Pope Francis has announced that a synod of bishops dedicated to young people will take place in October 2018. The topic of the synod is” “Young people, faith and discerning of calling”. The article “On the way to the synod of bishops dedicated to young people” indicates the meaning of the proposed subject for the life of the Church. The analysis focuses primarily on the presentation of the Preparatory document announced 13th January 2017 by the Secretariat of synod. This document is to be a kind of a compass setting the further work and preparation for the synod. Some critical remarks have also been made concerning the proposed methodology of the synod proceedings, as well as concerning the Preparatory document.

International comparison shows, that religiousness (Christianness and churchliness) in a process of social integration and individual optimalisation loses its normative character, traditional stability and the institutional control. It becomes an opportunity of self-education that is no longer understood as external instructions. Such a process, although not simultaneous one, takes place in various countries across Europe. More and more young people decide for themselves which spheres of their lives will operate within a religious framework, and which not, which religious interpretation will they accept from the Tradition of the Church, which rituals will they need. It is closely related to the issue of a statistic correlation. The Church transforms herself more and more and makes a certain religious offer, especially to youth, that recognises man and transforms religious subjects into conscious religious clients. Chances of transferring the Good News to the next generations depend on the way the Church deals with certain pressures and expectancies concerning her becoming a “service organisation”.

According to the general understanding, accompanying involves first of all being in attendance, being with somebody, sharing the hardships of a journey, joys, but also difficulties, uncertainties, overcoming obstacles on the road together, defining the destination. If Religious Education wants to take on the function of accompanying children and the youth on the road to the contemporary Emmaus, then the fundamental condition is being in attendance and journey together. Therefore, the author of this article reflects upon the idea of the road to Emmaus and the role of school RE as accompanying youth leading from superficiality to spirituality to personal contact with God. Personal acquaintance with God incarnate assumes certain complementarity of God’s initiative and man’s action, cognition, conversion and trust. Thanks to His incarnation God has become audible and visible. Therefore, accompanying the pupil on the road to Emmaus should include both the verbal and visual processes starting from pupil’s inner chaos, his/her questions, problems, difficulties up to the spiritual sphere.

Education cannot be reduced to information and should guarantee to the students and their parents the freedom of making axiological decisions and solutions. The above mentioned right is confirmed by the right of parents to raise their children according to their own conceptions. In the contemporary chaos of values and principles of education the Catholic education remains a topical, interesting and important proposal for school.

The article refers to the concept of force in Poland lessons of religion, which is neither catechesis, although the work of catechesis in part, or religious studies lesson, though knowledge about religion provides. It tries to answer the following questions: What are the basic determinants of the concept of school religion classes? What is the concept of school religion classes in Poland? What are the opportunities and threats of this concept of religion classes?

Lack of parish religious education in Poland should be seen as a failure that is now bringing negative consequences. It is already a common belief, even among those who had originally been staunch advocates of the catechesis, that the so called religious education in schools has not brought the expected results. It has not become an effective element or means of development of faith among the younger generation of Poles. If it somehow manages to be successful it is to a negligible extent.
Lack of religious education in parishes renders it impossible to fully form an adult, in particular while taking up and bringing into fruition the family catechesis. Furthermore, it goes without saying that young generations cannot be competently educated the Christian way without the input from their families. Understandably, adult catechesis will not become a panacea for the educational accomplishment of adults and children as well as the young people. Nevertheless, the presence of catechesis considerably increases the chances of more effective impact on education of children and young people alike.
Only the parish catechesis is able to ensure the creation of the comprehensive and integral program of the development of Christian life.

Current changes in the Polish education system give rise to new challenges as well as to teaching and educational dilemmas. They also affect religious education in schools, necessitating discussions and catechetical analyses. This paper focuses on the need to develop new core curriculum for religious education, as well as new syllabuses, textbooks and teaching aids for religious instruction in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. It indicates the need to specify the stage of school education at which students should be prepared for First Confession and First Holy Communion and for the Sacrament of Confirmation. It is considered important to support teachers of religion in developing competence required to undertake tasks resulting from the reform of the education system. The challenges identified in this way require in-depth and multifaceted reflection and discussion, involvement of competent catechists and religious instructors in solving dilemmas and designing innovative didactic and educational solutions. Teamwork directed towards supporting children and youth in their integral development and education in faith, enhanced with interdisciplinary correlation, can result in bringing forward valuable proposals for religious education in schools.

In Germany, the youth ministry is a thematic field that is reflected in various different ways since the time of the Second Vatican Council. This paper responds to these different types of reflections and develops a few pastoral-theological accesses. The German dioceses adopted on the Synod of Würzburg (1971 to 1975) a resolution about aims and assignments of the youth ministry of the Church. In 1991 the German Conference of Bishops publishes leading guidelines for the youth ministry. The aim of both papers of the Church is to lay the foundations of a theory of the youth ministry. This theory should be of good service to the practical pastoral service. Its theological foundations include anthropological (adolescents and young adults are the subject of the youth ministry), ecclesiological (the pastoral service is nourished by the act of being sent, i.e. its mission) and christological (God’s work is directly performed in the lives of young people). This paper reflects about this theology in an exemplary way by discussing three cases: First, it contemplates the service of altar servers in German parishes; second, it treats the theory of the school ministry and, third and finally, it deals with the pastoral activities of a spiritual community.

