Joint Pastoral Letter on Catholic Education

7/23/2019 Joint Pastoral Letter on Catholic Education

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Joint Pastoral Letter on Catholic Education

Joint Pastoral Letter on Catholic Education

Mindful of our responsibilities to the little ones of our flock, and conscious of the

pressing obligations of our office, we address this joint pastoral letter on theCatholic education of youth, to our faithful people.

Twenty-five years ago Pius X of glorious !e!ory spoke to the whole Catholicworld on the Christian "ducation of youth. The educational proble!s whichoccasioned the appearance of that Papal "ncyclical are pressing upon us in thePhilippines !ore than ever today.

#eaving to parents, school ad!inistrators and teachers the fruitful task ofstudying once again in its entirety the Papal "ncyclical on the Christian"ducation of youth, we will li!it ourselves here to the recalling of so!e of its

salient truths and to the application of the! to the concrete circu!stances of thePhilippines today.

The Nature of Christian Education

Christian "ducation is integral education, for it takes cogni$ance of the whole!an % all his powers, all his needs, all his strivings. t seeks to develop thephysical, !ental and !oral faculties of the child in such a har!onious way thathe !ay be prepared not only for the pursuit of happiness in this life, butespecially for e&ternal happiness in the life to co!e. t trains !an's intellect inright habits of thought and enriches it with the truths about (od and !an that are

our cultural and religious heritage. t directs the will by holding before it worthyideals and powerful, lasting !otives for right hu!an conduct. t disciplines !an'se!otional powers by subjecting the! to a will !otivated by Christian principlesand by for!ing the! in habits of appreciation for what is the truly good and thetruly beautiful.

)uch an education enables !an to live not in so!e i!aginary world, but in thisworld. t prepares a !an for his particular calling, and disposes hi! to achievean e&cellent personal and social life within the fra!ework of that calling. *y thustraining hi! for the proper conduct of life in this world, it prepares hi! foreverlasting life in +eaven.

The Use of the Necessary Means

To acco!plish these e&alted ai!s, Christian "ducation utili$es all the necessary!eans. The best !ethods known to !an for training the youth through the arts,sciences and hu!anities are not only utili$ed by the Christian educator, but in aspecial way, owe their develop!ent to the Catholic Church. "ven fro! the!erely natural viewpoint, Christian "ducation is surpassed by no other syste!

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of education in the success with which it trains the youth for the !aking of aliving and the living of a life % for the living of a happy useful life in this world, inthis hu!an society, in this nation. or does the Christian educator rest contentwith the natural !ethods he has thus far devised. +e knows that education, like

the student hi!self, is capable of greater and greater perfection. +e is alert tothe value of new ideas and new !ethods. +e will, however, re!ove fro! the!any evil e&aggerations to which they !ay be prone and convert the! to thegreater glory of (od.

*ut a natural view of !an and his education is a very inco!plete view, yes, adistorted view. o education is truly integral unless, by supernatural !eans, itdevelops in the youth supernatural life and thus directs hi! to his supernaturalend. This is the necessary ele!ent in true education and the distinctive featureof Christian education. The child is taught the truths of the supernatural religionfounded by /esus Christ. They, and they alone provide hi! with ade0uate

!otives for right !oral conduct1 they purify the !ind, chasten the heart, ta!e thepassions and give strength to the will. /esus Christ beco!es the Model of thechild1 i!itating +i!, he ac0uires virtue. 2nd the use of all the !eans forac0uiring divine grace, through prayer and the sacra!ents, is an essential partof Christian "ducation. 3ithout this grace !an cannot attain his true happinessto which education is supposed to lead hi!. 3ithout this grace, he cannotproperly develop his !oral faculties. 3ith it, he can beco!e the well-integrated!an of which !odern educators speak with evident ad!iration. The Papal"ncyclical presents this doctrine clearly in this classic description4

The proper and i!!ediate end of Christian education is to

cooperate with divine grace in for!ing the true and perfect Christian,that is, to for! Christ +i!self in those regenerated by baptis!5 Thetrue Christian, product of Christian education, is the super-natural !anwho thinks, judges, and acts constantly and consistently inaccordance with right reason illu!inated by the supernatural light of the e&a!ple and teaching of Christ1 in other words, to use thecurrent ter!s, the true and finished !an of character.

In the Home

Christian education must begin in the home. The most important role in education

belongs to the parents. It is during the plastic years of infancy that the foundation for

future Christian character is laid. The parents who have given life to their children havenot finished when they have brought them into this world. They are bound to rear their

children and to watch over them with loving care, to train them and develop their latent

powers. Thus they are educators in the true meaning of the term. They educate theirchildren by word and by example. From them, the children learn first of God and of the

things of God, of His Commandments, of His love for them and of their need for Him.

y imitating the example of Christian mother and Christian father the children become



more li!e to Christ. "ords enlighten their minds and example draws their heart. #arents

who neglect their duty as educators must one day render an awful account before God$s

tribunal.

In the School

ut the parents cannot provide for the full Christian education of their children within the

narrow confines of the home. Their parental responsibility impels them to see! in a

school the completion of the Christian education begun in the home.

In the concrete circumstances of the #hilippines today, there are four types of schoolswhich profess to aid parents in the education of youth% the Catholic school, the #rivate

schools of other religious groups, the non&sectarian private school and the public

schools. It is of the utmost importance for the salvation of youth and the glory of God

that not only parents but also all Catholics clearly understand their obligations and duties

relative to all these types of schools.

The Catholic School

The Christian education of youth, as we have already described it, is the proper function

of the Catholic 'chool. The ob(ectives of Christian education are the ob(ectives of theCatholic 'chool) the means for accomplishing these ob(ectives are present in sufficient

abundance only within the Catholic 'chool. "e !now from sad experience that an

integral Christian education is ordinarily attainable, as a matter of fact, only in the schooloperating under the auspices of the Catholic Church. *nly in such a school can purity of

Christian doctrine be preserved) only in such a school is there the general Christian

atmosphere, the daily sacramental life, the consistent Christ&li!e example of teachers andguides, the text&boo!s and curriculum permeated with a Christian spirit that are re+uisitesfor a truly Christian education.

It follows that Catholic parents, on whom is the serious obligation to procure the

Christian education of their children, have the duty to send their children to Catholicschools whenever their financial status allows them to do so. This obligation, confirmed

by the positive prescriptions of Canon aw and reiterated by the 'upreme #ontiffs,

carries with it the correlative right in the parents to send their children to Catholic

schools. This right is based on natural law) it is confirmed by positive -ivine law, and itis recognied by the Constitution of the #hilippines.

"e have added to our above statement on parental obligation the proviso% /whenever

their financial status allows them to do so.0 It is unfortunately the fact that some parents,

due to no fault of their own, are prevented by financial reasons from sending theirchildren to Catholic schools. et us here caution parents not to lightly assume that his

condition is verified in their case) let them remember that they must answer to God, not

to men. ut granted that such is often the case, this necessity gives rise to certain



obligations on the other Catholics of the #hilippines.

1ccording to their respective capacities, the Catholics of the nation, clergy and laity

ali!e, should do everything possible to increase the number of Catholic schools and to

bring their Christian education within the financial means of all Catholic parents. Thateven the present inade+uate number of Catholic schools is able to continue in existence

under their tremendous financial burdens, is due in large measure to the self&sacrifice of

our secular clergy and of the religious congregations of men and women which conductso many of these schools. #roportionate sacrifice on the part of other Catholics would

greatly extend the benefits of Christian education.

et all realie that the Catholic schools of the nation, without benefit of support by public

funds, are ma!ing a tremendous contribution to the education of #hilippine youth and arethus of great benefit to our beloved 2epublic. They are unsurpassed in the type of

education which they give to the youth even if viewed from a purely secular viewpoint.

