Making the Role of Parents More Effective in the Religious Formation of Children: A Study of Canon 226 §2 from Nigerian Perspective
The article is titled, “Making the Role of Parents more effective in the Religious Formation of Children: A Study of Canon 226 §2 from Nigerian Perspective.” The effective formation of children in the Church has become suspect, evident in the prevalence of ignorance amongst them. Over time, parents have considerably abdicated their role in the formation of children, leading to several of them being unable to display their Christian roles. The traditional means of formation in the Church have become inappropriate and ineffective. This has been the subject of several statements by the Church's authority and scholars. The Second Vatican Council recommends some authentic and effective ways for formation of children. The aim of this article is to explore the possible role of parents in bringing about the insightful formation of children in the family ambience. For this reason, the Council refers to the Christian family as “domestic Church.” It explores important parental roles to educate and form their children as good Christians as contained in several sections of the Code of Canon Law. It importantly considers a juridical framework for incorporating the catechetical role of Christian parents in the parish catechetical schedule, particularly in the process of the Christian Initiation of Young Adults.
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