Folia Theologica et Canonica 5. 27/19 (2016)
IUS CANONICUM - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem., The religious dimension of education as one the primary principles of religious freedom based on human dignity
THE RELIGIOUS DIMENSION OF EDUCATION... 141 II. Catholic education and its regulation by the Catholic Church The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) regulated in general by the Declaration Gravissimum Educationis the field of the independent - without state influence - Catholic education.22 The first chapter defined the legal basis of this independent educational system: “(•■•) All men of every race, condition and age, since they enjoy the dignity of a human being, have an inalienable right to an education that is in keeping with their ultimate goal, their ability, their sex, and the culture and tradition of their country, and also in harmony with their fraternal association with other peoples in the fostering of true unity and peace on earth. For a true education aims at the formation of the human person in the pursuit of his ultimate end and of the good of the societies of which, as man, he is a member, and in whose obligations, as an adult, he will share (...).” Antonio Maria Card. Rouco Varela establishes well regarding this introductory chapter that its contents is in harmony with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Art. 26,1) and also with the Additional Protocol to the European Convention (May 30th 1952; Art. 2).23 The cited conciliar document is also an important source of how the parents should fulfill their duties and rights based on their religious conviction within the educational system. In Art. 6 of the Gravissimum Educationis we can clearly read: “(•••) Parents who have the primary and inalienable right and duty to educate their children must enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools. Consequently, the public power, which has the obligation to protect and defend the rights of citizens, must see to it, in its concern for distributi ve justice, that public subsidies are paid out in such a way that parents are truly free to choose according to their conscience the schools they want for their children (,..).”24 The Catholic Church, in particular Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) and the Congregation for Catholic Education have published several times such documents which intended to enlighten more precisely the importance of the own schools and educational system of a certain denomination, because within the new secularized society the faithfully committed and institutionalized religious education is the most important instrument to keep the religious attitude, beside the public activity and the teaching- and personal example in the family. This situation shows the minority characteristics of the religious groups which could be easily discriminated, if the state forgets the consequence of its own citizens’ 22 Cone. Vaticanum II ( 1962-1965), Sessio VII (28 oct. 1965), Declaratio de educations Christiana: Ctmciliorum oecumenicorum decreta, Bologna 1973.' 959-968, Art. 1: 960. 23 Rouco Varela, A. M., El derecho a la educación y sus titulares, 342. 24 Cone. Vaticanum H (1962-1965), Sessio VII (28 oct. 1965), Declaratio de educations Christiana: Conciliorum oecumenicorum decreta, 963.
