The Church In Australia: A Plea From Her Youth

Catholic Student Kent Mijares Reflects On His Time As A Product of Catholic Education In Melbourne With A Dire Warning For The Church.

Laudetur Iesus Christus.

As the Church welcomes a new decade, so too is She bombarded with new age socio-political movements that threaten Her younger congregations, yet, this comes as no surprise to anyone.

A Lack of Priests and Nuns in Our Schools is A Large Part of The Problem.

According to the most recent census, the Church in Australia has experienced a population decline, and the further secularisation of Australia proves to be unrelenting to Her dwindling population. However, what is being done to combat this? Appropriating the untapped potential within our Catholic education systems may prove to be effective in redeeming the Church from Her looming despair.

To gain insight into the current state of Melbourne's Catholic education system, I conducted a series of interviews with students and faculty from a Catholic high school located in Melbourne's southeast.

A general consensus amongst the students is that many are Catholic by affiliation but are non-practising.

In an interview with one College's Director of Faith and Mission, they said, "The biggest religion [within the College] is no-religion." highlighting the extent of mass secularisation that ravages our Catholic schools. Despite this, a small minority of interviewed individuals stated that they identified with the political spectrum's more 'conservative' side, contrasting greatly with Australia's current socio-political climate, which has been urging people to give in to liberal-driven ideology.

When students were asked to describe their experience within the Catholic education system, interviewees affiliated with the Coptic Orthodox Church outlined a somewhat hostile environment within the Catholic school when expressing religious and political views.

In particular, students voicing their opinions regarding controversial topics such as same-sex marriage and abortion had previously been met with harsh criticism.

One student commented that "[There are] consequences when you express your beliefs' at the College."

Another student recalled instances of antagonism, being regarded as "selfish" and "bigoted" since she maintained a conservative stance on same-sex marriage.

Such examples are absolutely and fundamentally outrageous. A Catholic education system that does not foster Judeo-Christian moral principles is an underlying cause to the faith-deprived congregation of this generation.

The Catholicity of the system also came under fire, with a student of the Chaldean rite asserting that "...saying a prayer in the morning does not really affect anything. Personally, I think, even at Catholic schools, religion isn't really taught well…."

How do we expect youth to embrace the Church when Her institutions gravely lack the ability to catechise effectively? Must the system be on the brink of collapse before any reform is made?

Despite all this doom and gloom, there is hope. The Church's reputation as a paragon of high moral stature has not been lost. One student went so far as to say that they would send their children to Catholic schools in the future, as "they set a good moral foundation on how you should act [which is] important, especially nowadays where there are lots of misunderstandings of what is right and wrong."

In a time of significant social momentum, our education system should not fall behind and must adapt to the challenges She faces. Localised reform is vital when it comes to reaching out to the youth. The College's Director of Faith and Mission advises that "No one school community is the same, and so a particular approach to interacting with the youth in one community may not be so effective in another."

He further highlights how the system should cater for an array of communities whilst maintaining the traditions of the Church. Not to suggest that the Catholic education system has not been doing this in the past.

Reform of Catholic Education must be made if the Church wishes to maintain Her influence on the younger population. Years of ineffective catechism have led to the falling out of faith with many youths, a tragedy. Nevertheless, the Church could see a flourishing future with a revitalised education system, tossing away the impending sorrow.

In the words of Saint Pope John Paul II, "Dear young people, let yourselves be taken over by the light of Christ, and spread that light wherever you are."

Kent Mijares is a student in Melbourne who has had an avid interest in Catholic Education and has undertaken basic study in Catholic Liturgy and Ministry.