The following comes from a Dec. 12 story in Catholic San Francisco by Valerie Schmalz.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is creating a new Office of Catholic Identity Assessment for Catholic high schools starting Jan. 1 – an initiative that may be the first in the country.
The office will not only work with the four archdiocesan high schools which fall directly under the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools, but with the 10 Catholic high schools which are owned by religious communities as well.
The office will be led by Melanie Morey, who has spent the 20 years since she received her doctorate in education from Harvard writing, teaching, and working to more effectively address issues related to Catholic institutional life, culture, and identity. For the past 3½ years she served as provost at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University where she has led three separate accreditation self-studies and visits.
“How do we create an excellent Catholic culture in our time? In our archdiocese?” asked Morey.
“Right now, the archbishop wants to focus on the high schools,” said Morey. “They are a tremendously important set of institutions in the life of the church. They are educating the future of the church: young men and women who are coming to know better what being Catholic means and what it means for their own lives.”
Certainly Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco are committed to being Catholic and trying to find ways to support and sustain their unique Catholic identity, Morey said. Being able to do that over time however, requires that the schools get better at measuring Catholic identity and managing it, a process that can be summed up in one word – assessment.
Morey said the new office will focus on two main areas: assessment and formation.
The assessment component will concentrate on three priorities at Catholic high schools:
– Catholic content: Across the disciplines, in classrooms, in sports, music, drama, art.
– Catholic witness: “There has to be a significant number of Catholic faculty in the schools who integrate the faith in their own lives and are willing to talk about it with their students,” Morey said.
– Catholic practices: An essential and intricate network of small acts or behaviors that remind students again and again of the Catholic faith.
Morey will work with a board of still-to-be-appointed Catholic academics and education experts to develop more particularized criteria related to the Western Catholic Education Association standards and principles of Catholic identity. These more specific expectations will guide teams of Catholic school teachers and administrators fielded by the Office of Catholic Identity Assessment who will visit each school every three years, Morey said.
The second focus of the Office of Catholic Identity Assessment will be formation for faculty and administrators. It will sponsor in-service days during the academic school year and summer immersion seminars for faculty, Morey said.
The first official activity of the new office will be a meeting with all of the high school presidents and principals, sometime in January or February 2015, Morey said….
To read the original story, click here.
Why wait until High School?
Most are already turned away from God at that point.
True, but at least it will help the few children who have survived Catholic elementary school. I don’t think the liberal elements in Catholic high schools will be ecstatic about this! Can’t you imagine them already screaming about having to be Catholic in a Catholic high school? Why some of them may ‘lose their faith’!
JoJo::
The Catholic identity of the elementary schools is under the direct supervision of the pastor of the parish, who answers to the Archbishop. But the high schools answer to lay boards and the lines of accountability have become too vague. As one who taught in the high schools of this Archdiocese for 25 years, the first target should be the Catholic identity of the administration, Religious Studies and Campus Ministries Departments. Look at the orthodoxy of the instructional materials and styles, the Masses and other liturgical services at the school, and commitment of faculty to the Faith. I’d bring back the Anti-Modernist oath, but that’s me.
Tom:
I’m with you on this very important aspect of Catholic education..
This is a great shock! To begin with– WHY is a girl Ph.D., serving as provost of our local seminary?? Is this CATHOLIC?? You certainly do not need a girl Ph.D. from a secular university, Harvard, to serve as a Catholic seminary provost— and to “scientifically” “assess” Catholic culture! What a HORSE LAUGH!! Catholic culture was destroyed, at Vatican II! Ecumenism and worldliness is forced on everyone! Apostasy, heresy, and immorality are the norm!! Tradition is practically excommunicated as a “sin!” There is no correct Catholic instruction, morality, or religious practice! It is UNWANTED, by the Pope and Church leaders! PLUS– the Pope and his Bishops all REFUSE to lead the Church correctly, build true, traditional Catholic churches and teach and live the Faith, and assume correct leadership and discipline, according to the Code of Canon Law, for the worldwide Catholic Church, all her clergy, religious orders, all her parish churches, schools, hospitals, charities, etc. Catholic culture is tragically DESPISED and PERSECUTED by our Church!!
You sound like an idiot – this woman is not a “girl Ph.D.”
Furthermore, if she was chosen by Archbishop Cordileone, she was chosen for her orthodoxy and strength – like many women saints throughout the history of the Church.
Actually, “Anonymous” as usual you miss the key point, and focus on something more sensational. There is no legitimate role for secular women to hold a leadership role in a seminary. Teaching may be a different thing, but the record is clear that women often serve as a screen to eliminate masculine, straight, aggressive young men from becoming priests. And, most of such women are Zombie-Liberal Catholics, wishing that their feminized seminarians exercise only “pastoral” care to Catholics, instead of the warriors against evil that they should be. (Of course, such women are also “offended” by Catholic Tradition, which is clearly Priest (Man) centric, and are in support of a host of wrong policies, such as women priests, homosexual relationships and the like.)
St. Christopher, as usual “most generalities are worthless including this one” was oft mentioned when a comment such as yours at 8:27am, but you may have actually gone over the top. There is no legitimate role for secular women to hold a leadership role. Really? Why not?
Most of such women are Zombie-Liberal Catholics. Really? How do you come to such convictions. If this was an eighth grade debate class you would receive an “F-“.
So you think that all educated women are wanting to be priests, are in homosexual relationships? How do you know that?
Have you ever met a straight, well educated women who is a devout Catholic? You need to get out more.
“Bob One”, as usual you have little of substance to say, aside from personal attacks. You answer nothing by your silly comments, except to laughably regurgitate Zombie-Liberal shrillness and positions. It is amazing, for example, to be in a debate over women priests, or homosexual marriage — people fume, yell, threaten, and, ultimately have little to say on the issue, except emotionalism.
