When we think of “Catholic Education we think of Catholic Schools whose students and professors are only catholics. This is not so if we wish to see what the word means “catholic” and what it intends to impart as education.

Any encyclopedia would tell us that the word catholic is derived from the Latin word catholicus, from the Greek adjective καθολικός (katholikos), meaning “universal” or it comes from the Greek phrase καθόλου (katholou), meaning “on the whole”, “according to the whole” or “in general”, and is a combination of the Greek words κατά meaning “about” and ὅλος meaning “whole”.(cf.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_term_%22Catholic%22)

Education which is “catholic” therefore does not connote any exclusiveness but something “universal” and that pertains to the “whole.” Its meaning is, that which is something inclusive, for all and without discrimination.

It is not surprising then to see that in some catholic schools like in Thailand or Pakistan, the majority of students and some professors, do not belong to the so called Roman Catholic religion but even believers of other religions.

We notice then that Catholic Education, since it is something inclusive and its aim is for the whole, its purpose is for the common good, the good of the whole, and the good of all. That is why one of its basic components is to offer a culture is dialogue be it in life or in action, if not in different beliefs and doctrine.

We see this reflected in the Declaration on Christian Education, promulgated by Pope Paul VI more than fifty years ago: first, “All people of whatever race, condition or age, in virtue of their dignity as human persons, have an inalienable right to education.”

Second, “this education should be suitable to the particular destiny of the individuals, adapted to their ability, sex and national cultural traditions, and should be conducive to amicable relations with other nations in order to promote true unity and peace in the world.”

And third, “true education aims to give people a formation which is directed towards their final end and the good of that society to which they belong and in which, as adults, they will have their share of duties to perform.”

Catholic education wishes that all men should receive an education as a basic universal human right.   What is presumed here is of course  is the basic right to life which is a must in every Catholic educational institution.   And since there are many cultural traditions, it should be suited to his or her cultural and national milieu and therefore necessitates that inherent in education is that it is “conducive to amicable relations with other nations in order to promote true unity and peace in the world.”

In this world tormented by divisions, we can readily see the necessity of catholic education in the present time. Even if education is facilitated in this millennium by the advance of technology, in a world characterized by many cultural economic, social, religious divisions, we need an education which, -though respecting each cultural situation, – foments peace and universal brotherhood. A great economic divide between the rich and poor nation which causes a lot of tensions to the point of terrorism or extreme immoral measures like assassinating or killing the undesirables, makes us re-think that education should be for all and not only for selected few, in order to have a journey towards peace together as members of the human global family. Moreover if this dialogue in education among peoples is absent, it could become very fundamentalistic to the point of using religion or an extreme nationalistic ideology to exclude and expel other people of diverse beliefs from one’s own country. This has caused millions of people to flee from their very nation due to that threats that are sometimes unimaginable.   Moreover it could create an exclusivist and extremist mentality to the point of  allowing  some sectors of society to be killed like the unborn or the drug addicts.  

Let us go the sources of authors of education. By whom should any young man or woman be educated? The question could be the root of the many problems in the world today, depending on who calls the shots in giving an education to the young. From the point of view of the authors of education the same document gives an important affirmation. It states: “since parents have given children their life, they are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their offspring and therefore must be recognized as the primary and principal educators.” This is a very important tenet in catholic education and all parents have to consider this. When a state ideology claims the right to impart whatever they like, the state steals from the parents their primary obligation. “The family is the first school of the school of the social virtues that every society needs.” It has to be the family not any state or institution that should be the first school, since the first basic unity of society is the family. Society rather is invited to help the family perform its basic role in educating their children and not vice-versa. Any human being is not an ideological production but a person with his/her own dignity who should grow in freedom, love and respect inside the family. Any person has the right and freedom to choose his or her destiny according to right objective basic values and principles in order to be inserted to the bigger society and build a family of societies or nations. He or she is not a cog in any ideological or economic machine just to be manipulated as a thing for personal, political, or ideological reasons. Man is an end in himself and never a means. Here again catholic education is insisting on the basic right of the parents and the family as the first school. Hence the declaration of catholic education insists: “Parents who have the primary and inalienable right and duty to educate their children must enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools. Consequently, the public power, which has the obligation to protect and defend the rights of citizens, must see to it, in its concern for distributive justice, that public subsidies are paid out in such a way that parents are truly free to choose according to their conscience the schools they want for their children.” It invites public power and the state to do its service to its citizens.

“In addition it is the task of the state to see to it that all citizens are able to come to a suitable share in culture and are properly prepared to exercise their civic duties and rights. Therefore the state must protect the right of children to an adequate school education, check on the ability of teachers and the excellence of their training, look after the health of the pupils and in general, promote the whole school project.”

Catholic education really puts it’s emphasis on his basic cell of society which is the family. Any state or government for that matter are invited by this document to protect this right and do whatever it can to help the parents do it’s rights and duties. Though respecting the principle of subsidiarity in granting the private sector in serving the field of education catholic education expressed in the same document wishes that even teachers has to be adequately formed, equipped and supported through good basic salaries by the state. Moreover the health of its students are to be promoted and encouraged through a morally, spiritually and physically healthy environment in schools.

So, from the point of view of the universality of catholic education towards the wholeness and unity of the world, we could not fail to see, especially in today’s world tormented by all kinds of division, and from the basic authors of education, which is basically the parents, this document of the Church regarding its Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum educationis) proclaimed Pope Paul VI more than fifty years ago on October 28, 1965, proves to be more important than ever till today, if we want to have the right hope for the future of our county and of humanity.