"Church Must Let Schools Remain Separate Entities, Says Catholic Leader"

read all about it @ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cara-mcdonough/church-must-let-schools-r_b_4373236.html



"There is a dissonance in today's Catholic Church. The new pope's resonance with so many church members -- as he openly distances himself from ongoing Church struggles regarding issues like abortion, gay marriage and the role of women -- shows that among more progressive Catholics, there is a true desire for change.

Like many Catholics, I believe this change cannot possibly arrive without the support of Catholic leaders.  That's why it is incredibly enlightening to speak to outspoken Catholic leaders like Brother Louis DeThomasis, who, this summer, introduced his latest book.

In the clearly written and easily digestible, "Dynamic of Catholic Education: Letting the Catholic School Be School," DeThomasis, who has been a major player in Catholic education for 40 years, documents some of the profound struggles he feels currently exist within the expansive realm of Catholic education; a world that encompasses some of our nation's most respected grade schools and universities.

On the one hand, explains the always-passionate DeThomasis during an interview with me, is the Catholic hierarchy imposing strict dogmatic and practical regulations on all institutions with a Church affiliation; on the other, the students and educators -- many progressive Catholics among them -- trying to navigate these rules while not breaking from their faith entirely.

"You have to please the church, the bishops and the alumni," he explains of the latter group, which is therefore torn between fully exploring academic pursuits and trying to avoid trouble with the higher-ups."