You offer not one specific point of reference, no literature, no person, no Catholic source of authority (or even a secular example of anything). And, you purposefully misstate the blog: nothing was said, for example, about women administrators as being lesbians; but they do often support homosexual marriage rights, and other liberal, non-Catholic goals.
Your fuming, and inaccurate, post reminds of the recent whining over the changes of newly placed Rochester (NY) Bishop Matano, who is ending the illicit process of using mostly women laity to preach at Mass. Of course, the women drawn to this role were often very liberal, leading parishioners there to finally get the Vatican to appoint a bishop that actually follows the rules.
Liberal Catholic writers, such as those in the National Catholic Reporter (popularly known as “fish wrap”), whined and screamed, but said nothing. You have allies there.
A common theme here in these pages is why the pews are emptying at an alarming rate. One reason is that opinions like this one are all too common in the Church. Women who have spent their lives providing excellence in the workplace, modeling their various roles to their daughters, and protecting their children from threats, are not going to subject themselves and their families to rampant misogyny and sexism. Not going to happen.
It is not misogynist to cleave to that which is traditional in the roles of men and women. Providing excellence in the workplace is not the issue, but rather the enforced blurring of roles based on a perpetuated threat of dreaded oppression. Can society not function without the continued stoking of fear of the misuse of authority and position that does nothing but sow distrust among the sexes even when it comes to charitably performing those duties to which they are most naturally called?
The ‘not going to happen’ tag line could be rendered to submission to the gospel on any level when a society has been empowered to do that which goes against the teachings and structure of the Church. For all the grandstanding, nature has a way of overtaking every ‘civilization’ at some point and bringing it back to that which it is beneath all of the so-called advances. No doubt Egyptians believed much would never happen. The Aztecs likely thought the same. And so did English monarchs.
The definition of ‘rampant misogyny and sexism’ is merely a matter of the times in which one lives and often nothing more than hubris as to the seeming accomplishments of one’s own era.
There goes Ann Malley again making up doctrines of the Church that she wishes were there, instead of what is actually there. Where in Church teaching does it refer to “a society has been empowered to do that which goes against the teachings and structure of the Church.” What teachings and what structure are violated by having women engaging in the workforce and providing a role model for their children?
Nobody inferred that society had been empowered by the Church, YFC. Rather the Church has caved to societal pressures when it comes to the role of women… working outside the home.
And yet when the primary focus of mothers was the rearing of not just producing children there was better catechesis. I understand fully why that prospect would cause you to bristle, but that doesn’t negate the natural calling of mothers especially to be the teachers of their children – and not outside the home, but right at the heart of it.
Women who work outside the home are naturally, by virtue of time divided, going to have to rely more heavily on outside sources to imbue Faith/morals/discipline in their offspring. That reliance upon those not tasked by God with the actual job leaves the door open to much – if only I’d known. That is why many young women are opting with increasing frequency to stay home with their children and to homeschool them.
Don’t be too tough on Linda Marie!!!, Anonymous. She is obviously suffering.
“…You sound like an idiot.”
And you, mous, yet again redound with your usual Christian Charity when attempting to correct others. Is this evidence of your amassed graces? Or fidelity to evangelization and promotion of the Faith?
“Furthermore, if she was chosen by Archbishop Cordileone, she was chosen for her orthodoxy and strength – like many women saints throughout the history of the Church.”
Unless you are privy to Archbishop Cordileone’s personal reasoning or his personal adviser, the above statement is pure presumption, mous.
– Catholic content: Across the disciplines, in classrooms, in sports, music, drama, art.
– Catholic witness: “There has to be a significant number of Catholic faculty in the schools who integrate the faith in their own lives and are willing to talk about it with their students,” Morey said.
– Catholic practices: An essential and intricate network of small acts or behaviors that remind students again and again of the Catholic faith.
What do you find wrong with this?
What about education ?
Religious education over the past 50 years has been poor or almost non-existent.
All High School students should be required to read in entirety both
Sacred Scripture (Bible)
and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” of 1997 which contains the Doctrine of the Faith.
This should be completed prior to high school graduation.
Both books are available in English, Spanish, as well as many other languages.
The CCC not only states the Doctrine of the Faith but the reasons – “why” – which is critical in keeping young people in the Faith after graduation.
Watered down teaching for teens is boring, not complete, and sometimes inaccurate.
Do not underestimate the intelligence of teens to learn and understand.
(Maturity and intelligence are not the same thing.)
For more info on the CCC go to: “What Catholics REALLY Believe SOURCE”
https://whatcatholicsreallybelieve.com/
It’s a bit disconcerting to see what has happened to Catholic culture since VII but we have to start someplace and somehow. I might see it differently but at least it’s a start and you have to work with what/who you have available so it would be worth praying for their success and that God will use their efforts to His Glory.
The Baltimore Catechism should have to be memorized throughout elementary school.
Children do not know their Faith.
However reading and studying the Bible and CCC starting in 9th grade is most appropriate.
Good post Eva.
This is what was done prior to 1965, – when people knew their Faith well.
The dismal last 50 years with people leaving the Church in droves speaks for itself – due to the lack of accurate catechesis.
The disunity within the Church – is also because people do not accurately know their Faith.
Accurate catechesis needs to be a main thrust.
And there Is no better way to insure teaching is accurate than to require the use of the Bible and CCC.
Hosea 4:6-7
” My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children. ”
7
The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
I will change their glory into shame
I don’t think this is the best strategy in today’s modern world. As a young graduate, I benefitted most from my Catholic education because it was more progressive and didn’t constantly force “Catholic! Catholic! Catholic!” onto me. If I went to a more conservative school, I can guarantee that I would most likely feel more distant from God as the vast majority of young people already feel highly disconnected with the archaic and out-of-touch Church.