1ny measure which would hamper the Catholic schools in the pursuit of their rightfuleducational ob(ectives, is a disservice to the cause of Filipino nationalism) its effect is to

impede the parents of the nation in the exercise of their God&given and constitutional

right to obtain for their children an integral Christian education. "ith full realiation of

these rights, the Catholics of the nation will defend their Catholic schools with the sameunselfish patriotism, far&seeing wisdom and courage, and for the same ultimate reasons,

as they would defend their homes and their altars.

Private Schools of other Religious Groups

ittle remains to be said about the Catholic$s duties relative to the private schools

conducted under the auspices of other sectarian groups. Canon aw 345678 expresslyforbids Catholic children to attend these non&Catholic schools. The reasons for this

prohibition are clear from what we have already said about the nature and means of anintegral Christian education and the obligation of parents to provide it for their children.

*nly the ishop of the -iocese can permit an exception in particular cases, and this only

for weighty and sufficient reasons.

The Non-Sectarian Private Schools

9any Catholic children are in private schools not under the auspices of the CatholicChurch nor of any religious group. The extent to which the education imparted in these

schools falls short of the re+uirements for an integral Christian education varies greatly indegree. If the Catholic parents of these children are unable, because of circumstances, tosend their children to Catholic shools, there remains upon them the obligation to see that

the education of their offspring approximates as nearly as possible the conditions of

Christian education. They must intensify their educational efforts in the home and use all possible means to improve the education in the school in +uestion. For similar reasons,

the Catholic owners, administrators and teachers in these schools should do all in their

respective powers to remedy the situation. In this connection, we warmly commend the



ealous efforts of Chaplains, faculty members, Catholic 1ction groups and other

individuals and organiations engaged in apostolic wor! in some of these institutions.

9ay their efforts increase and prosper to the greater glory of God.

The Public School

That no Catholic parent should be compelled to send his child to a public school is

perfectly obvious. *n this sub(ect, the #apal :ncyclical on the Christian :ducation of

;outh expresses the doctrine in this fashion%

/1ccordingly, un(ust and unlawful is any monopoly, educational orscholastic, which, physically or morally, forces families to ma!e use of

government schools contrary to their Christian conscience, or contrary even

to their legitimate preference.0

1ctually, however, a large percentage, indeed, the vast ma(ority of our Catholic childrenare attending the public schools. 1lmost four fifths of our Filipino children go to the

public schools. In most cases the compelling cause is economic.

It is therefore evident, that our pastoral solicitude should be concerned, most of all, with

our children who are forced to attend the public schools. "e cannot remain unconcernedabout the spiritual welfare and eternal destiny of these little ones. "e cannot stand idly

by and see them grow up as lost sheep, with false notions of 1lmighty God, with little

!nowledge of <esus Christ and His commandments, with no love for the =irgin 9ary andwoefully ignorant of religious truths and fundamental moral principles. "e must not

delude ourselves into thin!ing that training in /good manners0 or /ethical culture0 or a

course in /religion in general0 can ade+uately supply for training in the doctrine andreligious moral principles of their Catholic Faith.

In his /farewell address0, "ashington gave these words of wisdom to the 1merican

people. /et us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained

without religion. "hatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education onminds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national

morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.0

Good manners cannot replace morality. /9en must be governed by God, or they will be

ruled by tyrants.0 9oral religious principles are necessary to hold in chec! the passions

of men. "hen these safeguards are thrown away there is no force capable of curbing therapacity of the human heart. Cardinal >ewman has vividly expressed this truth in the

following words% /Carve the granite with a raor, moor the vessel with a thread of sil!,

then you may hope with such !een and delicate instruments, as human !nowledge andnatural reason to contend against the passions and pride of men.0

1nd here, we appeal, with all the earnest as we can command, to our egislators and civil

authorities to ma!e actual and effective the constitutional provision for optional religious



instruction in our #ublic 'chools. "e would remind them that apart from their often

repeated pledges to implement religious instruction in the public schools, they have a

sacred duty not only to God, but also to our country, to strengthen and protect the moralfibre of our youth. 9uch still remains to be done to implement fully the provision of the

Civil Code. "hat is needed above all, is vigilance and insistence that the responsibleofficials should not merely give lip service to the constitutional provision, but should

loyally and wholeheartedly put it into execution. "e cannot as! for less, we will not as!for more.

#astors must recruit and prepare catechists to teach in Government schools, even in the

remote barrios of their parishes. They should be helped by Catholic 1ctionists, by otherreligious organiations, and by the religious congregations of men and women.

The parents or others in loco parentis should avail themselves of the provisions of the

Civil Code by applying for religious instruction for their children, and see to it, with

firmness, that their children loyally attend such instruction.

Instructors in 2eligion should be given the proper time, suitable rooms and all necessaryfacilities for the religious training of their pupils. 'uperintendents of schools, supervisors

and other school authorities should be reminded that, as servants of the people, they

should do all in their power to assist the parents in the exercise of their God&given andconstitutionally recognied right, to ma!e ade+uate provision for the Christian education

of their children.

or God and Countr!

From first to last, the general principles which should govern the Catholic$s attitude andactions with regard to the education of our Catholic youth are simple and coherent. It isour duty and our right to obtain for the children an integral Christian education. 'uch an

education must begin in the home but, for its ade+uate fulfillment, it needs the Catholic

schools. #arents therefore have the duty and the right to send their children to Catholicschools. If circumstances over which they have no control prevent parents from sending

their children to Catholic schools, then the utmost caution must be used, to see, that as far

as humanly possible, religious instruction is given to those children. If the great ma(orityof our children are forced by economic reasons to go to public school, then the public

schools must be made to correspond as nearly as constitutionally possible, with Catholic

educational re+uirements. That provision of the Civil Code on religious instruction be

made actual and effective, is of paramount importance.

In so insisting upon the need for the Christian education of youth, "e, the ishops of the

#hilippines, are conscious, first and foremost, of our sacred duties before God. "e

hear!en to the words of Christ% /'uffer the little children to come unto 9e and forbidthem not, for of such is the ?ingdom of God.0 39!. 4@%478 *ur hearts are warmed by

the words with which He depicted the sublimity of the Teacher$s vocation% /1nd

whoever receives one such little child for my sa!e, receives me.0 39t. 4A%B8 1nd we,



with all men and women responsible for the well&being of these children, tremble at

Christ$s words of condemnation of those who put obstacles in the way of their salvation%

/ut whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in 9e to sin, it were better forhim to have a great millstone hung around his nec!, and to be drowned in the depths of

the sea.0 39t. 4A%8

ut we are conscious also that, in so urging the Christian education of youth, we are

doing the greatest service to our beloved #hilippines. These words of the #apal:ncyclical are our words too%

/et it be loudly proclaimed and well understood and recognied by all,

that Catholics, no matter what their nationality, in agitating for Catholic

schools for their children, are not mixing in party politics, but are engagedin a religious enterprise demanded by conscience. They do not intend to

separate their children either from the body of nation of its spirit, but to educate

them in a perfect manner, most conducive to the prosperity of the nation. Indeeda good Catholic, precisely because of his Catholic principles, ma!es the better

citien, attached to his country, and loyally submissive to constituted

civil authority in every legitimate form of government.0

The product of a truly Christian education is well prepared to ma!e his due contributionto the social, economic and political life of his country. In an eminent way, the Catholic

'chool is +ualified to /develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience, and

vocational efficiency, and to teach the duties of citienship.0 3#hilippine Constitution,1rticle DI=, 'ec. B8 It instills in its product the !nowledge and respect for human dignity

upon which the preservation of the country$s liberties depends. It combats the spread of a

materialistic philosophy and inculcates spiritual values, without which communism orsome other type of state tyranny is the logical outcome. It has produced in the past ourgreatest leaders and patriots E 2ial, urgos and amora, the forerunners of Filipino

nationalism, were brought up in the Catholic 'chools. It will continue to produce good

citiens, leaders of the people, men and women dedicated to the service and love of Godand to the honor of our country.

