The First and Best of Teachers: All Catholic Parents are Home School Parents

3/9/2012

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of subsidiarity by deferring to the smallest governing unit; not usurping but empowering and helping families. The current overly federalized approach to education in the United States is failing.

The teaching of the Catholic Church on the primacy of parents in the educational mission is clear and helpful. If understood properly, and presented by actively involved Catholics, it can provide insights for a new National Educational policy. After all, the primacy of marriage - and the family founded upon it - as the first cell of society, the first church, first government, first school, first hospital, first economy, and the first mediating institution of the broader society is at the heart of Catholic Social Thought. Reaffirming it is the path to social recovery.

A just and efficient philosophy of government should be founded upon the truth that the family is the first government and that all other government must first be at its service. This is not just a "religious" truth, it is the TRUTH. In his marvelous apostolic exhortation on the family entitled "The Role of the Christian family in the Modern World" (Familiaris Consortio) Blessed Pope John Paul II affirmed the social and political role of the family and called for the development of a "family politics". The teaching of the Catholic Church on the primacy of parents in the education of their children is fundamental and Catholics must lead the charge.

Catholics should embrace a "family politics". We desperately need it. It is time to help people understand Parental Choice in education. It is about the recognition of the family as the first school and first vital cell of human society. This is not just our "religious" position, it is the truth. Parents are the first teachers of their children and all education begins in the home. We need to acknowledge in our positive law the right of parents to choose for their own children where they go to school. That choice should include the full array of options, public, private, parochial, charter and home schools, no matter what their economic status.

Education outside of the home is an extension of the parental role and should recognize and defer to the parents primary role in the educational mission. These children are not, in the words of the US Supreme Courts' Wisconsin v Yoder decision "....mere creatures of the State." The family is the first government and the first school house. We have forgotten that objective truth as a nation and we are reaping the consequences.

Here is an insight taken from the Apostolic Exhortation "Familiaris Consortio": "The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others, on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others..."

In his "Letter to Families" the late Pope wrote "Parents are the first and most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents. They share their educational mission with other individuals or institutions, such as the Church and the State. But the mission of education must always be carried out in accordance with a proper application of the Principle of Subsidiarity."

"This implies the legitimacy and indeed the need of giving assistance to the parents, but finds its intrinsic and absolute limit in their prevailing right and actual capabilities. The principle of subsidiarity is thus at the service of parental love, meeting the good of the family unit. For parents by themselves are not capable of satisfying every requirement of the whole process of raising children; especially in matters concerning their schooling and the entire gamut of socialization.

"Subsidiarity thus complements paternal and maternal love and confirms its fundamental nature, inasmuch as all other participants in the process of education are only able to carry out their responsibilities in the name of the parents, with their consent and, to a certain degree, with their authorization."

Parental (School) Choice is an idea whose time has come. It is a matter of true social justice, not what is masquerading as social justice in some circles these days. The opposition of some in control of the teachers unions to such a just approach to educational policy and fundamental fairness shows how far some of these mediating associations have strayed from their primary role. They fail to defer to the first mediating institution of the family. Parental choice in education is right for our children, right for our parents and right for our Nation.

In addition, we need to reaffirm the primacy of parents in the education of their children and the vital role of homeschooling. There is no conflict between support for good and faithful parochial schools and support for Catholic home schooling.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Home School, parental choice, school choice, education, homeschooling, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Michelle
1 year ago
I'm with Susan E. Webb and Jennifer Sikora on this one.
Tom
1 year ago
I am an avid reader. Am about finished with my latest book by Steve Kellmeyer, "Designed to Fail".. Excellent on the subject of parents as an 'ordo' of the church with a God given sacramental duty to educate the children. Great history on why there were NEVER any schools to teach children for 1800 years of Catholic Christianity and why with England, Prussia, the Industrial Revolution that schools were established to control (not educate) the masses. Society needed workers, not persons. Describes the heresy of the U.S. Catholic bishops interfering with God's given mandate and grace to parents through marriage and conjugal act that created life....for not just this world
BUT for eternity. Parents are to lead their children to eternity. Subsidiarity. The church and bishops are suppose to help, not take over the God given right and obligation of parents. WHAT ARE THE FRUITS OF MANDATED SCHOOLING ...PUBLIC, PRIVATE, OR PAROCHIAL?