CJ, don’t you support homosexual marriage (from some your earlier posts)?
Is that why you are against accurate education of the Faith, so people will be ignorant in their faith – which allows for relativism ?
Mortal Sin is why you feel distant from the Faith, not education.
CJ just what teaching of JESUS and HIS Church is archaic and out of touch ?
Please be specific.
Wouldn’t it Make more sense, then to go to one of the public schools, which are the essence of progressiveness and would not try to force “Catholic! Catholic! Catholic!” on you AT ALL, especially since you regard the Church as “archaic and out-of-touch”?
CJ “feels” close to a self-concocted notion of God, because he rejects God as He reveals Himself to us through the One Holy Apostolic Church. Here is a person who rejected Catholic orthodoxy in childhood and undoubtedly has no concept of the true Faith. CJ belongs to his own made up religion!
Pete Green, actually, CJ admits that he/she is “DISTANT FROM GOD”! CJ further seems to think that if he/she went to a school which actually taught the ways of God that somehow he/she “would most likely be MORE distant from God”!
At any rate I think your overall point is valid. Below I took out any reference to “Catholic”, “progressive”, “conservative”, or “Church” and replaced these with “x’s or y’s”. Now one can fill in the blanks with any other religion or political concept of your choice and see how that sounds. When you do this, one can clearly see just how irrational and confused CJ’s point of view is.
“I benefitted most from my (x) education because it was more (y) and didn’t constantly force “(x)! ,(x)! ,(x)!” onto me. If I went to a more (x) school, I can guarantee that I would most likely feel more distant from (y) as the vast majority of young people already feel highly disconnected with the archaic and out-of-touch (x).”
CJ, sadly today Catholic teaching is wrongly labeled by too many of us as either being “conservative” or “progressive”. Throughout most of Church history, these two descriptions would have been ludicrous to anyone who heard them. They would have identified either “Catholic teaching” or “heresy”. Of course, some version of “protestantism” has popped up here and there throughout the history of the Church, but to their intellectual credit those individuals seemed to have agreed that they were indeed “protesting” Church teaching.
Long overdue! Good for the archbishop and for the archdiocese!
Michael, What’s long overdue? Prior to V 2, and thanks to the Sisters & Brothers, the Catholic schools did all this. So tell me, what has the AB done with this. Thank you.
Will, prior to V II children were accurately taught the Faith. They had to now the basics before receiving Holy Communion at age 7.
People knew the Faith and therefore were not leaving in droves.
After V ll catechesis has been lousy, and we’ve lost almost 2 generations due to ignorance.
All Bishops must start encouraging the Laity to read the Bible and CCC at home on a regular basis.
The Archbishop might try to force his idea of identity onto schools, their teachers, and their students. The reality is that there are too few nuns left to staff catholic schools, which must hire lay teachers, with a starting salary of about $35,000 a year. Try telling a good, qualified, lay teacher in the Bay Area that they have to raise a family without birth control on $35,000 a year! How does the saying go?, that dog won’t hunt. The new apartments that went up the next block over rent for $6,000 a month for two bedrooms. That’s before they pay off their own college debt. How will they even feed their six or 8 kids, let alone clothe and educate them? And they will all have to walk to their respective schools. Let’s hope they don’t need new shoes.
YFC seems to be for the Culture of Death.
Yup that’s me. Culture of Death YFC I always call myself. Yup.
YFC, glad you admit it.
Culture of the Death includes the intrinsic evils of any of the following:
Abortion, Contraception, Euthanasia, Homosexual Marriage, Embryonic stem cell research, Human cloning.
And Culture of Death includes those who support Mortal Sin (in your case homosexual acts & homosexual marriage) which if un-repented causes condemning Souls to Hell for eternity.
YFC,
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, supports ducks, and promotes ducks, it is most likely a duck. Now in your case substitute “Culture of Death advocate, them just maybe you will get the picture!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
I guess they’ll just have to move to a different neighborhood. I moved out of state years ago to get my family out of the filth culture of the Bay Area (and also saved a lot money in the process). We really shouldn’t get too upset about the necessity to move once in a while. When the current persecution progresses from merely economic to outright genocide, with bulldozers burying the bodies, the faithful will move to hide in the mountains. That’s been prophesized. This life is about saving our own souls, not rationalizing sin for the sake of economic necessity.
buh bye!
YFC, the Archbishop is not forcing “his” identity on anyone.
The Catholic identity is contained in Sacred Scripture and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” and you know this.
You are against anyone who teaches homosexual acts are mortal sins.
Sigh! The Archbishop may be well intended, but the fear is that Liberals — who love this sort of stuff — will be all over the process, seeking to (1) define it strictly in a way to serve the most radical of Vatican II implementers; (2) eliminate any efforts to even teach Catholic Orthodoxy and Tradition (and, unfortunately, Pope Francis certain aids in this, calling the increasing focus of young Catholics on the TLM “a fad”); and (3) focus school efforts on entirely non-Catholic things like leaning to “welcome” homosexuals, and supporting crazy initiatives of the bishops (like immigration amnesty).
Instead, any new campaign needs to do three positive things: (1) completely and fully teach these teens about the Catholic Faith, including Tradition and the TLM (the Church did not start at Vatican II); (2) remind them how to be active citizens in the world, but as Catholics (they are not free of their Faith when they leave their Catholic HS, notwithstanding what the world says; and (3) instruct them in apologetics, so that they can be firm, but compassionate, when faced with the whining and demands of the world regarding sexual ethics and morality, including abortion, fornication (and living together), and homofascism (they will need to be strong, even in the face of public rebuke and derision).