Given in 9anila on :aster 'unday, on the 4@th day of 1pril, in the year of *ur ord,

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State"ent of the Philippine #ierarch! on the Nationali$ation of Schools

Statement of the Philippine Hierarchy on theNationalization of Schools

There is a !ove!ent these days to i!pose upon our schools, 6a7 theprohibition to appoint persons who are not natural-born citi$ens of thePhilippines to the positions of heads of schools, colleges and universities or teachers, instructors or professors in any social science subject1 6b7 theprohibition to allow any person who is not a citi$en of the Philippines or anycorporation or association, !ore than twenty-five per centu! of the capitalof which belong to persons who are not citi$ens of the Philippines toorgani$e or engage directly or indirectly in the operation or !anage!ent of

any school or college in the Philippines1 6c7 the re0uire!ent that at leastsi&ty percent of the !e!bers of the *oard of Trustees or governing body ofschools, colleges and universities shall be co!posed of :ilipino citi$ens.6*ills ). o. ;<, +. o. =>=, +. o. ===, and +. o. ;<?7.

The objectives of the !ove!ent, as stated by its authors, are the following4

?. To ensure adoption and e&ecution of !ore dyna!ic pro-:ilipino





policies in our educational institutions. 6).o. ;< and +. o. ;<?7.=. To ensure i!partiality and truthfulness in the teaching of social

science subjects 6history, custo!s, !ores, traditions, culture andideals of countries and people7. 6). o. ;<.7

;. To prevent co!!unists fro! infiltrating our educational syste!. 6).o. ;<7.

@. to prepare a type of citi$enry trained through our educationalsyste!, to pro!ote national unity and defend nationalindependence. 6+. o. =>=7.

A. To preserve our de!ocratic way of life and conserve our historicaltreasures, cultural or otherwise, so that each !ay live in glory,abundance, peace and content!ent. 6+. o. ===7.

)ince this !ove!ent affects a nu!ber of our catholic educational

institutions, 3e, the Catholic +ierarchy of the Philippines, dee! it our dutyto e&press our concern not in regard to the objectives of the !ove!entwhich are praiseworthy and co!!endable, but about the !eans proposedin order to attain said objectives and about the reasons advanced in favor of such !eans.

These are the reasons upon which "e base our stand.

The facts

et us consider the following facts%

The 1merican educators who came to this country after the change ofregime at the beginning of the century immediately engaged the services of

Filipino teachers to help them in their educational wor!. From the very

start, then, our educational system in the #hilippines had a ma(ority of

Filipino teachers. 1fter some years the administration of the system wasentrusted to the hands of Filipinos. The schools which remained in the

hands of foreigners were, and are, relatively few. "e can therefore say,

without fear of contradiction, that our people, under fifty years of age,except the relatively few who attended the schools run by foreigners, have

been educated by Filipinos.

>ow, some of our national leaders, whose patriotism we have no reason to

doubt, have accused our people of lac! of nationalistic spirit, of colonialmentality, of deep&seated inclination to imitate whatever is foreign. Is this

accusation trueJ If it is, then, since we have been educated by Filipinos, it

cannot be true that our own countrymen have proved themselves to be the best teachers of nationalistic spirit.



If the accusation is false, then we do possess that /nationalistic spirit0. 'o

let us further as!% Is the spirit a monopoly of those Filipinos who have been

educated by FilipinosJ *r to put it in another way, are those who have beeneducated in our /foreigner&run0 schools utterly lac!ing in love of country

and of things FilipinoJ

The life history of the ma(ority of our heroes and of our great men will

answer that +uestion. 'pea!ing only of the last fifty years of our history, arewe going to say that Kueon, *smeLa, 1rellano, 9apa, and a host of others

were imbued with anti&filipinism by the schools which educated themJ

Furthermore, the names of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedomin the last war are still fresh in our memory. Thousands of them received

their education from the hands of alien Catholic mentors.

Could it be that those heroes and leaders came to love their country in spite

of the education they received in the schools managed by foreignersJ Thisis a serious indictment against a considerable number of our educated

people. It would imply that those heroes and leaders were the exceptional

few who managed to learn love of country amidst the deleterious influence

of their alien teachers, while the ma(ority of the allumni and alumnae of our/foreigner&run0 schools and colleges succumbed to the anti&Filipino

teachings of these schools.

et these alumni and alumnae answer the indictment. 1ll "e can say is thatthe religious, social and political life of these men and women is a clear

proof that the Catholic foreigners who have charge of some of our schools

are not anti&Filipino in their policies and in their teachings, as they are purported to be.

The Reasons

et us now study the reasons advanced to (ustify the enactment of the proposed

measures as they appear listed in our first paragraph. "e thin! that these reasons

do not warrant the necessity of adopting such means to attain the ob(ectives.

First, it has been said that natural&born Filipinos will adopt more dynamic pro&Filipino policies in our educational institutions as their heads. *n the other hand,

/it is feared0 that foreigners /may not care0 about such policies. 3'. >o. 5A8.

The policies to be followed by our schools, colleges and universities, as is the case

with their curricula, are determined by the >ational oard of :ducation and the-epartment of :ducation. If we want pro&Filipino policies, those are the

government agencies that can shape such policies and ma!e them effective.

<ust because /it is feared0 that some educators /may not care0 about these policies,



"e do not thin! it is necessary to adopt such drastic measures as are now

proposed. The phrase /may not care0 indicate that as yet there is no proven anti&

Filipinism in /foreign&run0 schools. If there is sufficient ground for fear, would itnot be better, after the competent government authorities have laid down the pro&

Filipino policies to be followed by the schools, to investigate and punish theseeducators, Filipinos or foreigners, who neglect their duties in this regardJ

In the second place, it alleged that natural&born Filipinos /will be impartial andtruthful in teaching0 social science sub(ects. For alien teachers, /the temptation to

slant their teaching in a manner more favorable to their fatherlands will be very

great.0 3'.>. 5A8.

In the teaching of any sub(ect, either geometry, or biology or social science, whatma!es a teacher a good teacher, aside from his professional s!ill, is primarily his

faithful and strict adherence to truth. This +uality does not depend upon the color

of his s!in nor upon other accidents of birth but upon the moral standards he has setunto himself in the performance of his duties as a teacher. 1nd it certainly would

not be /impartial and truthful0 to say that Filipinos have high moral standards and

foreigners have low moral standards in this regard.

The test of ob(ectivity and impartiality in any given lesson of any social sciencesub(ect is factual evidence and right reasoning. /#lace of birth has nothing to do

with it. It would be highly unsound to adopt the criterion that in social sciences in

the #hilippines, if a Filipino says it, it is true and if a foreigner says it, it is false.

This is precisely the brand of nationalism against which "e want to warn our

faithful. This is nothing but the old >ai dogma of racism, the !ind of nationalismthat ignited the second "orld "ar. "e must realie that race and blood and the

place where one was born have nothing to do with impartiality and truthfulness.Truth and virtue have no country nor s!in color. If because of human frailty there

is a /great temptation on the part of foreigners to slant their teaching in favor of

their fatherlands0, we Filipinos, not being angels, have the same human nature with

the same human frailties and our temptation would be to exaggerate our nationalvirtues and the achievements of our race.

