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The curriculum structure takes as its frame of reference the Victorian Curriculum and is reflective of current curriculum design and contemporary practice. It recognises the essential educational partnership of home, School, Parish and Diocese, and sees classroom and school-based Religious Education as one significant component of a broader education in faith provided by all these agencies and the life of the school beyond the classroom.
To Live in Christ Jesus complete curriculum.
Although the Strands and Lenses appear to be separate and distinct, they are woven together intricately. As the curriculum is taught, the interconnections between the Strands and Lenses will be recognised and developed.
The Strands are the four areas through which content is learned and Religious Education is shared and understood. The Strands are divided into four learning areas: Triune God, Life and Mission of Jesus, A Sacramental Church, and Christian Life and Catholic Social Teaching.
At the heart of the Christian faith stands the person of Jesus Christ who proclaimed the nearness of the Kingdom/. Jesus is the Saviour promised in the and is the source of salvation and new life in God. Christianity professes faith in a Triune God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three divine persons, equal in nature and dignity, and bound together in one communion of love. This mystery is at the centre of Christian belief and is known in faith through God’s self-communication in the person and mission of Jesus Christ. This belief arises from the Christian experience of God and draws humanity into the divine life through the Holy Spirit.
Catholics believe in the Triune God: one God, the Father, the Almighty, one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God and the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Therefore, we teach about God’s love as expressed in creation and ultimately expressed in the person and mission of Jesus. This love is the Holy Spirit that continues to work in the Church today.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
In keeping with the centrality of love and relationship with each other and creation, it is important to consider that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, creation stories are intrinsic to their understanding of themselves and their connection as custodians to Country, through belief systems, lore and customs.
‘[For] thousands of years you have lived in this land and fashioned a culture that endures to this day. And during all this time, the Spirit of God has been with you. Your "Dreaming", which influences your lives so strongly that, no matter what happens, you remain forever people of your culture, is your only way of touching the mystery of God’s Spirit in you and in creation. You must keep your striving for God and hold on to it in your lives.’
(St Pope John Paul II, Address to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, 29 November 1986)
At the heart of Christian faith stands the person of Jesus Christ. Born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, Jesus proclaimed the nearness of the Kingdom/. Jesus is the Saviour promised in the and is the source of salvation and new life in God. Triune God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit is at the centre of Christian belief and is known in faith through God’s self-communication in the person and mission of Jesus Christ.
Catholics believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Saviour promised in , source of salvation and new life in God, whose mission is to bring about the Kingdom/.
Therefore, we teach about God’s love ultimately expressed in the person and mission of Jesus to bring about the Kingdom/.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
Jesus Christ, both human and divine, is central to the mission and tradition of the Catholic Church. His story and mission continue to be expressed and animated through the Church community. Story and community are also intrinsic to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Their stories continue to be told through the Dreaming, songlines and kinship structures.
‘So many of the things that Christ said and did, and the way he lived, make me think of the good things in our way of life … Christ did not get worried about material things ... He looked on them as things that get in the way and make it hard to get to our true country. He was born in the countryside ... like many of us have been born. He walked about like us and with nowhere to lay his head. He died with nothing on a cross. So many of our people die with nothing ... He was strong on sharing. We do a lot of things like that … In the Eucharist he shared himself as nobody else could … We find it easy to see in Christ the great dreamtime figure, who, more than all the others, gave us law and ceremony and life centres, and marked out the way we must follow to reach our true country... So, it is not difficult to realise that Christ is with us always…the same yesterday, today and forever.’
(Deacon Boniface Peridjert in Hendriks & Heffernan ‘Spirituality of Catholic Aborigines [Aboriginals] and the Struggle for Justice’, 1993)
The Church constantly draws life from Christ at work in its midst. The Church was born from the mission of Jesus Christ and entrusted to the apostles in his death and resurrection. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit at , the early Christian community was empowered to continue the saving mission of Christ in the world. Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, the community of disciples continues to make Jesus Christ visible in the world today. The ongoing work of the Church proclaims Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, as Lord and Saviour of all. A sacrament makes present the grace of God it signifies. This means that of its very nature, the Church and all that it does in Christ is sacramental, for it makes Christ present and effective in the world. The seven sacraments of the Church have their origin in the ministry and paschal mystery of Jesus Christ. The sacraments celebrate in symbol and ritual the Christian identity of those who come to Christ in faith. In the celebration of each sacrament, the Church, as well as the individual, draws closer to Jesus. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church works to help humanity know the love of God as revealed in Jesus, and to experience the life and hope that God offers.
