Philadelphia Archdiocese: School parents must sign 'Catholic identity' pledge

[Pug]

Pug… the whole point of the document is for parents to understand their children will be taught the orthodox, Catholic Faith in the catholic schools and not watered down theology.

Too many non-practicing Catholics and non-Catholics send their children to Catholic schools and then complain when they realize that their kids are being taught the Catholic faith. I’m not kidding. There are people who think Catholic school is non-religious and is simply a cheaper prep school.

Phil, you are right, I simply don’t think about there being a bunch of parents there who aren’t Catholic. Maybe it is my location. There are several choices for a school within 20 minutes of my house so there is no need to pick a parish school unless you specifically want one. Plus, I know perfectly well that if I were to send my child to a Lutheran/Hebrew/whatever school, they’d get taught Lutheran/Hebrew/whatever, so I don’t expect someone to complain when similar happens at a Catholic institution.

Here’s what I’d like to sign: I believe all that the Catholic Church teaches, affirms, and declares, and I want St. N. School to help me teach my child to do the same.

 

[Pug]

The Magisterium of the Church
85 "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ."47 This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

I agree with the Magisterium as a doctrine. However, I wish to retain my right as a parent to choose what my child is exposed to. So if they decide to teach sex ed in first grade at my local parish school, I want to be free to have my child sit in study hall during that time, and to be free to protest, without having a pledge waved in my face. If they decide to require my child to attend an overnight coed retreat, I want to be free to say that is not appropriate for my child. I don’t pledge to defer in such cases involving my child’s Catholic education. My experience with administrations and individuals is that you never know what “innocuous” thing they’ll dream up next.

 

[estesbob]

I agree with the Magisterium as a doctrine. However, I wish to retain my right as a parent to choose what my child is exposed to. So if they decide to teach sex ed in first grade at my local parish school, I want to be free to have my child sit in study hall during that time, and to be free to protest, without having a pledge waved in my face. If they decide to require my child to attend an overnight coed retreat, I want to be free to say that is not appropriate for my child. I don’t pledge to defer in such cases involving my child’s Catholic education. My experience with administrations and individuals is that you never know what “innocuous” thing they’ll dream up next.

I don’t think you have to worry about any of that with Archbisop Chaput . And any document you sign would not force you to allow your children to participate in activities you object to

 

[Usige]

Phil, you are right, I simply don’t think about there being a bunch of parents there who aren’t Catholic. Maybe it is my location. There are several choices for a school within 20 minutes of my house so there is no need to pick a parish school unless you specifically want one. Plus, I know perfectly well that if I were to send my child to a Lutheran/Hebrew/whatever school, they’d get taught Lutheran/Hebrew/whatever, so I don’t expect someone to complain when similar happens at a Catholic institution.

Here’s what I’d like to sign: I believe all that the Catholic Church teaches, affirms, and declares, and I want St. N. School to help me teach my child to do the same.

Perhaps that is the case in your neck of the woods, but where I live the only 4 private elementary schools “nearby” are 3 catholic schools and one secular. All of them are about 30 minutes away. For the 3 Catholic schools they have between 15-20% of students that aren’t Catholic. One of the guys I work with sends his daughters to one of them. He is Lutheran and his wife is Catholic. He has said “for 11k per year they better not be wasting time on religion and Mass. I’m paying for education, not brain washing.” Even many Catholic parents feel like they pay so they should dictate what is and isn’t taught.

The 3 Catholic schools have more about academic rigor and excellence than Catholic values on their “about us” section. Their main sales pitch seems to be “we are better academically than public schools, and by the way we’re Catholic too.” This is obvious in that all 3 requires students to pass an entrance exam to “maintain academic achievement”. Once a student passes then it goes through a selection criteria with parish members, then catholics, then noncatholics. But a Catholic that doesn’t meet academic achievement scores will lose out to noncatholics that do pass the entrance exam. In otherwords we’ll accept noncatholics rather than marginally accademic catholics. This shift the focus to academic achievement before catholic identity.

 

[Pug]

I don’t think you have to worry about any of that with Archbisop Chaput . And any document you sign would not force you to allow your children to participate in activities you object to

Yes, this argument will work with a few Catholics, no doubt. But the average Catholic doesn’t distinguish (arch)bishops. Mahoney carries no associations for them as a name, neither does Chaput. If Phil is right, the aim of the document is for non-Catholics or non-practicings anyway, who have little chance of deciding based upon which bishop it is. They will sign based upon the words themselves.

But in this era of needing to click a button saying “I agree” for so many websites, perhaps most people don’t think about that sort of thing.

 

[JimG]

Parents, of course, retain their right as primary educator of their children. The statement affirms that they are enrolling their children in a Catholic school, that it will teach Catholic doctrine, and that the Archbishop has final authority over the operation of the schools.

If a parent thinks that the school is not teaching Catholic doctrine, or otherwise disagrees with the way the school is operated, they may of course withdraw their children from the school. But they cannot override the Archbishop’s authority for the operation of the school itself.

 

[ARSpade]

Unfortunately for decades many (most? the vast majority?) of Catholic Schools have been Catholic in name only. They not only didn’t teach Catholic Doctrine, they were IMHO the biggest source of ridicule of Catholic Doctrine and hotbeds of dissent from Catholic teaching and authority. They ceased in any meaningful way to be Catholic. I don’t think I’m the only person who observed this phenomenon.
."

Nope. I’ve seen it. In my own family in the two Catholic school teachers I’m related to. It’s sad.

 

[Pug]

But a Catholic that doesn’t meet academic achievement scores will lose out to noncatholics that do pass the entrance exam. In otherwords we’ll accept noncatholics rather than marginally accademic catholics. This shift the focus to academic achievement before catholic identity.

Ouch! :crying: I’m only familiar with my parish’s grade school, though, so maybe our local Catholic high school is like you describe. I’d certainly feel angry, though, if they don’t take the children from our parish since our parish pays a large assessment each year to support the high school. Though I would understand if they can’t take students who need accommodations that they don’t have.

There is a Catholic high school that is more exclusive about 40 minutes away. I’d expect them to be more like you describe. I just looked online. They are only 83% Catholic in the student body.