Catholic Education

The entire Catechism of the Catholic Church is relevant to the Magisterial teaching on Catholic education.

Background statements written by Msgr. Peter J. Elliott of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and copyrighted by Catholics Committed to Support the Pope are indicated by ©CCSP. All others are written and copyrighted by Martin K.Barrack.

Document

Description

Background

Acerbo Nimis
Vatican Library

Teaching Christian Doctrine, Encyclical of Pope St. Pius X, April 15, 1905

The later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw an open struggle between the Church and state in various nationa, especially over the question of education. The liberal secular state claimed a monopoly over education in order to destroy what it saw as the outdated influence of the Church in this field. In fact, this was a struggle between Christianity and the forces of secularism, freemasonry, and socialism. Pope St. Pius X writes at a time when Catholics were being persecuted in France by a masonic government. The right and freedom of the Church to teach her own children and to maintain her own universities and institutes is at the heart of the question of freedom of religion. Some of these issues would later be settled by agreements and concordats between the Holy See and specific nations. ©CCSP

Divini Illius Magistri
Vatican Library

The Christian Education of Youth, Encyclical of Pope Pius XI, December 31, 1929

The education question took on new urgency with the rise of fascism and communism. With all the means available to the modern state, the ideologies were trying to capture the minds and hearts of the young. But the totalitarian concept of education was only an extension of earlier attempts to control all education on the part of the liberal secular state. In the face of these challenges, Pope Pius XI maintains the rights and duties of parents and the freedom of the Church to provide education, i.e., the parental right to choose alternative forms of education to those provided by the state. The Pope also confronts such corrupt influences as secular “sex education” in schools, a problem which would become more widespread through the “sexual revolution” of the latter decades of the century. ©CCSP

Gravissimum Educationis
Vatican Library

Vatican II, Declaration on Christian Education, October 28, 1965

The Council Fathers begin their Declaration on Christian Education by first upholding the natural rights and duties of parents. This principle is the basis of the right of parents to choose the form of education they wish for their own children. But such a choice would be available in some nations only if parents were willing to pay for it themselves, while financing the state system through their taxes. Abiding problems inherited from the past and new challenges are faced in a confident way in Gravissimum Educationis, with its strong emphasis on human rights and the need of a complete range of education, including higher education in new Catholic universities. ©CCSP

Ad Normam Decreti
Vatican Library

General Catechetical Directory, Congregation for the Clergy, April 11, 1971

Experiments and changes in catechetics begain in the 1950s. Influenced at first by a “kerygmatic” or scriptural approach, then by an existential “life situation” method, many new courses replaced the traditional catechisms. This rapidly led to deep divisions over method and content. On the one hand, it was claimed that old methods could no longer communicate the faith to the young, and on the other hand, that the transmission of the faith was being destroyed by new methods. At the height of this debate the General Catechetical Directory was published by the Congregation for the Clergy, which has competency in the field of catechetics. This was an attempt to provide some universal coordination, so that extremes could be avoided and the content of catechesis could be protected, whatever teaching methods were chosen. ©CCSP

The Catholic School
Vatican Library

Congregation for Catholic Education, March 19, 1977

In the later decades of the twentieth century, the identity of not a few Catholic schools had become somewhat vague in pluralist societies. Partly as a result of an attempt to to ensure better academic standards or to compete with other schools, the religious content of the syllabus, even prayer and access to the sacraments, had been reduced. The decline in the number of teaching religious was a further factor leading to a secularizing trend. The Congregation for Catholic Education seeks to counter this tendency with concrete guidelines, and helps lead Catholic schools to rediscover their identity and heritage and what they can offer children and young people in new social situations. ©CCSP

Catechesi Tradendae
Vatican Library

Catechesis in Our Times, Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, March 19, 1977

The General Catechetical Directory had largely been ignored and many disputes over catechesis continued to divide and distract Catholics. By the end of the 1970s, it was obvious that there were serious problems in the transmission of the Faith. Responding to a Synod of Bishops which examined this alarming situation, in Catechesi Tradendae, Pope John Paul II requires a recovery of doctrinal content, a return to the use of memory, and more prudent reliance on a variety of methods. The nature and content of catechesis would be defined and clarified through the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1993. ©CCSP

Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith
Vatican Library

Congregation for Catholic Education, October 15, 1982

Changes in society and within the Church had direct bearing on the numbers of lay Catholics teaching in Catholic schools. One factor was the decline of numbers in congregations of teaching brothers and sisters in western countries. At the same time, there was a rapid expansion of the Catholic school system in other regions, with growing numbers of lay people wanting to teach in Church schools. Problems soon arose over the level of commitment to the faith and morals of the Church of some lay teachers, together with practical questions of their training and ongoing formation. In this document the Congregation of Catholic Education requires better formation and encourages lay teachers to be true witnesses to the Faith. ©CCSP