We need to support Abp. Cordileone in this, and, hopefully, it will be more than apostate administrators backslapping each other and issuing yet another report to praise they scandals behavior.
I think the problem is NOT that people like Abp. Cordileone or Melanie Morey don’t see the problems, or even that they don’t have good ideas about what to do to fix the problems. They just never get around to doing anything ABOUT the problems. Most of their time is absorbed advancing careers and appearing on EWTN and various speaking venues around the country. I don’t think Melanie Morey has anything particularly positive to show for her 3+ years drawing a (probably huge) salary at St. Patrick’s—there’s been no strengthening of either curriculum or faculty, no requiring of Latin or other biblical languages as had been requested by the Archbishop. After much initial fanfare, everything returns to “business as usual” in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Good point. Unfortunately this could end up as another beaurocracy, which accomplishes nothing. Then you would have one (or maybe several) more salaries to pay, which would make it even less likely the Church would want to offend the state upon whom they depend for their huge educational grants, which provide those lavish salaries.
What “huge educational grants” are you talking about? The Catholic school system does not receive grants that pay “lavish salaries”. Any grants that might be rec’d are specific for TItle IX remedial education or similar programs.
As to “lavish” salaries – no one I know working at the diocesan level in California is receiving a “lavish” salary.
Rodney, do you know the salary structure of the ADSF? Its on the web. What is a lavish salary in this day and age? A good teacher should be making in the $50-70K area. Principals should be making more. Most don’t make nearly this much. Lavish is a relative term, but teachers are never paid enough. Most are almost giving of their time because they consider this their ministry.
If St. PATRICK’S does not use the “Catechism of the Catholic Church (1997)” as a required text, then it was not doing its job.
In addition St. Patrick’s Seminary needs to teach Latin, Hebrew, and Greek,
and both Forms of the Mass to best serve all Catholics in the Diocese.
If discerning for the Priesthood, always ask about the CCC.
If No required study of the CCC in entirety, consider a different seminary.
Dave, perhaps you don’t know the difference between a Seminary/University President and a Provost?
Catholic seminaries usually have rectors instead of presidents:
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/new-rector-named-for-st-patricks-seminary-near-san-francisco/
A provost oversees the curriculum (what is taught) and instruction (how it is taught).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provost_%28education%29
As for as I know, Ms. Morely did nothing to strengthen curriculum or instruction during her time at St. Patrick’s, as I mentioned. This is supposedly her great area of expertise. I’m sure she has wonderful ideas and talks a great game. But just like with the Archbishop, the problems always come in the actual implementing any changes.
Interesting that the archbishop did this, considering that all archdiocesan and diocesan Catholic schools in California (including SF) belong to the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA). In fact, the superintendents are members of WCEA, too.
Having taught in both Catholic primary and secondary school, it is almost too late to concentrate on high school students, because the “know everything” already and most teachers are wrapped up in social justice issues. You need to concentrate on the older primary students and retrain (if possible) the Religion teachers in the Faith in high schools. (Just ask high school teachers something about the Faith that everyone should know and see how many can answer you correctly – especially if they came from a Jesuit university.)
WCEA accreditation is done at the same time as WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and it leaves a great deal to be desired, especially when a large part of the problem are the administrators.
The textbooks are mostly touch-feely, the Baltimore Catechism is virtually banned and trying to teach the Faith can bring you face-to-face with principals, pastors and diocesan education officials who think you are “mean” or “judgmental” or “conservative” (careful to not state what you’re teaching is wrong – though you’ve heard them state or infer they are in favor of SSM, female priests, etc).
Make everyone in or associated with a Catholic school Catholic and have them all sign a mandatum. I hate to say this, but include the priests, too.
Bob, each Diocese Bishop has control over everything “Catholic” in his own Diocese. And he also has the authority to refuse them to be called “Catholic”, this even includes schools at the University level.
While operating or having membership within his Diocese, even the Western Catholic Educational Association is subject to the Diocese Bishop; the same for Catholic Hospital Associations, etc.
When it comes to the Faith the Diocese Bishop is in charge within his Diocese.
See Code of Canon Law 804 – 814
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2O.HTM
Dave, I agree about the bishop’s authority but my point is that the organization also responsible for the Catholic part of the accreditation (WCEA) isn’t doing its part, elsewise why the necessity of the archbishop to hire someone else? His action also infers that his education department must not being doing their job, either.
One Catholic high school I am thinking of has a couple of people from the diocesan education office on the school board, as well as a couple of people from the local Jesuit university and they still allowed a pro-abort politician to sit on their board and were/are apparently either ignorant of the goings on in the school or they agree with all the non-Catholic things. And yes the bishop knows, so who else isn’t doing his job?
This is a problem that manifests itself in primary schools too, but it a different way.
Bob, the current Archbishop Cordileone inherited a moral cesspool in Oct 2012 from the previous Bishop Archbishop Neiderauer.
Changes take time, especially when much of the Diocese staff had been hired by Neiderauer.
Pray for Abp Cordileone and his success in straightening out SFO. This is one of the most difficult jobs in the USA, and this Abp is a good and faithful Bishop.
Also if you ever notice anything wrong – send documentation to the appropriate Diocese Bishop.
They are not mind-readers and need our prayers and help.
CCC: ” 907 In accord with the knowledge, competence, and preeminence which they possess, [lay people] have the right and even at times a duty
to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church,
and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful,
with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons.”
Dottie, what exactly do you mean a moral cesspool? Are you referring to the Archbishop? To his clergy? to what exactly? It is quite a claim you make, perhaps you should back it up!
