Ruadhán Jones
The Irish bishops’ council for catechetics has launched a new religious education programme to “foster religious literacy” in Catholic secondary schools.
The ‘Credible Catholic’ programme is aimed at senior-cycle non-exam RE, having been designed in line with feedback from teachers and theological advisors in Ireland, a press statement from the council said.
Drawing on an earlier version by Fr Robert Spitzer SJ and the Magis Centre in the United States, Credible Catholic is a “a support to the wider mission of the Catholic school which lies ultimately in helping students know how much they are loved by God”, the council added.
The optional programme is designed “to stimulate dialogue, encourage reflection and critical reasoning, foster religious literacy, build community, and nurture faith, and in doing all of these things, to promote student wellbeing”.
It is important that RE shows “that there are credible answers to the vitally important questions students have about faith”, the release finished.
The programme is free and the multi-media materials can be downloaded here: www.catholicschools.ie/crediblecatholic/.