Faith in the future of schools

 

Two times in Pope Benedict’s address to Catholic educators last week he was interrupted with applause. They both came late in the address, and interestingly, were both on the same subject.

Here was the first, when he was expressing gratitude for their service:

Your selfless contributions – from outstanding research to the dedication of those working in inner-city schools – serve both your country and the Church. For this I express my profound gratitude.

It was a spontaneous burst of applause, kind of surprising at that point.

Then just a few paragraphs later, he said this:

Here I wish to make a special appeal to Religious Brothers, Sisters and Priests: do not abandon the school apostolate; indeed, renew your commitment to schools especially those in poorer areas.

Spontaneous and hearty applause, just as he had opened his mouth to continue speaking. It caught him by surprise, but he paused, and continued. I noticed that, looked up in the transcript at the prior applause line, and saw the connection. They both referred to dedication to work in inner-city schools.

The next morning, President Bush addressed the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast with some opening remarks that praised the Pope and American Catholics. And he talked about their commitment to quality education and particularly, dedication to inner-city schools. (The White House Press Secretary’s office provided the transcript.)

The Catholic Church has a proud educational tradition dating back centuries, and one of the Holy Father’s priorities has been maintaining this tradition in the United States. Today, America’s Catholic schools serve thousands of students — both Catholic and non-Catholic — in some of our nation’s poorest neighborhoods. They help minority students narrow the achievement gap. They prepare children for lives of character and purpose and success.

Bush said he’s concerned about the loss of “a major national asset” with the closing of many inner-city Catholic schools, and announced a White House Summit on the issue.

That was held today. The press secretary’s office provided a transcript of the president’s remarks at the White House Summit on Inner-City and Faith-Based Schools. Right at the start, he talked about the pope, thanking Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl for being at the summit.

We were just talking about what a glorious week it was to welcome His Holiness to America. It was an extraordinary moment for all who were directly involved, and I think extraordinary moment for all of America.

Bush called the need to provide a sound education for every child in America “one of the greatest civil rights challenges”. He believes faith-based schools are a huge part of the answer.

Generations of the newly arrived have been able to have hopeful futures because of our faith-based schools…Frankly, it’s a glorious part of our history.

Today, our nation’s poorest — in our poorest communities, religious schools continue to provide important services. And as they carry out their historic mission of training children in faith, these schools increasingly serve children…that don’t share their religious tradition. That’s important for people to know, that there’s a lot of students who, for example, may not be Catholic, who go to the schools and get a great education. That’s what we ought to be focused on: how to get people a great education.

In neighborhoods where some people say children simply can’t learn, the faith-based schools are proving the nay-sayers wrong. These schools provide a good, solid academic foundation for children. They also help children understand the importance of discipline and character.

It was a rather long speech, some of it detailing specific efforts like the Notre Dame Alliance for Catholic Education, and Chicago’s Cristo Rey program, where the standards are high. And the students are rising to the challenge.

He wound up the speech returning to the pope.

And so let me close with what happened at Nationals Stadium with the Holy Father. When he celebrated mass there, one of the objects he blessed at the end of the mass was the new cornerstone of the Pope John Paul the Great High School in Arlington, Virginia. Isn’t that interesting? I’m sure there were a lot of demands on the Holy Father, but he took time to bless the cornerstone of a school.

And my hope is that we’re laying cornerstones for new schools here or revivied schools; that we take the spirit of the Holy Father and extend it throughout the country, and work for excellence for every child; to set high standards, and when we find centers of excellence, not let them go away, but to think of policy that will enable them…to thrive.

Pope Benedict asked for that commitment in his address to Catholic educators.

It is an outstanding apostolate of hope, seeking to address the material, intellectual and spiritual needs of over three million children and students…Their long-term sustainability must be assured. Indeed, everything possible must be done, in cooperation with the wider community, to ensure that they are accessible to people of all social and economic strata. No child should be denied his or her right to an education in faith, which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation.

An authentic faith-based education, he said, guides the young…

towards the deep satisfaction of exercising freedom in relation to truth, and it strives to articulate the relationship between faith and all aspects of family and civic life. Once their passion for the fullness and unity of truth has been awakened, young people will surely relish the discovery that the question of what they can know opens up the vast adventure of what they ought to do. (emphasis added)

There’s another statement that deserves applause.