It is further averred that natural&born Filipinos /could impart more effectively to

our students0 the social science sub(ects. 3H. >o. 5A48. ut we must remember

that effective teaching is not a product of one$s nationality, but of one$s training as ateacher. "hile it is true that there are Filipino teachers who are professionally

better than many alien teachers, it is also true that there are alien teachers who are

professionally better than some Filipino teachers. :fficiency in teaching dependsupon professional training and proffessional growth.

"e are not blind to the fact that when a teacher teaches, for example, the history of

his own country, to the actual act of imparting !nowledge to his pupils, there could



be an added emotional glow of pride and love which can arouse in the hearts of the

pupils a greater love for the Fatherland. For this reason "e favor in principle the

idea that where it can be done, social sciences should be taught by Filipinos. ut"e do not agree that a law is needed for this. 1 mere directive from the ureaus of

#ublic and #rivate 'chools will suffice. 1t any rate, "e believe that this factcannot (ustify the condemnation of foreign teachers of social sciences as ineffective

teachers, wanting in impartiality and truthfulness.

In the third place, it is said that foreigners /may teach communistic propaganda in

our schools0 and this filipiniation&of&schools movement /will prevent this.0 3'.

>o. 5A8.

That the measure cannot prevent communistic infiltration in our educational systemhardly needs to be shown. It is based on the assumption that non&Filipino school

administrators and teachers, simply because they are non Filipino, are li!ely to be

communists or communist sympathiers) whereas native&born Filipino schooladministrators and teachers, simply because they are native&born Filipinos, are not

li!ely to be communists or communist sympathiers. *ne merely has to bring this

assumption into the open to see how absurd it is. Communism follows no racial

lines. "e all !now who composed the #olitburop in the #hilippines and in whatschools they were educated.

In this connection "e recall with pride the words of the late #resident 9agsaysay,

delivered a few hours before his death in Cebu, when he lauded a niversitymanaged by foreign Catholic missionaries, as a bastion against communism in the

#hilippines.

In the fourth place, it is said that /it is very important and necessary to a nation$s

school system as chief agency for citienship training that its schools and collegesshould be controlled and directed by her citiens.0 3H. >o. M@M8.

et us remember that the nation$s school system is actually in the hands of

Filipinos. *ur -epartment of :ducation and our ureaus of #ublic and #rivate

'chools are administered entirely by Filipinos. The superintendents andsupervisors who periodically inspect the relatively few schools and colleges

directed by foreigners are Filipinos and they have ample means to see that the

nationalistic policies enunciated by our government are followed in these schools

and that no anti&Filipino doctrines are taught in them.

Finally it is affirmed that /schools which are owned by aliens may, for example,

teach or advocate doctrines which are inimical to our democratic way of life or

against principles of our duly constituted government. In order to prevent thisunhappy situation0, nationaliation of heads of schools and of their oard of

Trustees is proposed. /The better cause of man!ind needs guidance and

govermental regimentation so that it may live the way people should live,



unaffected by undesireable foreign influence.0 /Time is now when we should have

graduated from the idea that we cannot handle our educational institutions as

effectively and fruitfully as others.0 3H. >o. MMM8.

In this contention, there is an obvious transition from the realm of mere possibilityto the realm of accomplished fact, 3from /may teach or advocate0 to /this unhappy

situation08. "e thin! that a law of such far&reaching conse+uences cannot be based

on a supposition /graduated0 with no more ado into a situation.

1s "e said above, if there are reasons to believe that in school the /unhappysituation0 exists and that there is an /undesirable foreign influence0, that school

should be duly investigated and the administrators duly penalied if found truly

anti&Filipino. ut why should other schools be included in the measure when theyhave not committed the crimeJ

%ur Stand

"e want to go on record that "e are not against this movement because "e thin!

that Filipinos /cannot handle our educational institutions as effectively and asfruitfully as others0. "e are firmly convinced that Filipinos can handle as

fruitfully our educational institutions as the foreigners. "e are well aware of the

fact that the ma(ority of the colleges and universities of our country are operated by

our countrymen and they are run most efficiently and effectively. 1nd "e cannotadmit that our Filipino #riests and 'isters will never be able to do what the other

Filipino educators can do.

"e sincerely believe that by the natural development of our religious *rders andCongregations, the day will surely come when our Catholic educational institutionswill be in the hands of Filipinos. ut "e cannot accept the idea that this process

should be hastened by legislation.

1s Catholic ishops "e would wish to point out that vocations to the priesthoodand to the religious life may not be regarded in the same light as any other secular

calling. There is the supernatural element in every vocation to the priesthood,

brotherhood or sisterhood which transcends all temporal considerations. The grace

of God is a necessary re+uirement in that vocation. It cannot be calculated orregulated in accordance with natural or purely human standards. 'o "e cannot

subscribe to any artificial acceleration in so sacred a matter whereby great harmcould be done to souls.

*ur religious *rders and Congregations have years ago opened their doors toFilipino novices. Their Filipino members are growing in number. The fact that this

growth has not been faster is to be lamented, but a vocation to priestly and religious

life simply cannot be forced upon our young men and women.



ut there is no reason to doubt that in the future our religious *rders and

Congregations will have enough Filipino members to meet all the demands of our

educational institutions. This happened with the secular clergy in charge of parishes. 1t the turn of the century they were few. >ow they administer the great

ma(ority of our parishes. There are still foreign parish priests, to be sure, but theyare mostly in those provinces and cities where Filipino priests are scarce or where

the peculiar purposes of a Congregation are needed in a certain locality.

esides, the Hierarchy, in its ma(ority, is now composed of Filipinos. In fact, only

one, out of nine 1rchbishops, is a foreigner. ut his successor, already appointed,

is a Filipino. *f the ishops, sixteen are Filipinos 3one naturalied8 and twelve areforeigners. The foreigners administer those regions which are staffed by their own

missionaries.

'o the Catholic Church in the #hilippines, with the exceptions noted above, is now

governed and administered by Filipinos. Contrary to what has been said recently,religious *rders and Congregations are not the Church in the #hilippines but only a

part of the Church) a part which, God willing, following the course of our

development, in due time will be composed too, in their ma(ority of Filipino

members.

The situation obtaining in this country where alien religious operated Catholic

schools is by no means uni+ue. In the nited 'tates of 1merica and in :ngland, for

example, there are schools which are operated and staffed exclusively byforeigners.

If nationaliation of schools is imposed upon us by law, many of our schools willsuffer. In those places where there is still a scarcity of Filipino priests, our

parochial schools are directed by foreign missionaries. They are meeting financialdifficulties in the maintenance of their schools. If they are made to engage the

services of Filipino lay directors, many of these schools will be forced to close for

lac! of funds. It is also hard to persuade our Filipino teachers to teach in those

remote, almost inaccessible places of our missions.

The Catholic Church believes that Catholic education of the youth is an essential

part of her life. To force her to close many of her schools by legislation is to do her

a great harm.

"e do not want to close this statement without paying our homage of gratitude tothe missionaries, past and present, who have come to our shores to bring to us the

light of Christian faith and to help us live the life of that faith. They spend the best

years of their lives in the ardous tas! of helping us to be better Christians. They goabout that tas! in parishes and in schools silently, without fanfare, not see!ing

human applause, sometimes misunderstood, sometimes even persecuted. ut they

endure the hardships of their wor! because they love God and for His sa!e they



love the Filipinos entrusted to their care by God$s Church.

They came to the #hilippines not to enhance the prestige of their own country, not

to promote trade relations to fill the coffers of their country$s ban!s, not to see!

personal glory and aggrandiement, but only to wor! for the glory of God and thesalvation of souls. 'uch truly dedicated men and women love us with genuine,

Christian love. 9ay the ord in His mercy, through the intercession of our lessed

9other, shower upon them His choicest blessings.

9anila, <anuary MA, 4B.