The article contains a theoretical study of the idea of the Salesian Oratory based on the quadruple metaphor of oratory as home, school, parish and backyard and empirical verification of its actual application in the educational practice of Salesians Sisters and Salesians Priests in Poland. The result of the analyses are the applications and proposals aimed at pastoral care of fidelity to the original upbringing style of Saint John Bosco, attempt to answer the signs of the times and adapting pastoral and educational activities to the needs of today’s youth.

Academic pastoral ministry in Poland in its history executed various models and concepts and the resulting forms of activity. Currently the ministry faces new challenges due to skyrocketing civilisation transformation. Each academic pastoral ministry centre with its own characteristic features resulting from various conditions executes its own objectives. They must, however, result from basic objectives of academic pastoral ministry and at the same time be open for challenges of the contemporary world. Graniczna Academic Pastoral Ministry Centre at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Katowice executed its objectives on the basis of the ecclesiology of communion and the resulting pastoral strategy plan. The article presents the concept and the forms as well as the methods  operation implemented in the centre in 1991–2001. Many of the actions bore specific fruits, therefore in the era of the new evangelisation and calling for “the pastoral ministry of reformation” it is worthwhile to get acquainted with the concept and operations of this academic centre.

The publication focuses on the manipulation of today’s youth as well as of their affairs. The first area concerns multiple methods of “attracting” young people to secular culture and pseudoculture. This is caused primarily by social fashion factors. It is also a strong area of nearly complete demoralization. The second area concerns medialization of the youth. This world appears in the media as a world of “computer people” and participation in “the network”. This applies above all to Facebook. The publication refers to earlier works by Ben Mezrich and Even Baileyn. Another important element of taking control over young people today is the area of economy. The author highlights the fact, that young people enter the labour market with greater difficulties compared to the older generation. This generation is seeking for livelihood and development in their work. Changes in the area of economy are forcing young people to reject the fixed both post-Marxism, and Taylorism, since both of them are ruthless for the young people. This is mainly due to the economic manipulation to which young people are powerless.

The Church always took measures for people in need of support and assistance. Teaching successive popes and the Second Vatican Council repeatedly undertook the subject. Recalled by Pope Francis option for the poor it can be read in terms of the existential. Disability because it is often perceived as a form of poverty, physical or mental. Therefore, as the Church’s teaching is the actual practice in this topic? Or the community of the Church with disabilities are full members or rather are created for them to certain groups in advance to determine their dysfunctions?
This article addresses the issue of intellectual disability as a special space to proclaim the Gospel. Also tries to answer the question whether this space is not a field mission of the Church.

Since its beginnings Christianity has shown a close and direct connection with liturgy and catechesis. Cyril of Jerusalem is a privileged witness to their mutual relation in the ancient Church. The paper seeks to show the liturgical and theological depth of his catechetical heritage in four points: Cyril of Jerusalem – witness to the baptismal catechesis of the fourth century; three dimensions of the baptismal catechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem (dogmatic, moral and sacramental one); typological interpretation of the Scriptures, mystagogical catechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem and their relation with liturgy. In the conclusion we draw readers’ attention to a sacramental perspective of the Christian vision of the history of Catechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem that remains valid for contemporary Christians.

Proclaiming the word of God is one of the fundamental tasks of the Church in preaching the salvific message of the Christ. It is the ministry which is effectuated in the Church community and at the command of the Church. The ministry of preaching the word of God includes: conferences, sermons, catecheses and homily. In this ministry the homily, which is contained in the strictly defined frames and which is included in the liturgical space, occupies a special place. According to the preaching of the Magisterium of the Church included in theological massage and documents of the Church this task is entrusted only to the ordained ministers: deacons, presbyters and bishops. The discussed exhortations remind the homilists about their special duties arising from the office that was entrusted to them. These duties start not only from intellectual but also from the spiritual formation. While preparing the homily the homilist must take into account a number of aspects of preaching the homily. First the homilist himself must become a disciple listening attentively to his Master in order to deliver His words considering the whole teaching of the Church, on behalf of which he speaks. In the last years the whole Church, taking into consideration the difficulties it has perceived as well as more and more frequent weakness of the homily, attended to this problem by convening, at the wish of the Pope, the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The results of the synodal proceedings were post-synodal apostolic exhortations of Pope Benedict the XVI and Pope Francis, which describe the place and the role of the word of God in the life and mission of the Church. The exhortations discussed in this dissertation are Verbum Domini and Evangelii gaudium. These documents once again remind the teaching of the Church concerning the place of the homily in liturgical space and point out the measures that should be taken into consideration by the homilists (those who preach the word of God in the liturgy) in creation of the homiletic unit. All undertaken activities shall take into account updating the word of God, which brings understanding of the biblical message to the listeners and helps them to integrate it into their everyday Christian life, bringing them closer to God. The effective sign of working of the word of God is not only its influence on the congregation, but, firstly, on the  homilist himself. The effectiveness of preaching of the word of God depends not so much on the skill of the homilist, as on the testimony of his unification with the word of God.