Character Formation

This is Part 3 of a series of articles on How to End Abortion written by Fr. Anthony Mellace (drdavila@aol.com) and is published here with his permission. Fr. Mellace has a new website: http://www.freehorizon.org/.

In this article, Fr. Mellace discusses the importance of proper character formation in our youth.

How to End Abortion: Part III - Character Formation

The educators (parents or teachers) who will be involved in the character formation of youth need to have at least a “smack” of infant and child psychology. They need to understand and study this. The reason is not so much to give a psychological formation as more to avoid deforming and wounding psychologically the youth through pedagogical errors. We know that there are thousands of books on the market dealing with the emotions. Many of them are actually wonderful reading. Educators often do not have time, however, to read so much literature. I myself would recommend the following books to help parents and teachers develop a healthy personality in their young children. I consider them to be the best in this arena:

1) Healing and Feeling Your Emotions (by Conrad W. Baars M.D.)*
2) Healing the Unaffirmed (by Conrad W. Baars M.D./Anna A. Terruwe M.D.)*
3) Born Only Once (by Conrad W. Baars M.D.)

*The above authors were praised and recommended by Pope Paul VI himself

4) Mother and Infant (by Rev. William Virtue)
5) Human Sexual Ecology (by Robert E. Joyce)
6) Friends (by Mary R. Joyce)
7) Women and Choice (by Mary R. Joyce)
8) Aborted Women, Silent no More (by David C. Reardon)
9) The Consumer’s Guide to the Pill and other Drugs (by John Wilks B. PharmM.D.,P.C.)
10) Let Us Be Born: the Inhumanity of Abortion* (by Robert E. Joyce/Mary R. Joyce)

*This book was the first ever written on the subject of abortion and the best that thoroughly covers it in depth and intelligence. Recommended reading for all who truly want to inform themselves on the subject from all perspectives.

Parents and teachers must aim at four objectives in the educative program of youth:

-love of truth
-love of the good
-love of justice
-love of heroism

They should also nurture his self-esteem by helping him overcome his fear of knowledge. The youth, through the affirming education received by teachers and parents, will develop feelings of faithfulness and responsibilities. Parents and teachers should encourage their youth to also collaborate with other youth involved in this similar formation and be strengthened in the mutual solidarity. It is that positive environment of purity that Pope Paul VI wished to be formed amongst young Christians that would help them to grow in a mature and fulfilling way. Professors and parents must remember that they are there to free and liberate the good energies present in the youth rather than try to repress the bad ones.

Father Anthony Mellace