For the Hierarchy of the #hilippines%

6)gd.7B/2 C. ))9, D.D.President

Catholic 3elfare 9rgani$ation

Joint State"ent of the Catholic #ierarch! on the Religious Instruction &ill

Joint Statement of the Catholic Hierarchyon the eli!ious Instruction "ill

2s Pastors and teachers of the flock and representatives on earth of that DivineMaster who showed a special tenderness and affection for children, e&pressing+is predilection in those touching words4 )uffer the little children to co!e untoMe 6Mark ?>, ?@7, we feel that we !ust speak out clearly and fir!ly on theissue of religious instruction which is now being debated in the halls of our#egislative branch of govern!ent. 2s !e!bers of the hierarchy of the CatholicChurch which is the Mother and Teacher of nations, we have inherited the





double task entrusted to this Church by her Divine :ounder1 of begetting sonsunto herself, born in Christ /esus, and of educating and governing those who!she begets, guiding with !aternal providence the life both of individuals and ofpeoples. n this nation where we are the )piritual leaders of the vast !ajority of

the people we can not keep silence when an issue of such vital i!portance is indanger of being !isinterpreted, !isrepresented, and distorted by a s!all butarticulate !inority. n such circu!stances silence would be a betrayal of oursacred trust and duty to our beloved Catholic people of the Philippines.

3e refer, of course, to the proposed bill before the )enate, known popularly asthe Cuenco *ill which authori$es public school teachers to teach religion in publicschools voluntarily. The *ill provides that the teachers will confine all theirvoluntary optional religious teaching within the period authori$ed by law forreligious instruction and during other school periods will conduct their classes asthey should as public school teachers. The children will attend such classes in

the sa!e !anner as the law now prescribes, i.e., with the written approval oftheir parents or guardians sub!itted to the principal teacher. o pupil will bere0uired to attend such instruction against their conscience. :ull liberty for theindividual pupil and parents is guaranteed by the provisions of the proposedlegislation. The *ill also provides for disciplinary action to be taken againstanyone who abuses this right to teach religion so as to do har! to the pupils, thediscipline of the school, or for arousing disloyalty to the Philippines. :inally, wenote that every religious sect which wishes to do so !ay take advantage of theproposed legislation1 no religious group is favored by the law1 it is notdiscri!inatory legislation.

#ong ago Pius X, of )acred !e!ory, in his encyclical on Christian "ducationinsisted on the inalienable right as well as the indispensable duty of the Church,to watch over the entire education of her children, in all institutions, public orprivate, not !erely in regard to the religious instruction there given, but in regardto every other branch of learning and every regulation in so far as religion and!orality are concerned. 2nd as he pointed out, the e&ercise of this right shouldnot be considered undue interference but rather !aternal care on the part of theChurch in protecting her children fro! the grave danger of all kinds of doctrinaland !oral evil. :ro! the proper e&ercise of this !aternal care the )tate notonly does not suffer but rather profits i!!ensely since it helps to the rightordering and well-being of fa!ilies and the whole of civil societies by keeping far away fro! the youth of the land the !oral poison which at that ine&periencedand changeable age !ore easily penetrates the !ind and !ore rapidly spreadsits baneful effects.

f we allow our youth to pass through their school years without religiousinstruction we will find verified again to our sorrow what #eo X pointed out longago4 without proper religious and !oral instruction every for! of intellectualculture will be injurious1 for young people not accusto!ed to respect (od, will be



unable to bear the restraint of a virtuous life, and never having learned to denythe!selves anything, they will be easily incited to disturb the public order.

3hat Catholic father or !other in our dear land, indeed what Christian, would not

want their child to be educated in a school that reflects the Christian values socherished in the ho!eE +ow can anyone object the youth of the land beingtaught their creation by (od, their rede!ption by Christ, their being elevated tothe dignity of adopted )ons of the all-loving Triune (odE 9r being inspired toi!itate the +oly :a!ily at a$areth, with /esus, Mary and /oseph as !odels bywhich to fashion their livesE 9r being introduced to the )acra!ental syste!wherein they encounter (od through Christ in their baptis!, confir!ation, in theconfessional, and above all, in the loving gift of +i!self in the "ucharistE 3howill deny the! an opportunity to study the life of Christ and, as their !inds slowly!ature, to gradually assi!ilate the lessons that were taught by +i! who was andis the 3ay, the Truth, and the #ife, 3ho ca!e that we !ay have life and have it

!ore abundantlyE n a world torn by hatred, who will prevent the children fro!learning the great co!!and!ent of Christ4 that you love one another, as haveloved youE 2nd to see how +e +i!self proved +is love by reflecting on +iswords and above all +is deeds during the years of school when a child is !ostsusceptible to ideals and !oved by good e&a!pleE +ow can any education be

judged co!plete if it ignores the !ain point of our e&istence4 ow this is eternallife4 That they !ay know Thee, the one true (od, and /esus Christ, who! Thouhas sent. 6/o ?F,;7. 3ho would be so pagan, so un-Christian as to forbid orprevent our dear youth fro! learning the doctrine that Christ ca!e on earth toteach and sanctified by +is Passion and DeathE 3ho would prevent +is Churchfro! carrying out the divine !andate to go and teach all nations whatsoever +e

had co!!andedE 3ould not such a person be flying in the very face of (odE3ould he not be the ene!y of his own people, thwarting the will of the great!ajority of our dear Catholic parents who desire this training for their children aswe know fro! our nation-wide contacts and reports, fro! our parish priests andCatholic laity who speak for the far flung barrios and towns of our nationE

n the Civil Code of the Philippines we read that The fa!ily is a basic socialinstitution which public policy cherishes and protects 6art. =?G7. 3e are proud of our strong fa!ily ties and we al!ost instinctively favor anything that fosters andprotects the fa!ily. 9bedience of the children to the parents, their love andrespect for the! are things that we consider sacred and basic to our wholecultural pattern and way of life. 3ho does not see how these virtues and valuesare reinforced, !ade stronger and !ore !eaningful, when learned in aclassroo! where the life of Christ and +is long hidden years of obedience andlove and respect at a$areth are studied and presented as a !odel to ouryouthE 3hat greater force for good could they find than to be instructed in thethings that pertain to their soul, to their eternal salvation, in the ways of theco!!and!ents, of prayer and of graceE



3e are saddened to find that there are so!e who say that they are Christiansand yet would keep Christ out of the schools. They are trying to do what theene!ies of the Church have always doneHput every possible barrier betweenChrist and the young. 3hen the Co!!unists do it by open legislation or by

subtle persecution we are not surprised. They are avowedly atheistic and!aterialistic. *ut when Christians do it we fail to understand how they could ever co!e to such a position. :or to interfere or nullify the wish of the parents thattheir children be given religious instruction in the schools is to go against a rightof the parents, the right to have their children instructed according to theconscience of the parents. #ong ago this was clarified by #eo X when hedeclared that *y nature parents have a right to the training of their children, butwith this added duty that the education and instruction of the child be in accordwith the end for which by (od's blessing it was begotten. Therefore, it is the dutyof the parents to !ake every effort to prevent any invasion of their rights in this!atter and to !ake absolutely sure that the education of their children re!ains

under their own control in keeping with their Christian duty, and above all torefuse to send the! to those schools in which there is danger of i!bibing thedeadly poison of i!piety. 2nd what greater i!piety, what greater poison than tobe educated in a school where (od is treated as an e&tra-curricular activity,where religion is so!ething to be !erely tolerated, even to be ignored, for whichthere is no ti!eE There is nothing !ore deadly in its effect on the !ind of thechildren and nothing !ore opposed to the wish and obligation in conscience ofour dear Catholic parents.

