Abstract

This paper presents a new form of actions aimed at restoring unity in families through intergenerational reconciliation initiative. It is undertaken by teams of adults, acting as substitutes for the parents of these young people. the study is an extension of a poster presentation shown by the authors at the International Conference on Protection of Life and Health of Children in the Preconceptional, Prenatal and Postnatal Periods (Catholic University of Lublin, March 25, 2013). It shows the reasons for taking up the topic, our experience, tools, methodology of implementing, as well as results and expectations. The concept of apologizing to children by parents can be found in some publications about raising children. they contain indications that parents should apologize to children for their parenting errors not only in the time of their occurrence, but also as they report a specific change in educational practice. this usually means a special apology to children for everything that parents ever did wrong. However, there is still like a higher level of parental action to rebuild harmony and unity with the child, a type of a special act of the spiritual ordering of parental attitudes. The paper shows the possibility of making such a step towards those young people who have not experienced, and are unlikely to experience, such attitudes on the part of their parents. the first inspiration was one of the events at the youth festival Christival in germany, in which the author participated. a married couple addressed the youth in the name of the previous generation. Addressing a pair of young people standing in front of them, for a long time and in detail they apologized for the sins and errors of their parents’ generation. then these young people expressed their forgiveness. Soon the authors conducted a similar meeting in Poland during the festival the youth and Love in Matemblewo. In subsequent meetings of this type, the formula was perfected and completed. Cards with statements about what hurt these young people in their parents conduct were collected. the request for forgiveness took into account both the previously known general list of faults, as well as specifically named hurts of young people present at a particular meeting. a whole team of parents serving such substitution reconciliation was created. Sometimes apologies were combined with a symbolic kneeling (or crouching) down in front of these young people, pouring water over their feet and wiping them with a paper towel, that is „washing of feet” – referring to a scene from the gospel of John 13. Abasement of the older generation often leads to a breakthrough in the young people. extremely important are also further steps: after such an act of apologizing and forgiving each young person is sent forth to be reconciled with their parents with a humble heart. not only the family chain of hurts is interrupted, and the words of the prophet Malachi about turning the hearts of fathers to their children and children to their fathers are being fulfilled – but also healing the image of fatherhood helps the young people to open themselves up to God.