Please, if you are going to rail against your “diocese bishop” please do yourself a favor and get the terminology correct. There is no such thing as a “diocese bishop”.
There isn’t a long enough school day for the Catholic schools to teach everything. An active faith life in the family and educational youth programs in the parish are also needed.
Yes there is Anonymous.
Each Diocese needs to start somewhere.
There can be no active / accurate faith life in the family because the parents were never properly taught either – a lost generation since V II.
Many teachers of youth programs have not been accurately taught either. So they are not capable of teaching the Faith accurately.
The only answer is early education using the Baltimore Catechism for children, and the Bible and Catechism of the Catholic Church for grades 9 through adult.
Adults need to read the Bible and CCC at HOME on their own schedules – call it remedial catechesis.
The Diocese should make reading and adhering to the Bible and CCC a requirement of employment in all Diocese offices, schools, etc.
Anon, one hour a day, five days a week for 9 months out of the year.
Plus a moderate amount of homework – is plenty of time to teach the Faith to children and teens.
As an adult I read the Bible and the CCC in entirety within one year, reading about 30 to 45 minutes at each sitting on an almost daily basis.
I guess my point was that the Faith is not just another subject in school.
Congratulations on reading the Bible and the CCC in entirety.
Did you understand everything in them?
Do you remember everything in them?
Everything isn’t in them.
Saints, devotions, history for example.
When reading the Bible and then the CCC (along with the footnotes that go back to the Bible) yes they are not difficult to understand.
I have neighbors who are reading these on a daily basis with their teens for 30 minutes each night and they have no problem understanding.
Do I remember every detail – no that is why I re-read Sacred Scripture, and keep the CCC as reference. I certainly remember all the subject matter (topics).
The two most important books in the Catholic Faith are:
1) Sacred Scripture (Bible) – because it contains the speech of God in entirety (CCC 81);
2) the Catechism of the Catholic Church of 1997 – because it contains the Doctrine of the Faith.
These are essential to accurately know the Catholic Faith.
The Church gives a plenary indulgence for those who read the Bible for 30 minutes, along with the usual requirements.
For ease of reading I recommend the RSV-CE large print.
Get a Bible marker and highlight those things of importance to you.
(Those who have never read the Bible in entirety may want to start with the New Testament.)
The RSV (Catholic Edition) is referenced in the CCC, so it ties together very well.
The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” states on the cover “revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II”. It was promulgated in 1997, and in the USA has a dark green cover.
You may want to give a Catholic Bible and a CCC as Christmas gifts.
Thank you for your answer.
I have many questions when I read the Bible and the CCC.
I am struggling with both.
Some parts are easy and others are not.
Perhaps I am obtuse.
I think Catholic priests should be running a seminary! It should be an all-male, Catholic environment! And yes— they are VERY CAPABLE of running it, turning out outstanding new priests for the Archdiocese, recruiting new seminarians, and assessing everything, with good, common sense! We have few spiritually gifted, orthodox Catholic priests in the era of Vatican II, because true Catholicism is unwanted, since the Council! Dr. Melanie Morey is a big HORSE LAUGH!!
Linda Maria, I doubt you even know Mr. Morey, and yet you describe her as “a big horse laugh.”
Just because someone is female, this doesn’t mean they are stupid, heterodox, or inferior – they just might have something very important, intelligent, and orthodox to offer in the way of education.
The all-male culture of the seminary, which you long for, turned out a lot of sick priests in the old days who ended up being child molesters – perhaps having some women in leadership positions will help weed out such evil.
Seth,
It would have been far better had you recommended the Duoay Rheims Haydock Bible than the RSV-CE which is full of errors. Most truly Catholic bookstores have it available and it can also be purchased through TAN Publishers.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Let’s make sure I understand this correctly. Everyone complains about the lack of “Catholic” in our Catholic Schools and why doesn’t the AB do something about it. Then the AB appoints one of the most respected people in the field to assess and when necessary correct the lack of “Catholic” in our schools and everyone starts complaining. Again, no good deed goes unpunished. One person asked why the AB would appoint a girl PhD to the post. Talk about lack of good manners and obvious disrespect. She is the Provost of the Seminary and University. She keeps the place humming so that the teachers can teach. She is an academic specialist in her new job. How could she be a bad choice? Because she is a woman? Really? Maybe its time to show a little class.
You’re right, Bob One. This is excellent news. Not only did Archbishop Cordileone appoint the widely respected Morey, he actually CREATED a new position to oversee the Catholic Identity of the High Schools in the Archdiocese. If any of the commenters here remember CalCatholic’s series this year on the religion departments in some of SF’s Catholic High Schools, they will realize how significant and timely this appointment is.
There you go again, “Bob One”, never much to say, except personal attacks. It is not an argument to tell the speaker “to show a little class”. In fact, as noted in prior blogs, there is a real issue with the role of women in Catholic education, including in seminaries, along with other issues that greatly inhibit traditional, straight, men from becoming priests. See, e.g., “Goodbye! Good Men,” By Michael Rose, among many, many other articles and books.
Spewing invective does nothing to advance anything you say, “Bob One”. It stands to reason that women that are drawn to Catholic clerical training are focused on a desire to become priests and to make other changes within the church. Have you not seen the women-lead groups that favor abortion rights, favor married priests, and women priests?
Perhaps, you need to re-think the definition of “class”, “Bob One”.
As a faithful Catholic, mother of five, I am offended by your tone “St. Christopher”. Bob One may have used a phrase you find to be invective – I find it to be a mild encouragement to you to tone down your rhetoric. It is provocative and inflammatory to suggest that women who seek to serve the church all desire to be priests (I don’t) or that they want to make “other changes” to the church. There are MANY faithful women serving the church in various roles who don’t seek to become priests and who are pro life. Are you REALLY suggesting that a woman’s gender is itself a disqualifer for any role of service in the church. Good luck with that!