Educational Guidance in Human Love
Vatican Library

Outlines for Sex Education, Congregation for Catholic Education, November 1, 1983

Much debate on “sex education” had developed among Catholics. Under the influence of secular authors and experts, courses had been introduced in some Catholic schools which scarcely conformed to morality, or modesty. Yet it was clear that young Catholics needed sound guidance amidst the pressure of the “sexual revolution.” Responding to a difficult situation, the Congregation for Catholic Education issues these guidelines for schools and teachers. Debates and tensions would continue, complicated in some countries by the intrusion of the state into this field and aggressive “sex eduction” projects organized by pro-abortion, population-control organizations. Therefore, in 1995 the Pontifical Council for the Family would publish a complementary set of guidelines for parents, marking a shift away from the school and an even stronger emphasis on the rights and role of parents in the home. See Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality below. ©CCSP

The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School
Vatican Library

Congregation for Catholic Education, April 7, 1988

In the decades following the Second Vatican Council there was confusion over what is really meant by a “Catholic school.” A minimal sense of identity led to some Church schools becoming little different from those of the state. See The Catholic School above. The concern of the Congregation for Catholic Education is evident in this clear call back to Catholic identity, based on the religious dimension of a total form of education, which sees the whole person, body and soul, as the subject for an education which ultimately has an eternal finality. ©CCSP

Ex Corde Ecclesia
Vatican Library

The Mission of a Catholic University, Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, August 15, 1990

The great universities of Europe were founded and nurtured in the heart of the Church. However, since Cardinal Newman wrote on the nature of a university, the exact status and nature of Catholic universities had been under discussion. In the years after the Second Vatican Council, difficulties arose over the relationship between Catholic universities and the Holy See, as well as the role the local hierarchy could play in the internal affairs of these universities, especially in questions of theological dissent. After years of study, negotiation and discussion, this exhortation marks the beginning of a recovery of the Catholic identity of universities bearing the title “Catholic.” It is a major step towards defining the essential relationship between the Catholic university and the Church while respecting appropriate autonomy and academic freedom. ©CCSP

Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality
Vatican Library

Guidelines for Education Within the Family, Pontifical Council for the Family, December 8, 1995

In the later decades of the twentieth century, “sex education” programs and courses continued to challenge the rights and role of parents. Confrontational situations arose, caused by secularist projects and their indecent and intrusive methods. Even some Catholic schools were not immune to misguided ventures. Complementing Educational Guidance in Human Love above, these guidelines of the Pontifical Council for the Family are addressed first of all to parents. They mark a radical shift away from the school and other external agencies, which can still assist parents, but only in a subsidiary and subordinate way. First, a doctrinal framework for “education for chastity” in the home is set out. Then, the inalienable right and duty of parents is reaffirmed, with the home as the normal place for this education. The subtle stages of child development are explained. Finally, concrete recommendations, norms and warnings are provided to regulate education in human sexuality, which is always to be carried out in the light of the virtue of Christian chastity. ©CCSP

General Directory for Catechesis
Vatican Library

On Catechesis, Congregation for the Clergy, August 11, 1997

The world had changed since the Pope Paul VI published the General Catechetical Directory in 1971. The Congregation for the Clergy sees a re-emergence of evangelizing vigor and a revival of interest in Church teaching. Like the 1971 Directory, this one attempts to provide the fundamental theological and pastoral principles drawn from the Church’s Magisterium, particularly those inspired by Vatican II, to improve catechesis. The parts of this Directory dealing with divine revelation, the nature of catechesis, and the criteria governing the proclamation of the Gospel message, are universally valid. However, the parts referring to present circumstances, to methodology, and to the manner of adapting catechesis to diverse age groups and cultural contexts are more in the nature of indications or guidelines.

The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium
Vatican Library

For Seminaries and Educational Institutions, Congregation for Catholic Education, December 28, 1997

As the twentieth century approached its close, there was a crisis of subjectivism, moral relativism, and nihilism. Radical autonomy led to behavior patterns so inconsistent with one another as to undermine any idea of community identity. Moreover, education, which once concentrated on the child and teacher-training, began to address all of the stages of life. Within this context, the Congregation for Catholic Education sought to focus attention on the nature and distinctive characteristics of a school that would present itself as Catholic.