This prior right of the parents to decide the education of their children, a rightgranted by nature and anteceding the right of the state, is now enshrined in the

nited ations *ill of +u!an 8ights, 2rticle =G which reads, in part4 Parentshave a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to theirchildren. n his !ost fa!ous encyclical, Pace! in Terris, /ohn XX, of happy!e!ory, insisted that the fa!ily is the first and essential cell of hu!an society.To it !ust be given, therefore, every consideration of an econo!ic, social,cultural and !oral nature which will strengthen its stability and facilitate thefulfill!ent of its specific !ission. Parents, however, have a prior right in thesupport and education of their children. Today, outside of the totalitariannations, no one could argue with this doctrine by denying the prior right of theparents. 2nd it is very clear to all how this doctrine fits in perfectly with ourconstitutions and our whole de!ocratic way of life because the #aw of the landconsiders the fa!ily a basic social institution which public policy cherishes andprotects and it assigns the duty of education pri!arily to the parents 62rt. ;?G4Civil Code7. 3hen the Catholic parents insist that the education of their childrenbe carried out according to their wishes they are insisting on a basic right, a rightthat is enshrined in the law of our land, a right that is so basic that no subse0uentlegislation can ever contravene it or, in doubt, be interpreted in such a way as torender that right null and void. 2nd it is in accord with every de!ocratic principlethat the will of the overwhel!ing !ajority of the people, especially when it



touches on such a basic right, !ust be honored and i!ple!ented by their legallyelected representatives. To deny such a right to a clear !ajority because of theprejudice, bigotry andIor hatred of an articulate !inority would be a flagrantviolation of the !ost ele!ental rule of de!ocracy, na!ely, that in case of a

conflict of opinions, the will of the !ajority prevails. 2nything else would lead,especially in this case, to a tyranny of the !inority over the !ajority. The rightsof the !inority !ust be respected but not to the e&tent of violating the rights of anoverwhel!ing !ajority. n this case of religious instruction the rights and feelingsof the !inority can easily be protected and the legislation proposed provides justsuch protection by including only those who wish to receive religious instruction.

2nyone who clai!s that the !inority will suffer by their legislation is speakingfro! ignorance or prejudice or both1 he is not basing his argu!ents on theproposed legislation.

The argu!ents proposed against the legislation, if indeed they can be honored

with the title of argu!ents, !ust needs sadden any true Christian. The ene!iesof the Church, co!pletely repudiating all their previous ecu!enical overtures andgestures of good will, rushed to the attack i!puting to us the lowest !otives andresurrecting the long dead anti-clerical shibboleths and fabrications that havebeen their stock in trade for !ore than half a century. )o!e, it is true, arguedon the point of law that the proposed legislation was unconstitutional. *ut theopinion of outstanding legal lu!inaries, a!ong the! fra!ers of the constitutionor constitutional e&perts were sought and they fir!ly !aintained that thelegsilation as proposed passed the test of constitutionality. "&perts have spokenand we can rely on their judg!ent.

9thers brought forth the shopworn argu!ent that religion is divisive, that childrenwould be turned against one another on religious grounds, if such religiousinstruction were introduced into our public school syste!. f there were any !eritto this argu!ent, it would have been reinforced with evidence and statisticsshowing this divisiveness since religion has been taught on release-ti!eschedule, actually at various hours of the day in our public schools for years andno one has ever raised the objection that it was dividing the children into warringgroups, pitting one religion against another. )urely, if this argu!ent had any!erits the evidence to back it would have been available for one and all to seelong ago. The truth is that a religion that teaches that all are !ade in the i!ageand likeness of (od, that the great co!!and!ent is love of our neighbor, thatlove of our ene!ies is i!posed upon usHsuch a religion is e&actly the opposite of divisive. 2 !o!ent's reflection will !ake this clear1 surely the opponents of thebill on religious instruction cannot be serious in !aking such an objection thatflies in the face of the facts.

)o!e went so far as to say that religious instruction could be of no avail inrefor!ing or purifying or protecting !orals and forestalling cri!inality sincecri!inals are born and not !ade. )uch crass deter!inis! is beneath conte!pt



in a Christian land such as ours. t flies in the face of our whole syste! of jurisprudence which supposes free will and guilt and personal responsibility. t isan insult to every father and !other who strive to protect their children fro!!oral har! and create a ho!e and an environ!ent where virtue can grow and

characters be !olded by instruction and good e&a!ple and, especially, by prayer and the sacra!ental life. )uch effort would be !eaningless and unintelligible,not to say downright foolish, if the child was already deter!ined by his nature tobe or not to be a cri!inal. o psychologists who profess to be Christians in anysense of the word could endorse such a crude !aterialistic approach to ahu!an proble!. :ree will and the power to triu!ph over evil and rise above ourenviron!ent is one of the basic tenets of our culture, our way of life and ourChristian creed. 3e are free !en who are used to fighting against typhoons andtyrants and te!ptations. 3e are not helpless !arionnettes, !ere puppets pre-deter!ined by so!e capricious fate. 3e believe with )t. Paul that by the powerof (od we can rise fro! any depths of sin to the surpassing glory of the children

of (od4 9ur sins had !ade dead !en of us, and (od, in giving life to Christ,gave life to us too, it is +is grace that has saved you1 raised us up, andenthroned us too above the heavens, in Christ /esus. 6"phesians =, A-F7.ndeed, there is scarcely a passage in the *ible that does not suppose that !anis free and responsible, that Christ will co!e to judge the living and the dead fortheir free actions as )t. Matthew records for us in the twenty-fifth chapter of his(ospel.

2nother objection was based on the fact that a!ong prison in!ates a highpercentage of prisoners professed so!e religious creed. Therefore, theargu!ent runs, religion is proven to be useless since so !any of the cri!inals

were !e!bers of one religious sect or other. Ti!e and again this argu!ent hasbeen e&posed for the fallacy that it is. n a prison, as anyone who took the ti!eto investigate would know, it is to a prisoner's advantage to list hi!self as a!e!ber of so!e religious sect or other. n such a situation even the !osthardened cri!inal usually lists hi!self as a !e!ber of so!e sect in order thatthe hu!dru! routine of prison life !ight be broken by the few but treasuredprivileges that are connected with religious services. 2nd investigation provesover and over again that no!inal Christians are in the !ajority in prisons, !enwho had only a nodding ac0uaintance with religion, who ca!e fro! brokenho!es, for the !ost part, who had scarcely a day of true religious instruction intheir whole life. 3hen this pitiful objection is raised against religious instructionwe cannot help but wonder at the ignorance or the bad faith of those who offer it.

)peaking of prisons re!inds us of the confusion created by those who wouldhold up the (odless Co!!unist nations as e&a!ples of countries that haveeli!inated !any public vices without the need of religious instruction. 2nyonewho visits a prison will readily see that !any of the ordinary vices of life areeli!inated. This !ight see! like virtue to a superficial observer but in reality hewill find that worse vices are flourishing and festering, forced underground by the



vigilance of the officials. 2 people that cannot purchase pornographic literatureshould be considered blessed but when the prohibition e&tends to any literaturedealing with (od, religion, Christianity, even with true freedo! % then we saythe price is too high and such people !ust be considered prisoners incapable of

e&ercising their hu!an freedo!, unable to freely choose virtue, the victi!s of anintolerable tyranny. 3hat see!s to be a virtue, the eli!ination of certain !oreobvious public vices, is in reality a !anifestation of a way of life unworthy to becalled hu!an. Per accidens so!e good co!es fro! it but by its very nature it isforedoo!ed to beget even worse !oral evil.

