Pope Francis' Vision and Whole Child Education: Exploring the Foundational Beliefs of Cura Personalis and Accompaniment

Abstract

This paper is a response to Pope Francis’ invitation to dialogue on how Catholic educators can help shape the future of the planet by focusing on integral human development. Offering a discussion of the theological foundations of two primary beliefs of whole child education—cura personalis, the care for the whole person, and accompaniment, the process of journeying with the child and their caregivers throughout the educational process—this paper advances Pope Francis’ vision for integral human development and advances a framework for practitioners and scholars to be attentive to in their practice and research.

Keywords:

• holistic education
• whole child education
• Catholic education
• Aparecida
• accompaniment

Notes

1 See http://cteresources.bc.edu/documentation/fall-2021-teaching-considerations/cura-personalis-community-building/.

2 See https://www.luc.edu/strategicplan/values/careforthewholeperson/.

3 See https://college.georgetown.edu/discover/cura-personalis/.

4 See https://www.scu.edu/csi/leadership/initiatives/jvia/.

5 Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) is Francis’ earliest major and fully-realized papal document. It has been described as the thesis statement of Pope Francis’s papacy.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael O. Warner

Michael O. Warner is a Graduate Assistant at Boston College’s Roche Center for Catholic Education, and a divinity student in the BC School of Theology and Ministry. A native of St. Louis, he holds an MFA in Theater Production from the University of Texas/Austin, has more than 25 years of experience in senior positions in the arts and in higher education, and serves frequently as guest artist and contributing writer with Teatro la Fragua, the Jesuit theater in Honduras.

Melodie Wyttenbach

Melodie Wyttenbach is executive director of the Roche Center for Catholic Education and faculty member for the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. Melodie has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Molly McMahon

Molly McMahon is the director of leadership programs for the Roche Center for Catholic Education and leads the SEL Academy for schools interested in implementing social and emotional learning practices as a whole school. Molly completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Boston College.