[Bishop laments the consequences of state-controlled education at the Synod in Rome]
- H. Exc. Rev. Mons. Enrico DAL COVOLO, S.D.B., Titular Bishop of Eraclea, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University in Roma (ITALY)
12 October 2012
The current situation of progressive de- Christianization of old Europe depends, inter alia, on two undeniable and interconnected processes. These are: the nationalization of the law; and the nationalization of schools.
In fact, Schools and Universities (even the Catholic ones) are evermore submitted to the direct control of States. The so called Trial of Bologna does not escape this logic.
The contents of teaching is imposed by the State, not only through the so called programs but also by means of textbooks.
In this procedure, the cultural vision open to the Christian faith is systematically weakened to the advantage of so called inter religious or inter-cultural perspectives. In fact in this way a cultural vision distant from Christian faith or even explicitly contrary to it, is insinuated in the minds of the young.
The Trojan horse through which States appropriates the intelligence of students is the formation of professors. In many countries professors are trained solely in the State Universities and in any case those who wish to teach must have the State qualification conferred in accordance with the training course established by the States and by State examination.
The Progressive de-Christianization of the West has occurred in this way through the de-Christianization of schools and universities. Now a New Evangelization may take place only in the recognition of persons, of their conscience and their rights.
If the States, as often they have done and continue to do, appropriate the personal project of learning, they remove from the persons the freedom to fulfill themselves depriving them of a basic and constitutive right.
As a consequence an ecclesial community committed to a New Evangelization will have to face, as a matter of urgency and priority ,the good functioning of schools and universities in general, and the Catholic ones in particular.
In close synergy with families and other educational agencies throughout the territory (parish, oratory, youth centers, institutions…) They must make themselves able to effectively face the current educational emergency: because the Church’s response to the educational emergency is the formation, and above all the formation of formators, which occurs in a specific way in Schools and Universities.
For this same reason, the characterizing feature of Catholic Schools and Universities should be the dialogue between faith and culture in teaching. The specific nature of Catholic Schools and Universities should be the untiring dialogue between the science of God and the sciences of man, marked by an existentially assimilated theology, and coherently witnessed by the formators.
A project of New Evangelization that puts in second place – or worse that neglects – the irreplaceable role of Catholic Schools and Universities, would risk failure.