2s we !ight have e&pected whenever the word religion is even !entioned,so!eone will stand up to warn us that we are endangering the separation ofChurch and )tate. To the! the wall of separation between Church and )tate isto be a *erlin 3all, a proof of opposition , en!ity and hatred, born of anessential opposition and antagonis!. President Macapagal recently gave 0uite a

different !eaning to this so-called wall.

n Cebu on May =nd, on the occasion of the Juadricentennial Celebration,President Macapagal warned against those who would pit the )tate and theChurch against one another, and !isconstruct acts of public officials asviolations of the principle of separation of Church and )tate. The Presidentrecalled that Christ +i!self recogni$ed the e&istence of two distinct and separatesocieties, and he cited the words of #eo X urging a well ordered har!onybetween the two societies, har!ony such as is had between the body and thesoul of !an. The President then concluded that it is therefore to be e&pectedthat in this !utual har!ony and !utual cooperation each should welco!e fro!

the other suggestions that would enable each to perfor! better its assigned task,especially on !atters that affect their co!!on interest such as public !orality.This cooperation, har!ony and dialogue in no way indicate that one is fused withthe other.

2 wall can support two institutions1 it can give strength to both of the!. t canprovide passage ways for !utual assistance and aid. 2nd when the sa!epeople live on both sides of the wall, when the sa!e people are the Catholics,Christians, and citi$ens any other interpretation is unintelligible1 it would be pittingthe people against the!selves, penali$ing the! because of their religion,violating the Constitution and the niversal *ill of +u!an 8ights. t should notbe a *erlin 3all where fa!ilies are torn asunder and an at!osphere of fearand hatred is created and deliberatively fostered. The separation of Church and)tate is an integral part of Catholic social doctrine. The )tate is a naturalsociety, with a definite (od-given role to play1 the Church is a divine institutionwith its own uni0ue and peculiar function. *oth derive fro! (od1 both have theirintrinsic nature and prerogatives1 neither one can absorb the other nor interferewith the other1 one looks to the te!poral welfare of its citi$ens, the other, theChurch is concerned with the eternal salvation of souls and with the te!poral



only in so far as it involves !orality or relates to eternal values and religion. TheMother and Teacher of all nations does not want to absorb, do!inate or rule but!erely to fulfill her divine !andate to teach all nations.

2nd yet, very recently it was said that the Church is using the current bill onreligious instruction as a !eans to control sectarian education. 2nd it wasboldly stated that they !ust let the public schools alone because they are thedo!ain of the state. f left un0ualified this has totalitarian overtones. Theparents are e&cluded1 their children !ust be handed over to the schoolauthorities who will deter!ine the entire school curriculu! without consultationwith or approval by the parents. Then, indeed, de!ocracy will be dead. The willof the parents, their (od-given right to control the education of their children willbe but words, crushed under the boot of a new kind of dictator who will assigneducation to the do!ain of the )tate, to the co!plete e&clusion of the parents,not to !ention the Church. 2nd what will be the nor!s followed by these self-

chosen instructors who will rule the schools as their do!ain under the aegis ofthe )tateE 3hat ideals will they present, what attitudesE TotalitarianECo!!unisticE 2theisticE MaterialisticE o one shall be allowed to critici$e or todissent. )ince they are so opposed to religious instruction we !ust concludethe worst and say that they a!bition a (odless, !aterialistic education as theideal, taught in a public school syste! under the absolute do!ain of the )tatewith the parents contributing their children and deprived of any voice in therunning of the schools. This !ay see! like an e&aggerated picture but what elseare we to think when such argu!ents are proposed by !en who have beenassociated with the public school syste! for a lifeti!e and are also known asene!ies of the ChurchE 2re we to listen to such !en when it co!es to voting on

a bill which !erely ai!s at i!ple!enting a (od-given right of the parents and tocarry out the will of the !ajorityE 3ho! should we listen toE The parents whowish their rights to be enacted into law or !en who would take to see the rightsof the parents violated just that their en!ity against religion !ay be satisfied andtheir goal of a co!pletely secular, (odless education !ay finally be achievedE

2t one point a de!onstration was arranged to show that the public schoolteachers the!selves were in opposition to the proposed legislation. +ow cananyone take this seriously when we know that the vast !ajority of the teachersare the!selves Catholic !others and have ti!e and again shown theirwillingness to cooperate with any such progra!. 9ur priests and lay leadersscattered throughout the nation are a better source of infor!ation on the !atterthan a handful of teachers !i&ed in with !e!bers of a fanatical sect who never!iss a chance to oppose anything Catholic. De!onstrations !anipulated foreffect are not the evidence that intelligent people weigh when considering thepros and cons of such a !easure. 3e should rather rely on hard facts than one!otional de!onstrations that are so easily infiltrated. n this case we do haveso!e facts that can not be ignored.



n May ?KAA, the President of the Philippine 2ssociation of )chool)uperintendents and the President of the Philippine Public )chool Teachers

2ssociation issued the following joint state!ent4

?. The P2)) and the PP)T2 are for the full i!ple!entation of theoptional religious instruction in the Philippine public shools as providedfor in the Constitution. The superintendents in convention last May in*aguio, e&pressed the following beliefs as regards optional religiousinstruction4

?. That the curriculu! on !oral and character education has to bestrengthened1

=. That religion is a potent factor in the develop!ent of !oralityand character1 5

The !ind of the )uperintendents and the President representing the Public)chool Teachers is certainly clear4 they estee! the role that religion plays in thetotal educational process. 2nyone who says that such spokes!en for theteachers are against the Cuenco *ill has the burden of the proof. 2nd we believethat it is obvious to all that a 0uickly organi$ed rally is no such proof.

That this minority sect which thrives on anti&Catholicism should be so vociferous in

opposing the bill on religious instruction should not surprise anyone. Having so few

members and having so little positive doctrine to present they would indeed find noadvantage in the bill. ut it is surprising that some politicians are prone to fear their

threats or reprisal at the polls. This is based on a legend which, if true, would mean that

this minority sect has abandoned the traditional doctrine of separation of Church and

'tate and wants to dominate the halls of Congress and dictate the votes of our legislatorsthrough threats. Their alleged ability to control the votes of their members would ma!e

them more of a political party than a true religious sect. ut whatever their true political

or religious status we cannot allow a minority that thrives on hatred of things Catholic toma!e us second class citiens in our own land, to ma!e our religion a handicap to us,

something to be insulted at every turn. "e cannot allow them, no matter how vociferous

they are, to dictate a policy that will affect the education for life and for eternity of our Amillion children in public schools. "hen it is a +uestion of the basic right of the parents

to decide the curriculum of their own children in the public school system which they

maintain by their taxes, no belligerent minority can claim a right to have the final word.

The rights of a minority must be protected but not in such a way that the basic rights of

the ma(ority are grossly violated or ignored. This would not be democracy but thattyranny of the minority that we referred to above.

Finally, some have said that the extra burden of teaching religion would be unfair, un(ustto our public school teachers. "e are the last ones who would wish to impose any further

burdens on the public school teachers whom we admire and esteem so much. ut the

problem can be solved) where there is a will there is a way. 1nd here we insist that it is a

+uestion of a right of the parents which is to be carried out by the 'tate as the agent of the



parents. "hen the parents endorse such a program, they will that their public

representatives choose the best means to implement the will of the parents. 1nd the

teachers should not suffer in any way. In fact, "e the ishops endorse every endeavor toameliorate the financial status of the teachers, since we consider their profession to be a

most important wor! for the nation and hence, deserving of a correspondingly bettereconomic or financial reward.

