The Catholic Framework for Celebrating Diversity Within Catholic Education

• In Event: Issues of Diversity in Urban Catholic Schools

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to establish the context for the discussion of diversity in Catholic education, by providing a theological grounding based on Catholic teaching. Through analysis of Catholic social teaching as it relates to the treatment of diverse populations, this paper provides a rationale for the relevance of research into the sometimes uncomfortable realities of the Catholic response to changing demographics in urban Catholic schools.

In public education, the U.S. and state constitutions provide grounding for the claim of equal rights to education for all children, regardless of race or creed. Catholic education must function in accordance with these laws, but must also be grounded in Catholic ideology. This ideology is crucial in understanding and interpreting church policy as well as Catholic educational policy, yet all too often seems at odds with the day-to-day decisions regarding resource allocation and support of schools.

Theoretical Framework : The theoretical framework Catholic Social Teaching (CST) has been used by a number of scholars studying Catholic schools (e.g. Martin, 1996). Catholic Social Teaching consists of a number of documents that delineate the Catholic position on such issues as poverty, human rights, and education. CST is used in this paper to show that serving poor and minority students is a crucial role of Catholic education and that decisions that disproportionately penalize these students are at odds with Catholic teaching.

Method and Data sources: The proposed paper employs textual analysis of official church documents such as Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution On The Church in the Modern World) and Gravissimum Educationis (1965) (Declaration on Christian Education) to highlight the responsibility of Catholic administrators with regard to the poor and minority populations they serve. Some archdiocesan policies are also referenced.

Results: Church documents give clear direction for the embrace of diversity in Catholic education. The “universality” of the Church is a salient characteristic; Catholics are called to forge a “bond between diverse human communities and nations” and “to overcome all strife between nations and race.” (Gaudium et Spes, 1965) The paper concludes, therefore, 1.) that Catholic schools have a mission even above that of public schools to unite and serve all cultures, and that 2.) attitudes of exclusivity towards minorities, poor families, or even non-Catholic families, is strictly anti-Catholic.

Significance: Hundreds of inner-city Catholic schools have been closed or are on the brink of closure (NCES, 2011), and attitudes toward diversity play an important role in the determination of which schools will survive. In communities where public schools underserve poor and minority populations, this represents the elimination of an important choice for families. Many Catholics form opinions without an understanding of Catholic social teaching. There is a crucial and immediate need for Catholic scholars to embrace the true mission of the Church with regard to diversity, and to engage with stakeholders as they make decisions that will affect thousands of children and shape the face of the Catholic Church and the nation for decades to come.

Author

• Shannon Alexis Stackhouse, University of Notre Dame