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

FOLIA THEOLOGICA ET CANONICA (2016) 137-144

Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem.

THE RELIGIOUS DIMENSION OF EDUCATION AS ONE OF THE PRIMARY PRINCIPLES OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BASED ON HUMAN DIGNITY*

Introduction; I. The religious school; II. Catholic education and its regulation by the Catholic Church; Conclusion: Denominations improves values of the society through their own educational and other services

Introduction

The existence of religion is coeval with the mankind. The religious conviction of different human communities has defined their culture on the day to day basis since the beginning of history. Therefore, this essential characteristic has made a strong influence not only on the daily life, mentality, on the social relations and structures in general, but particularly on the education at home and even on its institutionalized system.1 Hence, the personal attitude toward the ‘Saint' is a natural feature of every human being, which feature is rooted in his/her own conscience. It is not accidental therefore, that the religious freedom has become one of the first generation human rights in the 18lh century.2 The organized form of European public education has started by the Catholic schools which dominated this field until the 16"1 century, when we could see the transformation of this system in Europe into a Christian education. Naturally, the Virginia Declaration (1776), Constitution of the United States of America ( 1787), the French Constitutions - based on the results of the French revolution ( 1789— 1799) - (1791, 1792. I795)\ the German Imperial Constitution (1849), constitutional laws of December 1867 of the Austrian Empire, or the Constitution

* This article was written in the International Canon Law History Research Center (Budapest); it is a supplemented version of my presentation at the ELA-Ereky Conference on Educational Law: The Justiciability of the Prior Right to Education - The Role of Civil Society for the Awareness, Advocacy and Accountability of the Right to Education (October 20lh 2016).

1 Szuromi, Sz. A., Bevezetés a katolikus hit rendszerébe [Introduction into the system of the Catholic Faith] Budapest 2014.7 13.

2 Szuromi, Sz. A. - Ferenczy, R„ Kérdések az állami egyházjog kóréhéit [Questions about the ecclesiastical law] (Bibliotheca Instituti Postgradualis Iuris Canonici Universitatis Catholicae de Petro Pázmány nominatae III/17), Budapest 2014. 5,45.

3 Thireau, J-L., Introduction historique au droit, Paris 2001.270-277.