A “new maturity”

“Parents are entitled to educate their children according to their philosophical and religious faith. The government must support this right with public funds”. These are the words pronounced by card. Seán Brady, archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland, a couple of days ago in Swords (Dublin) at the presentation of “Catholic Schools Week”, which the Irish Catholic Church celebrates each year to foster “learning and celebrate the extraordinary contribution that primary and secondary schools offer not only to the Irish society, but also to the mission of the Church”. Edition 2010, “Catholic Schools. A Vision for Life” opened on January 31 and will go on until February 6th for all Catholic schools in the North and South of the island. In Swords card. Brady, also inaugurated the “Catholic Schools Partnership” (CSP), a partnership among Catholic schools based in St. Patrick’s College of Maynooth, Co Kildare, which has been established by the Irish bishops in conjunction with the Conference of Irish Religions in order to “support all partners of first-and second-level Catholic education within the school system of the Republic of Ireland”.No longer caricatures. This year, the primate pointed out, the week coincides with “the debate on the role of the Catholic Church in our country’s offer and formation management”; the debate is held in a “constructive and respectful environment” within the framework of a “new maturity” where most of the “caricatures of the past” have disappeared, while “the assumption that the Catholic Church wants to control more schools, without respecting the parents, is increasingly viewed as groundless”, and “the idea that the only way to reconcile religious and cultural differences in society is excluding the Church from State aid is considered untrue and against pluralism”.Creative and constructive dialogue. For card. Brady, everything is ready for a “creative and constructive dialogue on the future of education” in Ireland, and “the Catholic Church wants to be an proactive and enthusiastic partner” of this dialogue. The dialogue must be based on “mutual respect and close care for the rights of parents and children”; if, the primate warns “it is just a Troy horse to eliminate faith – either Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or Islam- from schools we are bound to stay trapped in useless tensions” also “detrimental for youngsters and society”.The guiding principles. Some of the archbishop’s guiding principles to achieve “an agreement on possible proposals or formation management”. First of all, he cautions us “from promoting and defending the right to education based on faith, without giving space to mutual cooperation and sharing of other educational approaches, both religious and secular”. It would be furthermore “very helpful” to acknowledge as “unjust and misguiding the idea that the Catholic Church has no right to be involved among schools that receive state funding”, because “parents who choose and appreciate Catholic education for their children pay taxes just like other parents who send their children to other types of schools”. Punishing these parents “due to their faith” is in “clear contrast with equality and pluralism rights”.Which system of values? Card. Brady states that there cannot be a school without values, and warns: ” If the parents want the current government to define the school ethos it is important to ask which system of values will be pursued “and if it is going to change from one government to the next”. “Throughout their history the churches and religious organizations have shown the ability to work effectively with the State offering a broad range of services to society”, and today “Catholic schools can count on thousands of lay members” capable of “helping create a feeling of belonging and commitment towards the community that no governmental body is able to do”. He is “surprised and saddened” by the results of a poll carried out by the Irish Times, according to which, 61% of the population thinks the Church should give up her education system. Card. Brady highlights that “youngsters have a better attitude towards the Church”, and concludes: “Polls vary, but it is up to those who believe in Catholic schools to demonstrate its value”. This is the newly born CSP’s “big challenge”.