Views on the pandemic: rereading the experience of the religious education of children and young people

Abstract

The current pandemic is transforming social interactions and interpersonal communication. The hypothesis that in the sphere of mediatization, institutions and individuals are inserted in interactions different from those in which the media emerged through mediating condition, leads us to question the place of these media, and the protagonism of individuals themselves, also in the religious sphere. In fact, the means are not just a resource to be used, but they change the way of understanding and living the relationships between individuals and groups and can constitute places of religious experience. This hypothesis is the basis of a survey aimed at families, children and adolescents, and pastoral agents from several Catholic religious communities located in the territory of Lisbon - Portugal. This empirical study aims to assess the impact of the pandemic on the spiritual life of the groups studied, particularly in the way in which the educational relationship was established, interactions with digital technologies were processed in the context of religious education, and changes in the way of understanding the organization of educational strategies and the exercise of the role of the educator of the faith were found. The surveys gravitate around five axes: 1) Spirituality: relationship with God; 2) Domestic church: educational function of the family; 3) Children's religious education and digital culture; 4) The role of the educator; 5) Community: liturgy and fraternity. Being transversal to the research, in each type of respondents some are privileged more specifically. Sixteen Catholic religious communities of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon participated in this study, including 556 families, 598 teenagers, 60 younger children, 288 catechists and 19 priests. Our findings reveal that these different groups maintained a close relationship with God during this crisis and the majority did not experience doubts of faith. They adjusted their religious practices to the domestic context, and the family played a very important role as a “domestic church”. However, these practices revolved more around prayer, and there was a decrease in attending religious celebrations such as the mass. Concerning religious education online, most children and adolescents preferred face to face interaction, but felt that it was important to them keeping in touch with their catechist and their group. Both catechists and youngsters developed the necessary digital skills to cope with the situation quickly, but the catechists struggled with lacking pedagogical skills to teach online, and keeping in touch with their religious community. These results are an important object of critical reflection in order to help to configure new dynamics in the context of religious education and religious experience.