What designates "Catholic" institutions?

[commenter]

How does your diocese designate which institutions or organizations are “Catholic”? In my diocese, there is a Directory. It seems to include any institution that ever was founded by the diocese, or by a religious order. The advantage to the institution is that they get free promotion by the diocesan newspaper - “Open House next week for these high schools” - as well as lots of favorable articles publicizing the activities of this college, or that organization.

Unfortunately, many schools, colleges, organizations, etc have evolved to the point where they are almost identical to those that are secular, sometimes even opposing Catholic teaching. The rule seems to be that once you have the Catholic designation, you get to keep it forever - as long as they want it. In my area, a few colleges and social agencies dropped the designation, apparently on their own initiative, but I am unaware of the diocese pulling it off any institution which claims to still be Catholic.

My diocese is starting a process of “vetting” agencies or schools in the Directory, to see if they should still be in it. I think up till now the unwritten policy had been that if a school does something really, really atrocious the diocese might, maybe, could drop them. But that never happened. There was no strong standard of Catholicism anyone had to rise up to, you just had to avoid explicitly supporting same sex marriage, or abortion, etc. There was no requirement you had to defend Catholic teaching.

There are a few high schools, started by now-secularized convents, that I am hoping and praying will be dropped as “Catholic”. I meet parents and alumni who still think they are as Catholic as in 1965. There are a few other institutions that might, perhaps, be willing to modify in a more Catholic direction.

What about your diocese?

 

[Joe_5859]

We don’t really have that problem in my diocese, but it is the purview of the bishop per Canon Law to determine if any group can use the word “Catholic” to describe themselves.

I can understand being slow to remove the label. In general, I see removing the label as a last resort after previous attempts to reinvigorate the organization’s Catholicity have failed. It is preferable that a group embraces their Catholic identity as opposed to the diocese simply disavowing themselves. Sadly, it is sometimes necessary to do so, but I honestly don’t hear about it happening too much. There was some school in South America a few years back that was asked to stop identifying themselves as Catholic. I suppose it’s possible that it happens more often in private than in public.

 

[pianistclare]

How does your diocese designate which institutions or organizations are “Catholic”? In my diocese, there is a Directory. It seems to include any institution that ever was founded by the diocese, or by a religious order. The advantage to the institution is that they get free promotion by the diocesan newspaper - “Open House next week for these high schools” - as well as lots of favorable articles publicizing the activities of this college, or that organization.

Unfortunately, many schools, colleges, organizations, etc have evolved to the point where they are almost identical to those that are secular, sometimes even opposing Catholic teaching. The rule seems to be that once you have the Catholic designation, you get to keep it forever - as long as they want it. In my area, a few colleges and social agencies dropped the designation, apparently on their own initiative, but I am unaware of the diocese pulling it off any institution which claims to still be Catholic.

My diocese is starting a process of “vetting” agencies or schools in the Directory, to see if they should still be in it. I think up till now the unwritten policy had been that if a school does something really, really atrocious the diocese might, maybe, could drop them. But that never happened. There was no strong standard of Catholicism anyone had to rise up to, you just had to avoid explicitly supporting same sex marriage, or abortion, etc. There was no requirement you had to defend Catholic teaching.

There are a few high schools, started by now-secularized convents, that I am hoping and praying will be dropped as “Catholic”. I meet parents and alumni who still think they are as Catholic as in 1965. There are a few other institutions that might, perhaps, be willing to modify in a more Catholic direction.

What about your diocese?

If they operate under the auspices of the Diocese or Archdiocese, they can be advertised, have their events publicized or whatever.
This also means they report to the Bishop and to his Superintendent of Schools.

As a courtesy, PRIVATE Catholic schools run by orders are also acknowledged by the Diocese. Their superiors work together with the Bishop.