The book is an excellent history of the Catholic church in the U.S. and really points to many of our current problems in this country.

For a Catholic, wanting to be a Catholic this is a MUST read.

God Bless.
Jennifer Sikora
1 year ago
PRAISED BE JESUS CHRIST!!!

I agree that every Catholic parent STARTS OUT as a homeschooling parent... but as soon as you allow that God-given responsibility to be taken over by someone else, you cease to be a homeschooling parent. The precious few MINUTES a parent has with a child who they send to school (and institutionalized education is ALL the same... don't be fooled into thinking that "Catholic schools" are actually Catholic) can't even begin to be called "homeschooling".

JENNIFER
homeschooling mama to 8
Susan E. Webb
1 year ago
Let me preface my points with this, ...in a perfect world where the Church "minions" and Government aren't literally trying to shove parents out of their children's education, I would agree with what you've said and the context with which you've quoted JP II's writings and the Church's teachings...in a perfect world. Now for a little reality check.
With all due respect, dear deacon, this opinion is just what one would expect from someone who has not homeschooled past the 3-5 yrs of age (that all depends on how "soon" one can get the children into a Pre-k, or Pre-pre-k class). There is an absolute, distinct difference between those who "tolerate" their children until they can "get the schools to take them", (paraphrasing many parents words...these are not mine) AND the parents who have answered God's call to have one parent remain home with the children; who have made untold and countless sacrifices; who have undergone spiritual and physical warfare to "school" their children; who have suffered ridicule and ostricization from their very own priests, parish communities and lapel pin nuns passing for religious sisters...; parents who have had their children denied their sacraments unless the parents put their children in two year "catechism" classes and allow them to go on co-ed overnight retreats, or sit through basic 101-"how to make sure you take your kid to church after they are baptized" course...and I could go on and on. I haven't even moved up to the diocesan level and the bishops. Believe me, if parents are teaching their children at home, are regular parishoners and are "requesting" the priest to interview their child to show the child is prepared and ready to receive their next Sacrament...the child is getting way more towards their Catholic "education" than a Catholic School student and far surpassing that of the public school student attending a CCD class once a week.
Your opinion is right up there with the rest of the folks that try to justify sending children to someone else to do the parents' vocation. This may sound narrow-minded and unreasonable, but where education stands today...this attitude is spot-on!
Due to poor choices made, parents find themselves in a position of both working or a single parent family...unless it is by death of a spouse...I cut know one any slack. A single parent due to lack of marriage or due to divorce... the root cause is bad choices made and the consequences are that the individual has to now struggle to work and parent, requiring others to take on their vocational responsibility of educating their child(ren). This is a tragedy, but society now makes it sound heroic... Divorce leaves shattered children, and the consequences lead to the above scenario... Again, to make people "feel" better about their lack of prudence and self-discipline, society makes it heroic. What is really quite sad are those who choose to stay home with their children, but still "can't wait" until summer is over. (Again, quoting many parents, not my words.) OR the two parent income households who, due also to a lack prudence and self-discipline, are dependent on those two incomes to "provide" a "comfortable living" for their 2.3 child(ren).
Once my husband and I committed to marriage, we took on the married vocation which is first and foremost aiding one another to gain heaven and being open to conceiving, birthing, training and educating any children that might come through our union IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD, period! The "education of children" the Church is referring to is NOT referring to a "scholastic" education nor a college degree. The "education of children" the Church is referring to is the teaching of the children of the laws of God and to OBEY them, not to have a "take 'em or leave 'em" attitude ...which is the message put forth by ALL external educational entities...even your best, most orthodox Catholic school is only as good as its worst Catechized teacher or liberal-cafeteria style "practicing" Catholic...can anyone say Pelosi, the Kenedys, Bill O'Rielly, a good portion of our American bishops and every Democrat in office??? So one cannot control who will be passing on what message...unless the education comes soley from within a consecrated Catholic home.