Bishop Cordileone appears to be attempting to address the problem of a loss of Catholic faith and practice in the diocese’s Catholic schools. I pray that he and Dr. Morey succeed in crafting an effective strategy to evangelize and catechize first the faculty (not just the religion teachers) so that they can offer a credible witness to faith in Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church and then propose the faith effectively to their students.
Diatribes such as I see here lambasting Cordileone and slandering all women as such are offensive and uncharitable.
Thank God for your fidelity, kate. But is it possible that you are taking offense out of a sense of female camaraderie instead of looking to the ‘why’ behind St. Christopher’s assertions? For whereas you may feel that there are many good women and therefore St. Christopher’s comments are out of line, your seeming assertion that because your intentions are good and others that you know that that eliminates any basis for an opposing observation. (Are we so prickly as to be incapable of looking objectively at the contributions of the sexes as to their natural roles? If so, why? Fear of objective analysis or offense at its implication is no proof of anything but a sacred cow.)
“…Are you REALLY suggesting that a woman’s gender is itself a disqualifer for any role of service in the church. Good luck with that!”
Good luck with that implies hackles being raised, a reactionary statement, not a well thought out observation of the realities, both pro and con. And no, St. Christopher was by no means suggesting that a woman’s gender was a disqualifier for service in the church, but rather it is a disqualfier for some aspects of service. And indeed it is. For gender is more than just physicality, kate, as you well understand being a mother of 5.
I pray that by way of grace, we will return to that which was effective in evangelizing children from the cradle and especially those in Catholic households what the Faith actually teaches.
One can never really know the why behind someone’s statements. St. Christopher’s statements should be evaluated for what they say. He can explain his reasons. People make statements based not just on the objective reality, but also their subjective interpretations of that reality. Some of his comments were just ridiculous, like women want to teach in seminaries because they really want to be priests. Now if he has never known each woman who teaches in a seminary and they have not revealed to him that they want to be priests, his statement is untruthful and illogical.
As though Ann Malley has no fear of objective analyses….
YFC, bring on the objective analysis. You’re mentioning as much when you predicate a life of love on the primacy of a malformed conscience is something I would very much like to understand, especially in light of your indignant defense of Catholic teaching and tradition. Your inconsistency and/or belief that that which is Catholic flips and flops like a flag in the wind throughout time would prove a wonderful starting point :)
I will take it as a mark of honor that Ann Malley calls my defense of Catholic teaching and tradition as “indignant” even if that has never been the goal of my defense of same.
Excellent posts Linda Maria, St. Christopher and Ann Malley! God is our perfect role model of a Father figure. Priests should be in charge of the formation of that father figure role model in new seminarians. Many priests have been given very poor formation and they have been feminized by feminists along the way. I am not talking about Dr. Morley as a feminist because I do not know her or do I know the track record of Dr. Morey. Obviously Bishop Cordileone thinks she is courageous and qualified but that it not the point. A poster even commented that there has not been any significant changes from her work at St. Patrick’s seminary. As a woman and a mother this has been my experience. I went to speak with the Provincial Superior in charge of a high school in Orange County. I explained the heterodoxy and the filth (that I would be too ashamed to publicly write here) that was being taught at the high school. The Provincial told me that he truly believed me but guess what happened? Nothing. This Provincial Superior had all of the authority to stop the heterodoxy and the authority and grounds to remove the people who were teaching filth and actually do something about the terrible state of things but he asked me a “mom” to expose it and fight the battle. WHY ISN’T HE DOING THIS? It seems that many of our shepherds who DO have the authority do not want to have their confreres mad at them so they ask a woman to do the clean up. The buck should should stop being passed period! May I respectfully ask the good and faithful Archbishop Cordileone why he cannot get into a car himself and drive to one school per month on a surprise visit to actually see what is being taught and then enforce new changes without the courageous Dr. Melanie Morey? We need an infusion of the grace of Holy Chivalry to return.
“…but he asked me a “mom” to expose it and fight the battle.”
Precisely so, Catherine. And yet there are women who get all up in arms about having to prove for whatever reason that they can do it all! Well, of course they can. But if left to their own devices, many men in positions of authority behave like the lion of a pride, that is they laze around and let the females do EVERYTHING because they will. The only time the male engages is to defend his ‘rights’ to run the pride of female lions who he, I would imagine, likes very much to have at his ready disposal.
So yes, women are confident, capable, intelligent, well equipped, but we are that precisely so that we can be a man’s helpmate. And it is very often no help whatsoever to encourage the ‘mom will do it’ mentality when it comes to that which should be rightfully done by men – if only so the men will learn to be men and not stunted as boys …. or lions. Even if that last title gives them place to roar when need be and get the first pick on tasty bits when the kill comes in.
As to mouse’s, “…Some of his comments were just ridiculous, like women want to teach in seminaries because they really want to be priests,” is completely ignorant.
“kate” great on the five kids and witness to the Faith. But, please note that the various posts here referred to women “in a leadership role”. Women as teachers and the like were expressly excepted from this objection. And, yes, literature is compelling that women who seek “leadership” roles very often want significant change in the Church.
What kind of change? It seems to come down to: (1) allowing women to be priests; (2) permitting married men to be priests; and (3) to a lesser extent, recognizing homosexual sexual relationships. And this is not difficult to understand: most American “Catholics” also want these things, according to numerous secular polls. Not surprising, given that at least two generations have gone by where people were not taught the Catholic Faith at all.