Catholics believe that the celebrates, in symbol and ritual, Christ’s saving presence for those who respond in faith.
Therefore, we teach the story of the Catholic Church and the meaning, symbolism, richness, and rituals of Sacramental celebrations.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
The Church celebrates through ritual and sacrament, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have practiced ceremonies for generations. These rites of passage and rituals are considered sacred and continue the vibrant celebration of culture through the passing on of cultural knowledge.
‘We like the way [Jesus] uses the things of nature to teach, and the important part nature plays in the Sacraments ... We can appreciate also the community nature of the Church, because we are very conscious of being part of a group bound by religious ties. We are strong on ceremony through dance and song and painted bodies. Our ceremony closely involves groups and group participation... So, the ceremony of the Mass, the ceremony of the Sacraments and the ceremony of the liturgy should find a ready response in us, provided it is made meaningful, based on a theology that is tuned to the Aboriginal mind.’ (Deacon Boniface Peridjert)
Religious communities which are founded on the Old and New Testaments find in them both the imperative and the guidance to discern ways of being and acting in the world which respond to the creative love of God. Catholic communities also find guidance for living and acting in the traditions of social and moral teaching that have arisen over centuries of Gospel inspired practice.
Religious wisdom, particularly indigenous, has much to offer in caring for our environment. Inspired by faith, and guided by the best available science, we will work together to care for and protect our common home and promote a sustainable lifestyle.
Catholics believe that humanity is created in the image and likeness of God, and that the Scriptures and the social teaching of the Church call people and governments to work for peace, justice and the promotion of the common good of society.
Therefore, we teach the fundamental moral understanding of the dignity of human persons and how this is animated in the principles of , calling humanity to respond.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
Catholics are called to action in response to God’s unconditional love. Respecting the dignity of the human person is foundational to all Catholic Social Teaching principles and nurtures right relationships between all people and between people and creation. Since time immemorial, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have maintained a balanced relationship with others and the world around them through a sustained culture, guided by a rich belief system, and expressed through customs, values and traditions.
‘Our task is to listen to people, to the earth, and to all of God’s creation, since every created thing is interconnected, speaks of the wellbeing of each part and of the whole, and reveals something of the Creator.’
(Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, 2015)
The Lenses are the illuminating perspectives through which we view the Strands. The Lenses are also bodies of knowledge divided into four learning areas: Scripture, Tradition, Christian Prayer and Liturgy, and Religion and Society.
In Sacred Scripture, God speaks to humanity in a human way. The Scriptures are those writings recognised by the Church as inspired by God and containing the truth necessary for salvation. Consisting of the , the , the Gospels and early Christian writings, they have been gathered into two great collections commonly known as the Old and New Testaments. They witness to the foundational events of God’s saving relationship with the world, and tell that story in various literary forms: poetry, prose, law, history, saga, letter, and Gospel. The Church receives these sacred writings as a living word giving hope to humanity. The reader needs to be attentive to what the human authors truly wanted to affirm, and to what God wanted to reveal by their words. In order to discover the sacred authors’ intentions, the reader needs to take into account the context of the authors’ time and culture, the literary genres in use at that time, and the modes of feeling, speaking and narrating current in those times. The reader also needs to be attentive to how Scripture speaks to them today.
There exists a close connection and communication between Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. Sacred Scripture is the word of God committed to writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, while Sacred Tradition takes the Word of God entrusted by Christ and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors, enabling it to be faithfully proclaimed and explained today. Therefore, both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and enacted.
Catholics believe that Sacred Scripture gives support and vigour to the life of the Church and the individual, is food for the soul and the source of spiritual life.
Therefore, we teach about the Bible, explore Scriptural texts, and invite reflection and response.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
Sacred Scripture is a fundamental pillar of Catholicism. It contains the foundational story of Christianity which has been passed on from generation to generation. Similarly, the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have been passed down through the ages. The familiarity of cultural stories and traditions can help people relate meaningfully to the biblical scriptures.
‘The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ speaks all languages. It esteems and embraces all cultures. It supports them in everything human and, when necessary, it purifies them. Always and everywhere the Gospel uplifts and enriches cultures and the revealed message of a loving and merciful God ... The old ways can draw new life and strength from the Gospel … Take this Gospel into your own language and way of speaking; let its spirit penetrate your communities and determine your behaviour towards each other, let it bring new strength to your stories and your ceremonies.’