This opinion is un-PC, and there will be many who try to justify why "their" family situation is different and so shouldn't be cast in with the rest of the un-wed, or divorced or two parent working tragedies that have become an epidemic in our country...thank you very much, Mrs. Contraception and her live-in "companion", Mr. No Fault Divorce who are the proud "parents" of their furry little four-legged pet, Materialism! Having private or public schools telling parents it is not only okay to be in these situations, but they'll support them by taking over the brainwashing, I mean educational responsibilities which will allow them to feel good about their "heroic decisions" and the FACT that their children lack knowledge of God and His Teachings.
I'm fed up with people trying to sit on the fence, and not taking a stand...Catholic schools ARE in oposition to Catholic homeschoolers because we make the current systems look bad! Plain and simple. They resent the fact that we homeschooling parents don't "trust" them with our children. And we shouldn't, they've done nothing but cater to gov. funding and the protestants in their schools. My husband and I refuse to even allow our tithing to support our local parish school because they have the same teachers, the same books and the even MORE problems than the public schools...this goes for the entire Diocese of Corpus Christi! They teach a "religion" class of which protestant students can opt out instead of using a solid CATHOLIC CURICULLUM, and if the children attend daily Mass, then that is the religion for the day! So please don't try to shame homeschoolers into compromising their vocations to make people feel comfortable and to get along,...not to mention ease yours and so many others consciences about their own child-rearing choices. Christ calls us to be peacemakers, not pacifiers...the word MAKE is what's called an action word, a verb. It implies acton taken, not action NOT taken to bring Christ's peace to souls...not the absence of confrontation to the public forum.
God bless us all...and I agree w/ you 110% that Rick Santorum is "the One". no suprise there when you look at he and his wife's positions on family, homeschooling, less government, less regulation, etc. and...of course, Kenedy's ridiculous, vomit-inducing "historical" speech!
Bil Sr.
1 year ago
There is hardly any human condition for which there is not an over bloated fraud ridden virtual money pit governmental solution coming out of Washington either through legislation or edict perpetrated by the career minded ruling class who have assumed the mantel of benevolent masters of a nomadic entitlement seeking citizenry.
There is plenty more but we can start with the CHILDREN.
There are government run schools in every community which have a curriculum set up to teach what every growing child should know. These include but are not limited to, How to sing Obama Um, Um, Um, how it’s possible to have two moms or dads and not just one of each, and why it is ok if moms like women best or dads like men best. As they mature they are taught the various ways they or adults can show affection for each other male or female, the dangers of sex with the opposite sex and how to apply a free government supply of condoms to protect against the main danger, what government assistance is available to them if sex gets them sick, and most importantly if they, god forbid, should be punished (the presidents word not mine) by being pregnant the government well funded Planned Parenthood is just around the corner to get rid of your problem child. Now you can graduate with honors (and with a little help from the public school administration that has covered for your inaptitude in order to preserve their funding) try to find a job in a jobless market. But if you can’t find one the government will foot the bill for you at the nearest fun and games college of your choice IF you promise to go to work for the wonderful government that gave you all the blessings of a godless anti-voucher budget busting unionize LIBERAL education.
Every lockstep Democrat in congress has to admit this is all true and they are the architects of it. .
Case Closed
abey
1 year ago
For this the parents must have their responsibility to one another & this responsibility is based on the greater responsibility to GOD, 'cause responsibility does not come by itself & how can this come about, if families are ending up in divorces, for the simple reason of not willing to sacrifices, caught in self righteousness & indulgences, to a curse in the family structure & to this the government is increasingly pressurized to take over the mantle of the parents & since the government lacks love, which is most required for children, that which only the parents can give, which again comes from GOD, is also saying milk is the same but then there is the difference between breast feeding & bottle feeding, is the precise reason basic 'Education" through the administration is to a failure.

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