Wizerunek rodziny katolickiej w świetle "Nauki o spowiedzi" : zarys problematyki

Abstract

In the old Poland, religion had a crucial influence on the shape of a Christian family, which is also confirmed by its image derived from penal practices of that time. In the article, a treaty serving a good preparation for confession, published in Cracow in 1667, has been subjected to analysis. Nauka o spowiedzi included instructions concerning, among other things, the situation of spouses and parents. Issues regarding the importance of the sacrament of marriage, and the reasons for entering into it, as well as the sexual and procreative aspects of a relationship were raised in it. The obligations of a wife and a mother have been described in detail, creating a peculiar catalogue of her expected conduct. Another group of instructions presented in the Nauka… referred to the problem of raising children and parents’ obligations towards their offspring, as well as the obligations that children have towards their parents. The possible sins in this field have been enumerated, including the unfulfillment of the duties that their status required with regard to parents and siblings, and negliegence in the religious sphere. The last group of texts in the Nauka… concerns the Old Polish family from the perspective of a household, which also included servants. The reciprocal duties were defined here, with an emphasis placed on the host’s responsibilities for religious, moral and social matters of his retainers. On the basis of instructions that may be applied in confession, several values held within a family group of extremely patriarchal nature could be distinguished. The position of a father was a dominant one, with an unambiguous division of duties, strict discipline and defined reactions expected from the particular members of the community. The sense of marriage was, to a great extent, determined by having children and by the spouses’ mutual respect. The world of a woman was restricted by religious values, as well as class and family determinants. Her virtues such as loyalty, caring for harmony in the married life, obedience towards her husband, care for the offspring, piety and modesty were emphasised. The most important criteria with regard to wife choice, in turn, included: her social status, good manners and irreproachable life.