Challenges and Incentives for Families with Preschool Children in the Church in Slovenia in the Light of the New Directory for Catechesis

The article discusses the challenges faced by families with preschool children in transmitting the Christian faith and tradition within the Church in Slovenia. It is based on the empirical study Families with Preschool Children (Ivan Platovnjak) and, through comparative qualitative analysis, connects the needs of families with the catechetical-pastoral guidelines provided by the New directory for catechesis. It then analyses the possibilities for their effective implementation in family pastoral care. The research results show that most parents are aware of their responsibility for the religious education of their children, but often experience feelings of helplessness, rejection and a lack of adequate support. The New Directory responds to these needs with adapted pastoral approaches and an emphasis on the so-called »motherly concern« of the Church, which is expressed through acceptance and concrete support for families both at the level of church leadership and community on the ground. In this way, the New Directory encourages the Church in Slovenia to renew its family pastoral care and to provide systematic support to families with young children in the areas of catechetical and liturgical education.