The entire Catechism of the Catholic Church is relevant to the Magisterial teaching on Catholic education.	The story of Church letters	Background statements written by Msgr. Peter J. Elliott of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and copyrighted by Catholics Committed to Support the Pope are indicated by ©CCSP. All others are written and copyrighted by Martin K.Barrack.
Document	Description	Background
Acerbo Nimis Vatican Library	Teaching Christian Doctrine, Encyclical of Pope St. Pius X, April 15, 1905	The later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw an open struggle between the Church and state in various nationa, especially over the question of education. The liberal secular state claimed a monopoly over education in order to destroy what it saw as the outdated influence of the Church in this field. In fact, this was a struggle between Christianity and the forces of secularism, freemasonry, and socialism. Pope St. Pius X writes at a time when Catholics were being persecuted in France by a masonic government. The right and freedom of the Church to teach her own children and to maintain her own universities and institutes is at the heart of the question of freedom of religion. Some of these issues would later be settled by agreements and concordats between the Holy See and specific nations. ©CCSP
Divini Illius Magistri Vatican Library	The Christian Education of Youth, Encyclical of Pope Pius XI, December 31, 1929	The education question took on new urgency with the rise of fascism and communism. With all the means available to the modern state, the ideologies were trying to capture the minds and hearts of the young. But the totalitarian concept of education was only an extension of earlier attempts to control all education on the part of the liberal secular state. In the face of these challenges, Pope Pius XI maintains the rights and duties of parents and the freedom of the Church to provide education, i.e., the parental right to choose alternative forms of education to those provided by the state. The Pope also confronts such corrupt influences as secular “sex education” in schools, a problem which would become more widespread through the “sexual revolution” of the latter decades of the century. ©CCSP
Gravissimum Educationis Vatican Library	Vatican II, Declaration on Christian Education, October 28, 1965	The Council Fathers begin their Declaration on Christian Education by first upholding the natural rights and duties of parents. This principle is the basis of the right of parents to choose the form of education they wish for their own children. But such a choice would be available in some nations only if parents were willing to pay for it themselves, while financing the state system through their taxes. Abiding problems inherited from the past and new challenges are faced in a confident way in Gravissimum Educationis, with its strong emphasis on human rights and the need of a complete range of education, including higher education in new Catholic universities. ©CCSP
Ad Normam Decreti Vatican Library	General Catechetical Directory, Congregation for the Clergy, April 11, 1971	Experiments and changes in catechetics begain in the 1950s. Influenced at first by a “kerygmatic” or scriptural approach, then by an existential “life situation” method, many new courses replaced the traditional catechisms. This rapidly led to deep divisions over method and content. On the one hand, it was claimed that old methods could no longer communicate the faith to the young, and on the other hand, that the transmission of the faith was being destroyed by new methods. At the height of this debate the General Catechetical Directory was published by the Congregation for the Clergy, which has competency in the field of catechetics. This was an attempt to provide some universal coordination, so that extremes could be avoided and the content of catechesis could be protected, whatever teaching methods were chosen. ©CCSP
The Catholic School Vatican Library	Congregation for Catholic Education, March 19, 1977	In the later decades of the twentieth century, the identity of not a few Catholic schools had become somewhat vague in pluralist societies. Partly as a result of an attempt to to ensure better academic standards or to compete with other schools, the religious content of the syllabus, even prayer and access to the sacraments, had been reduced. The decline in the number of teaching religious was a further factor leading to a secularizing trend. The Congregation for Catholic Education seeks to counter this tendency with concrete guidelines, and helps lead Catholic schools to rediscover their identity and heritage and what they can offer children and young people in new social situations. ©CCSP
Catechesi Tradendae Vatican Library	Catechesis in Our Times, Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, March 19, 1977	The General Catechetical Directory had largely been ignored and many disputes over catechesis continued to divide and distract Catholics. By the end of the 1970s, it was obvious that there were serious problems in the transmission of the Faith. Responding to a Synod of Bishops which examined this alarming situation, in Catechesi Tradendae, Pope John Paul II requires a recovery of doctrinal content, a return to the use of memory, and more prudent reliance on a variety of methods. The nature and content of catechesis would be defined and clarified through the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1993. ©CCSP
Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith Vatican Library	Congregation for Catholic Education, October 15, 1982	Changes in society and within the Church had direct bearing on the numbers of lay Catholics teaching in Catholic schools. One factor was the decline of numbers in congregations of teaching brothers and sisters in western countries. At the same time, there was a rapid expansion of the Catholic school system in other regions, with growing numbers of lay people wanting to teach in Church schools. Problems soon arose over the level of commitment to the faith and morals of the Church of some lay teachers, together with practical questions of their training and ongoing formation. In this document the Congregation of Catholic Education requires better formation and encourages lay teachers to be true witnesses to the Faith. ©CCSP
