Pastoračné aktivity a sociálna zmena Rómov
Viktor Tomčányi, Rastislav Rosinský
Abstract: Background: Multiple home and foreign experiences prove the fact that thorough pastoral activities with poor Roma are able to trigger a reaction in a form of a social change.
Objective: The objective was to map the most efficient methods of pastoral activities that are able to trigger a social change, and to find out what results are brought by pastoral activities in some groups of Roma in a difficult social situation.
Methods: By the method of a semi-structured interview with 27 clergymen from the registered churches in the SR active in the Diocese of Nitra we analysed the results by the method of forming tufts. A sampling criterion included the previously searched information about pastoral activities of the clergymen.
Results: The results show that the clergymen in their activities work particularly with children and youth, even though they admit that if there is to be a change it is necessary to work with the children’s parents. In most cases, they meet poor Roma only at school, or occasionally in a municipality. They admit that Roma are interested in the sacraments – particularly christening and funeral; however, it is too little for the churches. With the children, they organize a regular out-of-school catechesis and establish youth communities. However, we identified the cases of the clergymen who do no activities related to Roma. Those who do such activities consider particularly a personal contact, which is a bridge to other activities, the most efficient method of work.
Implications: The clergymen of all churches should be servants of all people. If we want to achieve a social change in the marginalized groups of population it is necessary for clergymen to come out of their zone of conformity and be closer to vulnerable people. Working with youth but particularly with whole families can result in big changes. Such work, however, must be regular, and particularly personal contacts in the field is the basis of a future change. Occasional contacts solely in the church or parsonage are not efficient.
Keywords: Pastoral activity. Roma. Social change.
Pages: 45 – 54
Doi: 10.17846/PP.2018.1.1.
Source: Pomáhajúce profesie, 2018, vol. 1, issue 1, pp. 45-54 (PDF)
Language: Slovak
