O Vaticano II e a educação: Aggiornamento e diálogo no processo de elaboração da Gravissimum Educationis

Abstract

Aggiornamento and dialogue are two important hermeneutical keys for the comprehension of the Second Council Vatican and its unfoldings. Driven by these concepts (ideals), the Council Priests established an intense dialogue among themselves and with the contemporary world, which in turn, lead to the educational sphere. In a very quarrelsome process, the Council opted for presenting the world a word on education and Christian education, setting some fundamental principles that would guide the reflections and actions concerning the Church in the educational field. The analysis of the Declaration’s elaboration process on Christian education allows us to better understand the document and bring into light the disputes surrounding such theme, which while not central in the council’s debate, played an important role in the discussions and was subject to much dissatisfaction upon the text’s final version. Despite the difficulties concerning the final draft and the strong criticism it received, the Gravissimum Educationis introduces important elements to understand the role of education and Christian education in the development of individuals and society: from the council’s perspective, education is seen as a universal right, belonging to the Church’s mission and promoter of the individual’s integral development