Boulva to develop what would become 鈥�La P鈥檛ite Pasto,鈥� or 鈥渓ittle pastoral.鈥� Its English version is called Little Hearts Playgroup.
The program covers 60 themes over a three-year period. It is being used in more than 100 parishes throughout Quebec as well as in Alberta, Manitoba and Yukon.
Boulva, a mother herself, is concerned about the lack of places where children can hear about spirituality today.
鈥淚n the future, our society must succeed in reaching them where they will be and offer them and their parents activities adapted to their aspirations, their dreams and the challenges they face on a daily basis by directly meeting their needs,鈥� Boulva said.