August 20, 2012, Feral Children & Formation

I tuned into an interview the other day on EWTN’s Bookmark.  The author being interviewed was Dr. Robert Royal.  It was an old interview from 2009 and he was discussing his book The God That Did Not Fail: How Religion Built and Sustains the West. (I have never read it.)

But just in passing, during the interview, he mentioned the communication problem of feral children.  Being unfamiliar, and naturally curious, I decided to see who these children are.

Quite disturbing, actually, they were defined on a neuroscience website as children “who have been abandoned or lost in the wilderness and have spent a significant amount of their formative years there.”  These children the website explains, “have lived without any direct human contact and often with the aid of wild animals who have adopted them into their groups.”

Basically, they tend to imitate the wild animals they live with and are extremely deficient in the area of communication.  Dr. Royal commented during the interview that “they do not speak and it is hard to teach them because there are certain things that must take place first.”

According to the website, these children “fail to develop normal human communication skills as a result of growing up in social isolation without proper models. Such skills are dependent upon continuous hearing, observation, mimicking and reinforcement to develop properly.”

In connecting the learning process of feral children isolated from “proper models,” a parallel can be drawn to religious formation, for without having such models from whom children can learn the things of faith through observation and imitation, they will experience some deficiency in developing a strong relationship with God.

While there are many exceptions to this, to be sure, as witnessed by so many people who come to faith without having been raised in it, the normative process by which faith develops naturally is greatly enhanced by the opportunity to observe and imitate those who practice it. 

In regards to communication, I believe there is a “language” of faith.  People who work in ministry and religious education are often steeped in this language.  Words and references that are so very familiar to us often sound foreign to others. This can create a serious gap between the message we want to convey and how it is received if we are not careful to lay the necessary groundwork first.  In other words, “certain things must take place first.”

A good place for this to happen is during RCIA sessions.  RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and it is a process of discernment for people who are considering becoming Catholic.  The first step is very easy and there is no obligation. In these sessions you will meet people who are excited about the faith and very enthusiastic about sharing it with you.  They are not there to convince you to become Catholic, so they do not apply any pressure.

You will be amazed at the stories your fellow inquirers will share and both the simplicity, and the depth, of the questions asked.  It is truly a beautiful process, and a healthy process for the family as well.

If either you, or your spouse, has not been baptized, or were baptized in another church, RCIA is the place to be.  This exploratory process into the faith is truly life-giving and it is the best gift you could ever give your family. Many people start the sessions for their spouse, but I warn you, by the time you have gone through the process, you will no longer be doing it for them, but for yourself.

Most likely your local Catholic Church will be starting these sessions in the next few weeks.  I encourage you to give them a call and check it out.  For now, just set aside all of the excuses you have acquired for putting this off.  Your RCIA director will help lift the veil on those areas of concern that may be in your way.  Trust me, you will be welcomed with such joy that you will find yourself wondering why you ever waited so long.