Of course, with Pope Francis and the truly bizarre team he has chosen, there is every opportunity for complete destruction of Catholic doctrine. First Francis belittles “doctrine” and then elevates the notion (which is a complete fiction, theologicially) that a “discipline” can somehow trump a doctrine (e.g., giving communion to active homosexual sexualists, or to remarried without annulment Catholics, etc.). But, this approach is nothing more than spritzing perfume on a dung-heap.
The Cardinal Newman Society has been trying very hard, for many years, to bring back Catholicism to Catholic schools! I have always felt sorry for them— poor laymen, trying so hard, to do the work which our modern, post-Vatican II
Popes and prelates refuse to do! What we really need, is an overhaul of Vatican II, a requirement that all Catholic clergy run the Church correctly, and abide by the Code of Canon Law, and we need good, CATHOLIC POPES!!
We have good Catholic Popes. What we lack, it seems are good, Catholic Linda Marias.
Saint Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI were good Catholic Popes.
Pope Francis causes confusion with many of his statements.
The Pope should always speak the “TRUTH” no matter who is audience is.
And the truth is in Sacred Scripture and the CCC.
– Not in Francis’s personal opinion.
Francis’s latest “mess” is saying that “dogs will go to Heaven” in front of the press.
If it is not in Sacred Scripture or the CCC this Pope should learn to keep his mouth shut. He is becoming a laughing stock, and when that happens he marginalizes the effectiveness of his position all over the world.
(google Pope Francis and pets go to Heaven. Its all over the world press)
Here is only one: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/12/12/pope-francis-dogs-can-go-to-heaven/20296955/
Several months back he chastised people for spending too much money on pets; and now he says pets will go to Heaven. Does that mean they can also go to Hell ?
Where did Pope Francis get this revelation on pets in Heaven ?
With all due respect, Seth, Saint Pope John Paul kissing a Koran is equally as scandalous and confusing as stating all dogs go to Heaven. Having been Pope or even being now declared a saint does not preclude one from having confused the Faithful with regard to what it means to be Catholic… or even doing the best job when it comes to administration in the job of the papacy.
I guess you did not see the correction. The whole thing was fabricated.
Actually, Ann Malley, the correct title is Pope St. John Paul II.
To Ann Malley. Are you suggesting that the Catholic Church would canonize a saint—in fact a Pope who held 2 doctorates, one in theology and the other in philosophy—who as Supreme Pastor “confused the Faithful with regard to what it means to be Catholic”? Quite an astonishing claim. Especially from someone with no theological expertise herself and who has gone into schism.
…not astonishing, caritas, but it shouldn’t take a theological degree to have to understand what the Pope is about, not on the ground. For if the approaches of said academics who you seem to hail, not in lieu of grace, but rather academics had been doing such a stellar job then why the dearth of Catholic identity at Catholic schools that prompted this new appointment? Why the avalanche decline in “Catholics” who actually know the Faith? (The lack of adequate catechesis was not a decision made by laypeople, but rather those on the top, friend. Those with the very degrees that hold you in such thrall.)
You may prefer Jonathan Gruber type leadership, but others do not, caritas.
mous, the incident was not fabricated, but rather ‘spun’ another way much like the constant churning of the actions of other leaders that are confusing at best and scandalizing souls at the worst. But that’s a pretty bad worst.
God bless
Saint John Paul did not kiss the Koran and Pope Francis did not say dogs can go to heaven. Please get your facts correct.
“…but he asked me a “mom” to expose it and fight the battle.”
Precisely so, Catherine. And yet there are women who get all up in arms about having to prove for whatever reason that they can do it all! Well, of course they can. But if left to their own devices, many men in positions of authority behave like the lion of a pride, that is they laze around and let the females do EVERYTHING because they will. The only time the male engages is to defend his ‘rights’ to run the pride of female lions who he, I would imagine, likes very much to have at his ready disposal.
So yes, women are confident, capable, intelligent, well equipped, but we are that precisely so that we can be a man’s helpmate. And it is very often no help whatsoever to encourage the ‘mom will do it’ mentality when it comes to that which should be rightfully done by men – if only so the men will learn to be men and not stunted as boys …. or lions. Even if that last title gives them place to roar when need be and get the first pick on tasty bits when the kill comes in.
As to mouse’s, “…Some of his comments were just ridiculous, like women want to teach in seminaries because they really want to be priests,” is completely ignorant.
Please, mous, connect me with some information that will officially state that the Koran kissing incident did not occur. I need to understand this fact, especially in light of the spin of those supportive of the act who attributed it to humility. Please, this could prove a very solid talking point for me in believing your assertions.
Seth,
I am no fan of Pope Francis; however, the Vatican has issued a statement that shows that Pope Francis did not say that animals can go to heaven!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Caritas and others,
Are Popes that openly professed to belief in the Fatima messages yet failed to do what She demanded really to be considered Saints?
I could go into other ways in which they failed as well, but for now this should give any serious Catholic cause for thought!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Seth, the New York Times is the news agency which wrote the initial story about Pope Francis’ supposed comments about dogs and heaven. Here is how that article starts out:
“Pope Francis has given hope to gays, unmarried couples and advocates of the Big Bang theory. Now, he has endeared himself to dog lovers, animal rights activists and vegans.”
This is what now follows the end of that same NY Times article: –Editors’ Note: December 16, 2014
“An article on Friday about whether Pope Francis believes that animals go to heaven — a longstanding theological question in the church — misstated the pope’s recent remarks and the circumstances in which they were made.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/world/europe/dogs-in-heaven-pope-leaves-pearly-gate-open-.html?_r=1
Here is another good article on the matter. It points out that there wasn’t even a boy with a dead dog.
https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/12/pope-francis-didnt-say-dogs-can-go-to-heaven.html
Please, please let’s stop falling for the deceits of the Liberal Media. They are not interested in the truth. What they are very interested in is fundamentally transforming civil and religious society. They only hope they have of achieving their wicked goals is to cause confusion and chaos.
