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Overview of education in the Catholic Church crisis

Much has been said in recent days about the obvious and for many, very worrying crisis being experienced by the Catholic Church. Crisis far from obeying a “no faith” (little phrase with which we have tried to disguise the reality, just as it always does) is due, among many other factors to the persistence of doctrines backward and away from the individual reality, detached from the local, national and world around us and obvious, repetitive and blatant sexual and economic scandals that fill the pages of the daily media.

However, although the crisis has always existed historically, it is now manifests itself more strongly, probably due to our successful evolution towards a more critical and reflective thinking (not just promoted by the church). And this debacle of Catholicism should concern not only to high officials who have seen the absence of millions of parishioners and the consequent decrease in the millions who enter their coffers. The crisis goes much further, given that the Catholic Church has managed to permeate vital aspects in society, one in Education.

Introduction

With this writing is not my intention to attack any particular institution, nor lead a “campaign of destruction of Catholicism” (another way to disguise the obvious truth). I just want to discuss two issues that we should call for reflection to all who are convinced that education is the most important social responsibility to improve individual and collective conditions of our countries:

1. In a changing world, with so many specific needs, with an absence of values ​​that allow the solution to our problems, will the current Catholic religion the right institution for personal and professional development of our children and youth?
2. The Catholic religion as questioned before and now, responding to trends constructivist, progressive, emancipatory and critical affective education that our people needed to improve our living conditions?

The old science-religion dispute

The differences between the religious conceptions and scientific and technological advances have extended thanks to Catholicism to one increasingly marked departure from the church and society. The scientific community unlike Catholicism is not confined to moral discourses and sermons, but has contributed practically and effectively to solve many of the problems that have plagued mankind over the centuries.

The condom, for example, has emerged as an accurate and affordable solution to the pandemic called AIDS 21 century. For 2004, there were about 39.4 million humans infected with HIV, but the Catholic Church maintains the ban on their use, under erroneous assumptions. These outdated and irrational concepts to issues as important to the preservation of life of dignity and public health do not convince even the Catholic community. According to statistics, only 4% of Catholics support follow the doctrines to the letter. Fortunately, with little foundation doctrines can not override our rational desire for survival. It is important to ask about what kind of education do the youth in Catholic institutions in which no calls on youth to use technological advances to protect health.

The role of women in the Catholic Church

Today, as long as the church remained undeterred by the humiliation to which women were subjected, the Catholic religion has a ridiculous official doctrine in which the woman is considered inferior to men. No need to go very far back in time to prove that the church still sees women as worthless, voiceless and unimportant. The case of abortion sounded as the 11 year old girl who was horrifically raped, it is the living example of this attitude of the church as questionable. While the leaders were limited to punishing such “savages” to excommunicate doctors who performed following the law the girl this procedure, any Catholic to be questioned about the plight of the girl. Not even excommunicate the rapist. I wonder how many of these elders who so vehemently questioned the doctors and even the victims themselves, offered their assistance to this innocent might overcome their trauma or could bring up the innocent child she carried in her womb.

Unfortunately education proposed by the Catholic religion promotes the formation of silent women, submissive, obedient and permissive to the abuse of man, under the goal of forming “good citizens, honest Christian” and other nonsense. Our world needs women leaders, independent, critical, defenders of their rights. However, we are very far to find women in Catholic schools while girls with these features is still unknown by the church that the role of women is that of transforming our society. This devaluation of women is evident in the denial of the acceptance of women priests. The image of submissive nuns, enclosed in their convents, obedient, sacrificial, it is by no means the image of women in the twenty-first century, which is required for change in social structure where women are heads of households, leading industry, politics, culture and economy.

Sex scandals

There are innumerable sexual scandals of active members of the Catholic Church, before which there is never firm answers. The church has diverted attention from these scandals under the fallacy of so-called “attack the media” as if those who report a crime were to blame, not those who commit it. Will a soft church complicit in these crimes, docile and silent about violations of children, is the most appropriate institution to educate two generations in morals, values ​​and sexuality? More worrying still: If silence publicly try and hide all the horrors committed by members of the church, what will happen to those cases in which innocent victims can not report crimes?

Is it reliable father and mother have your son or daughter in the hands of people who act as permissive to colleagues rapists? How many criminals will be in Catholic schools, pedophiles hidden under habits or cassocks?

What kind of sex education in Catholic schools promoted when there is little state intervention and follow? I remember a very particular case in a recognized school for girls in northern Bogota where a nun Academic Coordinator, asked her students the task of investigating what was the size of a man’s erect penis, not to mention other known cases. We must ask whether people without emotional stability, without the concept of family that Jesus taught us (remember that the apostles were all married, with children, even Simon, who sat on the papacy) are the right people to guide the sexuality of children and adolescents.

