Catholic Parental Responsibilities

In the Catholic tradition, marriage is ordered not toward a happily-ever-after fairy tale, but a life of sacrificial love whose "crowning glory" is the gift of a child. Consequently, couples answer the following question during the rite of marriage prior to the recitation of vows: "Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?" The couple's responsibilities to their children begin before the first child is even conceived because their primary responsibility is to be a witness to the love of God.

  1. Respect

    • The catechism of the Catholic Church admonishes parents to "regard their children as children of God and respect them as human persons." Parents must recognize that their children, as sons and daughters of the creator, are destined for eternity. From the moment of conception, children are gifted with free will and innate human dignity. Consequently, a Catholic parent cannot consider a child an extension of himself, but must encourage his child to walk the path of holiness in obedience to the will of God. Respect is particularly important when a child reaches adulthood and discerns his vocation and profession. While a parent might offer advice, he cannot pressure his child to marry or settle on a particular career.

    Witness

    • Catholic parents have the responsibility to teach their children the life of a Christian by way of example. Parents must model virtues such as forgiveness, respect, service to others, self-denial and self-mastery to keep formal religious education from being a mere collection of words. Additionally, the catechism of the Catholic Church reminds parents to have the humility to ask their children for forgiveness when they have failed.

    Faith Formation

    • In addition to an education by example, Catholic parents are responsible for their child's faith formation. Parents bring their children into the life of the church through preparation for the sacraments of initiation -- baptism, eucharist and confirmation. Additionally, parents should teach their children the fundamentals of the faith through catechesis and biblical instruction. While parish catechesis plays an important role in a child's faith formation, the Catechism states that: "The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute."

    Education

    • The Catholic church views parents as the primary educators of their children in all respects, including not just faith and morals, but also reason, logic and responsible use of human freedom. Consequently, Catholic parents are charged with choosing a school that is compatible with Catholic beliefs and values. Parents are not obligated to enroll their child in parochial school, but they must be involved in his education.

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