I’m with Fr. Michael and Bob One. Catholic schools have lost their identity. Ab. Cordileone is addressing this issue and Dr. Morey seems well qualified. There seem to be so many negative, opinionated commenters with their tired mantras. The archbishop is damned if he doesn’t ….and damned if he does … Kudos to Cordileone and I will continue to pray for him.
Abp Cordileone inherited a cess pool in SFO from the previous Bishop who did nothing. It takes time, but the Abp will be successful.
We should all pray for him and all US Bishops.
Mike
The AB has had two years in San Francisco and what has he done? The answer is easy, nothing.. He had three years in my area (Oakland) and they are still trying to clean it up. So, please tell me what has he done?
The Catholic Church made this massive investment of constructing institutions that were then perverted by Jesuits, Maryknolls and other Liberation Theologians. If archbishop Cordileone can lower the Marxist inculcation even partially it will be a plus. Cordileone is a Godsend. Even one good Diocese can make a real difference. I would not be surprised if all these high school students were not exposed at least once to the EF Mass and Gregorian chant.
We were lucky that Pope Benedict XVI made great faithful bishop appointments in the USA with the wise counsel of Cardinals Ouellet and Burke.
I do pray that Good Archbishop Lion Heart is already having Latin taught in Seminary to form a clergy that are a cut above the laity, which is what the faithful long for.
No Latin in the seminary.
https://www.stpatricksseminary.org/academic/mdivinity.html
Ask yourself why not.
Your wrong Dave N. If you read the link you provided, there is an outline of the Latin, Hebrew and Greek language courses.
“Bob One” you just cannot be more incorrect, perhaps willfully so. A seminary having a class or two on Latin or Greek is not a mandatory regimen of sacred languages. And, most bishops and seminaries have, since Vatican II, disobeyed St. John XXIII in his encyclical “Veterum Sapientia” (Feb. 22, 2962).
Moreover, it is easy to see why this is so. Why have a study of Latin, when it is a true “Dead Language” in almost all American diocese. Few bishops know much Latin, and, as has been personally stated by a good number of pastors, when queried as to why they do not say the TLM (after “Summorum Pontificum”): “I do not know much Latin” and “I do not know how to say the EF Mass”.
“Dave N.” is effectively correct. Seminaries, which function in the main as graduate schools of social welfare, simply do not function on what should be their chief function: producing Warrior-Priests.
Does anybody know the mailing address of Ms. Morey? I have several issues to raise about my teen’s catholic high school.
Jeff, which HS is that? What are the issues, specifically?
Jeff,
I would think the Archdiocese of San Francisco would know Ms. Morey’s mailing address! Perhaps she is receiving mail already at the Archdiocese?
Let us all pray for the Archbishop and send letters of support to this courageous woman, Ms. Morey….there are many decades of wrong ‘Catholic’ teaching that has been allowed to fester!!! And it is a ‘big ship’ to turn around.
This is true. Use the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” (green cover of 1997) for accurate Doctrine of the Faith.
Having recently had the privilege and pleasure of meeting with Dr. Morey who exudes passion for and commitment to the mission of the Catholic Church, I have great hope for the future of our Catholic schools.
This “girl PhD” is first and foremost a faithful Catholic.
This is wonderful news. Mrs. Morey is well-suited for this position. She is experienced, widely respected, and has the guts to take on what will be a tough job. And kudos to the Archbishop for making this a priority.
If you go to the following web site: https://www.sfdcs.org/dcs/religion_curriculum, you will be able to see the way catholic identity is evaluated in the SFAD as well as the grade by grade curriculum and end of year outcomes expected. It is all based on Catholic teaching, learning the basics in first grade and moving up, based on the Bible and Catechism. Assuming it is followed in the schools, it is hard to say that the kids don’t get a good grounding in their faith.
“Bob One”: By popular accounts, SF Catholic Schools simply fail, in large part, to adequately teach the complete Catholic Faith. Instead, the students that come out of most SF Catholic schools have, essentially, a secularized vision of what it means to be Catholic. Why do you think Abp. Cordileone wants to create this new office in the first place?
The Archbishop knows that few high school kids learn much about what it means to be Catholic. Of course, this is not limited to SF; just look at the outrages by Catholic HS students and parents around the country when they are taught what it really means to be Catholic, particularly regarding sexual ethics (e.g., no legitimate reasons for sex before marriage, no homosexual marriage, no contraception and no abortion, all of that stuff that many bishops and those in the Vatican think is outmodes and hurts the survival of the Church).
You must really like mediocrity in Catholic HS students. Study after study finds such students either to not know, or reject, the most basic of Catholic teaching. Contrary to your statement, “it is hard to say that the kids” get any kind of grounding in their faith.” Perhaps now they will be forced to confront the real Church and the real message of Christ.
Ok, St. C, maybe I need a refresher course. What does it mean to you to be Catholic?
Likely not what it means to you, “Bob One”.
St. C, that’s it?
Bob One, you are not the one who needs the refresher course.
Cynicism, distrust and disrespect are not Catholic qualities.
Either are sins against the Faith, caused by willful negligence (called the “gravest of sins” by St. Thomas Aquinas; “Hoc est peccatum quo tenentur cuncta peccata’), sloth, and mendacity.
Take care not to mock the Holy Ghost. You want only the easy way, but that is false and leads to ruin: “Enter ye in by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.” Matt. 7:13 (DRA)
I don’t see how being Catholic could be called the easy way.