kindness and rebuked those who wanted to prevent him from doing this. And how much Jesus loved children was shown when he said that it was better for the one who gave scandal to a child to hang a rock around his neck and to throw himself into the sea, rather than give scandal to one of the least of those children: let them often consider how much good they will be able to do on behalf of their souls, redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, when they have not committed any sin and have no bad habits. It can really be said that to teach children is to reform the world and lead the world to live a true Christian life.141
The method is blended with the system. All this requires the teacher to have a clear vision of his goals, knowledge of his pupils, love that prevails over fear, and an ability to give witness. A catechism class, in fact, does not only call for the teacher to teach the elements of Christian doctrine but especially to have the students acquire the art of living as good Christians...
Since the schools of Christian doctrine are set up to achieve their goal, one must first learn
how to truly live like a Christian.
Pupils should be exhorted to revere their elders, to obey their superiors, to be modest, when they walk in the streets and through public places, to show reverence and devotion in church, especially when Mass is being celebrated, when they should be devoutly kneeling on both knees; they should let go of games and especially card games and dice; they should avoid the use of filthy and offensive words.
Finally, let the pupils be taught all those other things which are suited to Christian folk and to the profession they are following. The pupils should be prepared to live a truly Christian life, to always remain in God's grace and live as God’s adopted children. Let them be taught in a decent manner, making sure that offensive words and especially shameful or coarse words are not used; not only because such words do not belong in such a school, but also because they should not be learned and allowed to be used with others. And even though, at times, the students should be reprimanded with severe words, nevertheless it is more appropriate that this law and doctrine of love be taught more through love than fear. It is better that the students be led to learn with promises of rewards than with threats, with gifts rather than with punishments. A teacher should have an adequate knowledge of his students. He should not only see to it that they learn while they are in school, but he should also see to it, at times, that they study their lesson at home. He should know their parents, where they live, and find out how they behave themselves, as far as their morals, lifestyle is concerned. And if at times the students are absent, he should visit with them, and ask people in the house why they skip school. But he should do all this with shrewdness, so that his action may not appear to be done out of curiosity but out of fatherly love for them, and out of fervent desire for their good.142
3. The fear-love alternative in governing a religious community
New forms of consecrated life had appeared such as The Clerics Regular, the Congregations of common life, Religious Institutions that differed from the monk or mendicant lifestyle, and which responded to new historical and cultural conditions.
It is likely that these new forms, or so it seems, might have once again raised the problem of how to govern and how to obey. It is no mere coincidence that among the authors who wrote about this, were
141ibid, col. 184.
142 Constitutioni, col. 182-183.