In this year of the ord 4B, when the #hilippines is the center of worldwide attentionthrough the +uadricentennial celebration of the Christianiation of our dear land, how

will we appear before the world if our legislators in the 'enate fail to pass this bill which

was endorsed by an overwhelming ma(ority of the CongressmenJ "hat explanation can be given for condemning religion to the status of an inferior sub(ect in our public

schoolsJ Can we appeal to an anti&clerical past, to an era dominated by enemies of the

Catholic Church, a breed which, fortunately, has now almost disappeared from our

midstJ 'hall we live as though the changes of the past fifty years never too! placeJ or

shall we open the way to a true /aggiornamento0 when the rights of our parents and their sacred wishes are honored in word and in deedN

This year 4B has all the sign of being a year of decision for our Fatherland which is not

only Christian nation in 1sia but is now almost an oasis of democracy in a fast worseninginternational situation. The roar of (ets and the thunder of guns is (ust over the horion.

The more insidious threat of infiltration and the struggle for men$s minds is closer than

the horion) it is right here in our midst. This is truly a cause for alarm) it is a time tothin! and a time to reflect and a time to act. "hat better protection for the minds and

souls of our youth in its confrontation with an ideology which is based on atheistic

materialism than the !nowledge of their faith and their religionN The !nowledge of their

Church which is the greatest single force in the world opposed to all the evils that aresummed up by that one wordOCommunismN "ho would deny this aid to our Fatherland

in its hour of peril, in an hour when we are ta!ing our stand with the Free "orld in whatwell may be the last struggle for freedom in 1siaJ "hen the war is a religious war

against atheism and materialism, is it not the height of folly to refuse to teach religion in

the best possible way, to reach the greatest number, through our public school systemJ It

would be depriving ourselves of our greatest weapon in the hour of our worst perilN"ittingly or unwittingly, whoever opposes this bill is guilty of giving aid and comfort to

the most insidious enemy this land ever facedN

*ur beloved #ontiff #aul =I, in a sermon given in 44 said% /It is necessary to rema!e

Christian society) it is necessary to reawa!en it, to be aware that we are responsibleNThis is a frightening wordP "e are responsible for our times, for the life of our

brothers, and we are responsible before our Christian conscience P before Christ, before

the Church and before our history) we are responsible before the face of God.0 Thissermon was addressed to all of the people of God, to all of us who have been given the

new commandment of love which impels us to share our spiritual treasurers with others,

by professing our faith before men, by establishing the ?ingdom of God on earth. 1ll ofus are called, but as happens from time to time in history, a moment comes when an



individual or a small group suddenly finds within their hands the power to ma!e a

momentous decision that will affect the lives of millions for good or for evil, for time and

for eternity.

'uch an hour is the present one for the members of the 'enate. "hen the world echoeswith stories of almost unbelievable rises in crime rates, in divorce rates, in the amount of

(uvenile delin+uency, when each country worries about its own beginnings of a

brea!down in morality, at such a moment this ill has been placed on the agenda of the'enate. *ther nations are beginning to tal! of a need to return to religion in education to

prevent the complete brea!down of the family, the home, and society. "e have seen

reports of leading and highly respected doctors and psychiatrists abroad who are deeplyconcerned about the malaise that is spreading through society on almost every level. In

the past century religion was separated from education, not only separated but ignored ,

even condemned. :ducators and rulers sowed the wind and now they reap the whirlwind

of crime and corruption. >ow they stand aghast before the social evil which they

spawned. 9ust our dear people pass through the same sad history before they learn thelesson that even non&Catholics are slowly realiing todayJ "ill our legislators pass up

this golden opportunity to apply to the ills of society a remedy which is at once soefficacious, so much in harmony with our aspirations, our ideals, our culture, our whole

way of lifeJ 'hall we fail to do what other nations are now recogniing as their only way

out of the moral chaos which is now threatening to engulf themJ *ur egislators hold intheir power the answer to our +uestion which is also the +uestion, even the plea of

millions of our Catholic parents.

"e, the members of the Catholic Hierarchy of the #hilippines, conscious of the four

century&old tradition of Christianity in our dear land, with a deep sense of our obligation

to spea! out as the representatives of the #eople of God at this uni+ue moment of history,in a year of decision that might affect the very lives of all of us and the history of our

land for the remainder of the century, if not longer, urgently insist on the need to pass this proposed legislation.

"e rest our case on the intrinsic merits of religious instruction for the formation of the

youth of our land, the leaders of the next generation, and on the fact that we spea! for the

overwhelming ma(ority of the people of the land, for the Catholic parents who have the prior right to determine what !ind of education their children shall receive. <ustice and

respect for this basic right of the parents demands that the will of the ma(ority be

respected. There must be no tyranny of the minority in this matter. Their rights are fully

protected in the proposed legislation) it is by no means discriminatory legislation. <usticeand democracy itselt demand that the will of the ma(ority must prevail.

To facilitate the legislative procedure we also urgently recommend His :xcellency,

#resident -iosdado 9acapagal, to certify the ill to the 'enate in its special session.

"e close with a +uotation from 't. #ius DI who ended a letter on religious instruction byciting the words of 9oses% /If any man be on the ord$s side, let him (oin with meN0



1nd we urge our beloved priests and people to (oin with us in prayers to the Holy 'pirit

during this #entecostal season that God may inspire our chosen leaders to pass this ill

and thus bear witness themselves to their Faith and be at the same time truerepresentatives of a Catholic people in a Catholic land.

"e fervently desire all our 2everend #arish #riests to read this episcopal document at

their 'unday 9asses and to !eep it in their archives.

Given in 9anila, on the th day of <une, 4B, on the Feast of #entecost.

For the Catholic Hierarchy of the #hilippines%

6)gd.7B/#9 8. 89)2#"), D.D. 2rchbishop of CebuPresident, C39 2d!inistrative Council



T#E C'T#%LIC &IS#%PS( C%NERENCE % T#E P#ILIPPINES

%N T#E 'P%ST%L'TE % C#RISTI'N E)*C'TI%N

THE C#TH$LIC "ISH$PS% C$N&EENCE $& THE PHILIPPINES $N THE #P$ST$L#TE$& CHISTI#N E'UC#TI$N

The Council instructs us to “… expound the whole mystery ofChrist…” and to show “that earthly goods and human institutions arestructured according to the plan of God and the Creator are alsorelated to man’s salvation…” 1 We are charged therefore !y the Churchto !e “…witnesses of Christ !efore all men…” "

t is in obedience to this injunction that we re!ind the faithful, and especiallythose engaged in the apostolate of Christian education, of the !essage of

Latican . 3e likewise categorically reaffir! the teaching function of the Churchas the voice of (od, particularly in these ti!es of crisis and of change.

Today, we address ourselves to the +uestion of Christian education.

The Church affirms the inalienable right of each person to /Peducation corresponding to

his proper destiny and suited to his native talents, his sex, his cultural bac!ground, and

his ancestral heritageP05

1s a distinctive means to help Christians /P grow into manhood according to the maturemeasure of ChristP07 the Church charges the pastors of souls with the /P most serious

obligationP0 to provide a Christian education to all the faithful.

The Church has ta!en upon herself the responsibility to give her children /P the !ind of

education through which their entire lives can be penetrated with the spirit of Christ,while at the same time she offers her services to all peoples by way of promoting the full

development of the human person, for the welfare of earthly society and the building of a

world fashioned more humanlyP0B :ducation for the Christian is an instrument to sharevalues and a culture which transcend the temporal constraints of both the political

demands and the socio&economic conditions of a country or a locale. For the Christians

community /education0 is a means to permeate human cultures with Christ$s values andvivify them from within. These cultures, in our times specially, are to be shaped in the

atmosphere of education /with Christ0 as its focal point. From this follows that in aCatholic school environment, education is the means of sharing the Good >ews of

Christ. Through education the Christian community deepens its perceptions of what itsfaith means, shares it with those whose good will disposes them to listen to this message,

and by its efforts to live this faith, the community through its schools slowly transforms

the social milieu to the image desired by Christ.

*r as =atican II has expressed it, the proper functions of the Catholic school are to /P













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Joint Pastoral Letter on Catholic Education

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