Educational Guidance in Human Love Vatican Library	Outlines for Sex Education, Congregation for Catholic Education, November 1, 1983	Much debate on “sex education” had developed among Catholics. Under the influence of secular authors and experts, courses had been introduced in some Catholic schools which scarcely conformed to morality, or modesty. Yet it was clear that young Catholics needed sound guidance amidst the pressure of the “sexual revolution.” Responding to a difficult situation, the Congregation for Catholic Education issues these guidelines for schools and teachers. Debates and tensions would continue, complicated in some countries by the intrusion of the state into this field and aggressive “sex eduction” projects organized by pro-abortion, population-control organizations. Therefore, in 1995 the Pontifical Council for the Family would publish a complementary set of guidelines for parents, marking a shift away from the school and an even stronger emphasis on the rights and role of parents in the home. See Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality below. ©CCSP
The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School Vatican Library	Congregation for Catholic Education, April 7, 1988	In the decades following the Second Vatican Council there was confusion over what is really meant by a “Catholic school.” A minimal sense of identity led to some Church schools becoming little different from those of the state. See The Catholic School above. The concern of the Congregation for Catholic Education is evident in this clear call back to Catholic identity, based on the religious dimension of a total form of education, which sees the whole person, body and soul, as the subject for an education which ultimately has an eternal finality. ©CCSP
Ex Corde Ecclesia Vatican Library	The Mission of a Catholic University, Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, August 15, 1990	The great universities of Europe were founded and nurtured in the heart of the Church. However, since Cardinal Newman wrote on the nature of a university, the exact status and nature of Catholic universities had been under discussion. In the years after the Second Vatican Council, difficulties arose over the relationship between Catholic universities and the Holy See, as well as the role the local hierarchy could play in the internal affairs of these universities, especially in questions of theological dissent. After years of study, negotiation and discussion, this exhortation marks the beginning of a recovery of the Catholic identity of universities bearing the title “Catholic.” It is a major step towards defining the essential relationship between the Catholic university and the Church while respecting appropriate autonomy and academic freedom. ©CCSP
Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality Vatican Library	Guidelines for Education Within the Family, Pontifical Council for the Family, December 8, 1995	In the later decades of the twentieth century, “sex education” programs and courses continued to challenge the rights and role of parents. Confrontational situations arose, caused by secularist projects and their indecent and intrusive methods. Even some Catholic schools were not immune to misguided ventures. Complementing Educational Guidance in Human Love above, these guidelines of the Pontifical Council for the Family are addressed first of all to parents. They mark a radical shift away from the school and other external agencies, which can still assist parents, but only in a subsidiary and subordinate way. First, a doctrinal framework for “education for chastity” in the home is set out. Then, the inalienable right and duty of parents is reaffirmed, with the home as the normal place for this education. The subtle stages of child development are explained. Finally, concrete recommendations, norms and warnings are provided to regulate education in human sexuality, which is always to be carried out in the light of the virtue of Christian chastity. ©CCSP
General Directory for Catechesis Vatican Library	On Catechesis, Congregation for the Clergy, August 11, 1997	The world had changed since the Pope Paul VI published the General Catechetical Directory in 1971. The Congregation for the Clergy sees a re-emergence of evangelizing vigor and a revival of interest in Church teaching. Like the 1971 Directory, this one attempts to provide the fundamental theological and pastoral principles drawn from the Church’s Magisterium, particularly those inspired by Vatican II, to improve catechesis. The parts of this Directory dealing with divine revelation, the nature of catechesis, and the criteria governing the proclamation of the Gospel message, are universally valid. However, the parts referring to present circumstances, to methodology, and to the manner of adapting catechesis to diverse age groups and cultural contexts are more in the nature of indications or guidelines.
The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium Vatican Library	For Seminaries and Educational Institutions, Congregation for Catholic Education, December 28, 1997	As the twentieth century approached its close, there was a crisis of subjectivism, moral relativism, and nihilism. Radical autonomy led to behavior patterns so inconsistent with one another as to undermine any idea of community identity. Moreover, education, which once concentrated on the child and teacher-training, began to address all of the stages of life. Within this context, the Congregation for Catholic Education sought to focus attention on the nature and distinctive characteristics of a school that would present itself as Catholic.