Lack of faith or economic interests

In these times of crisis of Catholicism, we should ask if it really hurts the church is the decline in faith and the consequent economic slowdown. What arises is not so outlandish given that it is clear the position of the church as opposed to economic issues. According to Peggy Noonan (The Wall Street Journal) the hierarchy of the church in America has used its Hooked on Phonics power and money to cover up sexual abuse. Have also grown the opinions and practices of believers doubt about the riches accumulated by the church, and the lifestyle of the bishops, archbishops, not to mention the Pope. Ask yourself that while hundreds of people die around the world (including Colombia) physical hunger, eat potatoes in dishes of gold.

If the interests of the church were not cheap, why basic education institutions and university administration Catholicism are even more expensive than most private institutions? Not to mention the extremely high academic schools, expensive uniforms (often developed and marketed by the same priests and nuns) or the many activities (bazaars, funds, collections, etc..) That students are encouraged to develop the only spirit to enrich the coffers of the bishops of the day, while sadly many families barely have enough to eat. If the interests of the Catholic Church were not cheap as you may be denied the right to enter a classroom to a child who for whatever reason is irrelevant not timely cancel his pension (the circular in which advises parents to cancel the pension until the child can not enter the classroom is available for those who have doubts).

These are examples of economic views strongly disagree with the idea of ​​a school open to all social classes, preferably those in need, not an elitist and guarantor of a free education. Ideas so vehemently that the church has enacted such as Don Bosco Educational Proposal.

An educational institution that defends the economic interests over the training of students, can only consider families as clients. Behaviorist conception half century also fail, a lot of damage done to education and has no presentation in the current educational paradigm in which above particular interests, cognitive training raw, emotional, and sociocultural young people.

The church’s position against the violence

The actions of the church throughout history, from the Inquisition, the Crusades, the support of dictatorships in Latin America, etc.. As well as the surprising and common militarist statements by its leaders, have no resemblance to the promulgators of revolutionary principles of love, respect, tolerance and ethics that Jesus of Nazareth left us as teaching.

When the world needs more than ever an ethical direction which directs the company along the path of right, the Catholic Church seems to be established as a symbol of all evil of creation: abuse, murder and a troubling support for violence as an evangelist.

The church can not develop by this thought, educational environments in a family spirit, rationality, holiday, joy, love and many other features of the “family educator” described in the educational proposals as Don Bosco. By contrast, militarism, the church has sponsored since the Inquisition, and is currently promoting (just see how it partakes Pubiano Monsignor Pedro Ripper paramilitary Christian and how his colleagues vehemently ask the government to be rescued hostages ” Fire and Sword “) is reflected in the daily lives of many schools in which students can not even speak or think freely. Schools that develop supposed atmosphere of joy and freedom in that if a student speaks during a Mass, is rated as Poor in Discipline and Conduct., A true example of military training that can only be experiencing repression centers critical paradigm completely decontextualized education aimed at building and social transformation through active participation, tolerant and respectful.

Repressive and militaristic thinking which seeks to keep Catholic schools, sponsored and powered from the actions of the hierarchy does not contribute to social and emotional training required by the new trends in education and humanistic education models.

The Catholic Church has for years evaded responsibility for the crimes of the Inquisition. An institution with no intention of accepting their social and moral responsibility, claiming no idea about the existence of values ​​more important than money and power.

Is it appropriate to continue committing crimes, acts of aberration and depravity, rape and harassment on the grounds that the church is not responsible for the acts of their representatives, and most troubling, to keep in direct contact with our children? We have been lenient to crimes against the church, but we can not allow schools and colleges manage to continue to sponsor their members who just want to satisfy their thirst for violence and sexual aberrations suggested at the expense of the integrity of hundreds of thousands of children and youth who as always are the only innocents.

Final thoughts

Many things happen in Catholic educational institutions, many more than those who do go to public, from violations of fundamental rights and the free development of personality, the right to free speech, to physical and sexual assault.

An institution like the Catholic Church, whose actions demonstrate a lack of morals, with so many questions and so detached from reality, can not in any way encourage the development of a critical education, dynamic, emancipatory, emotional, practical, shared, guaranty rights, equal and humane. A Catholic church with this so unfortunate that you live is not conducive to building a school where the teacher-student relationships are constructive and non-authoritarian, a school where the rights are experienced in reality and where joy, happiness and customization of educational relationships valleys beyond the words of an old book. A Church as hypocritical, does not contribute to the creation of schools that do not disguise the truth, which accepted the scientific and technological development or where at least be guaranteed spaces for discussion. A church with so many economic interests do not contribute to the functioning of schools where not considered the family as a customer, but as active constructors of the curriculum and the educational project. A repressive church as who should not be, does not favor the construction of schools where the methodologies, didactic and processes are open, flexible and constructivist. A church with an absurd position on the actual role of women does not contribute to a school where women are respected and made to assume its deserved and necessary role of leader in this society that demands it.

Just as the Catholic Church has failed in its outdated doctrines, his actions questioned, his constant assaults and rape, his economic ideas and their low power of conviction, Catholic education needs rethinking, restructuring, a new thought.

Quality education, affection, humanity and true morality reflected in facts, hand in hand with the necessary social, technological, scientific, cultural and emotional, to ensure the welfare of our children, grandchildren and peace in our nation.