(St Pope John Paul II, Address to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, 29 November, 1986)
Tradition refers to the living faith experience of the Christian community: a living faith believed, shared, celebrated and handed on. Tradition is expressed in various ways: in the faith and witness of the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops, in the worship, preaching and sacraments of the community, in the reading and interpreting of Sacred Scripture, in formal definitions, dogma, doctrines and creeds, in hymns, music and art, in theology, in various spiritualities and devotional traditions, and in the life stories of holy individuals and communities. Tradition complements Scripture and guards against interpretations that contradict the faith of the church.
There exists a close connection and communication between Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. Sacred Scripture is the Word of God committed to writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, while Sacred Tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors, enabling it to be faithfully proclaimed and explained today. Therefore, both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and enacted.
Catholics believe that Tradition is a dynamic reality which brings forth the depth and meaning of all that the Church has received and hopes for in Christ.
Therefore, we teach the content and history of Catholic Tradition, and how it is conveyed and lived.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
Catholic Tradition is enriched by an understanding and appreciation of the cultural and ritual practices of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Like the Catholic Tradition, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations have shared, celebrated, and handed on their cultural traditions through story, art, song, and dance.
‘As you listen to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, seek out the best things of your traditional ways … You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.’
(St Pope John Paul II, Address to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, 29 November, 1986)
Prayer is a conversation with God. It includes a prior awareness in which people listen to the stirrings of the voice of God who speaks to them through the Holy Spirit. God is present in the world and in a person’s deepest self through the gift of the Holy Spirit, and when people pray, they turn to that loving presence to deepen their communion with God, and to allow God to work all the more in them. The ways of prayer are many and reflect the varied circumstances and dimensions of a person’s relationship with God.
Liturgy is the official public worship of the Church. It is concerned with building up the Church to be the human presence of Christ. It is a public act celebrated for the good of the community and is central to Christian life. Through prayer and liturgy, people are drawn into the divine life of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, whose mystery lies at the heart of all that is. It is through prayer and liturgy that people encounter the divine mystery.
Catholics believe that in opening themselves to the loving presence of God through prayer and liturgy, they allow their relationship with God to be deepened, and allow God to work more fully through them.
Therefore, we teach the importance of prayer and liturgy for the individual and the Church, teach how to engage in prayer and liturgy, and explore the transformational experience that both can provide.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
Christian Prayer and Liturgy is central to Catholic Identity. Symbols, words, and actions of the Catholic Tradition are enriched by an understanding and appreciation of the age-old cultural practices and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, particularly through deep listening, inner quietness, and listening to the land; informed by season, place, and time. This is the gift of Dadirri, meeting the Spirit of God within. Catholic Tradition recognises this as meditation/contemplation.
‘The silence of the bush taught you a quietness of soul that put you in touch with another world, the world of God’s Spirit.’
(St Pope John Paul II, Address to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, 29 November, 1986)
Religion is a social and communal way of life, which springs out of the human heart in the search for meaning and the desire to respond to the divine. It draws on authoritative teachings, stories, rituals, ethical norms, laws, and spiritual experience to create a community. This community shapes identity and gives purpose to its members. There are a variety of traditions within Christianity. This sets a challenge to Christians to work for unity. In a global world where many religions are in contact with each other, Christians must give an account of themselves if they are to give proper witness to Christ and so fulfil the mission with which they are entrusted.
Australia is a country with its own Indigenous people who live in age-old spiritual closeness to the land and its dreaming. Our society also brings together many people from a diverse number of places around the world. Each of these communities has its own spirituality, customs and ways of life, often set within a religious tradition. Each religious tradition makes its own contribution to Australian society and all should be respected and understood. The Religion and Society Lens enables people to give shape to their personal identity in dialogue with others against the backdrop of a dialogue with the preferred stance of the Catholic Tradition.
Catholics believe that by virtue of a common baptism in Christ, Christians are called to commit to unity with each other and discipleship, and be open to intercultural and religious dialogue.
Therefore, we teach the importance of engaging in authentic dialogue through a spirit of openness and respect against the backdrop of the preferred stance of the Catholic Tradition.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consideration
This land, now known as Australia, is and always was, a deeply spiritual place where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have a strong connection to Country. Catholic Social Teaching holds that the dignity of all humanity should be respected and that the rights and voices of all people should be heard. Catholics are called to acknowledge and respect the traditions, culture and spiritual beliefs held by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Therefore, because Christians believe in the dignity of the human person, all are called to a spirit of openness and dialogue, to build relationships through reconciliation so that all may take their rightful place in this country.
‘Your culture, which shows the lasting genius and dignity of your race, must not be allowed to disappear…Your songs, your stories, your paintings, your dances, your languages, must never be lost.’
(St Pope John Paul II, Address to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, 29 November 1986)