Hilaire Belloc, Red Flags, and Those Catholic Bones

Something Hilaire Belloc wrote about the great heresies brings to mind "Red Flags" - a topic I've not written about for quite some time, but which is addressed at length in my books on Catholic home education (the Keeping It Catholic Home Education Guides).

Originally, the "Red Flag List" was intended to assist Catholic homeschooling parents, who buy their curriculum at conferences or via "educational catalogs." However, "Red Flags" in books, television shows, movies, etc. (as in ad nauseum) abound for Catholics everywhere and in every state of life (single, married, young parent or grandparent, priest or nun). Now, unless we live on a desert island, we must be on guard against "the spirit of the world" which is much worse than "The Blob" (in the old "B" movie), a dangerous and seeping entity that literally consumed everything in its path.

At any rate, the primary reason for constructing the "Red Flag List" was a simple but important one: Dangerous novelties (in the form of books) were quickly becoming the "fashion" in Catholic home education, and the alarm had to be sounded.

The main problem began oh-so-innocently, of course, and for a variety of reasons. It started with allegedly "Christian" books that were, in fact, of heretical origin. Much could be said, and has been, on tolerating a few such sources within the home study curriculum (under certain circumstances), so that issue won't be discussed again in this article.

As time passes, the "novelties" become even worse with "fashionable" resources that present themselves as Catholic, are even "hailed" as Catholic (though they are chock-full of subtle phrases or ambiguous terminology), and are then found in Catholic catalogs (for homeschoolers or of general interest to all Catholics).

The problem continues with "catholicizing" heretical books and implementing new or "resurrected" educational methods (Dewey comes to mind, but there are many other educational 'reformers' to avoid). Too, many people still refuse to believe that educational method is simply the means of bringing a philosophy to life.

It is only because we tolerate such errors that such "novelties" are still with us and grow even stronger as they are thus passed onto the next generation. The basic formula to error, which must be recognized in order to avoid its use (especially in Catholic education), might be expressed this way:

"Novelties" + "Fashions-in-contemporary-thought" = "Errors" (Heresies)

A "Red Flag" is (and always has been) the Catholic instinct alerting us that something we've read or heard or are urged to do is not quite right. We may not yet be able to explain the uneasiness, but it is - to paraphrase Hilaire Belloc - something we know in our Christian bones.

Feelings, of course, cannot be trusted, since they are not the same as the Catholic instinct, that sensei fide that makes us wonder about the why's and wherefore's to the questions arising in our minds. Sensei fide keeps nudging at us to pay attention with our reason, illuminated by Divine Revelation. That "sense of the Faith" is what is meant by a "Red Flag"...and when the instinct is particularly strong, the Red Flag is waving!

As for Hilaire Belloc (and to conclude this purposely brief post), ponder - if you will - this observation from none other than the famous Catholic historian and apologist himself:

"Now against the great heresies, when they acquire the driving power of being the new and fashionable thing, there arises a reaction within the Christian and Catholic mind, which reaction gradually turns the current backward, gets rid of the poison and re-establishes Christian civilization. Such reactions begin, I repeat, obscurely. It is the plain man who gets uncomfortable and says to himself, 'This may be the fashion of the moment,
but I don't like it.' It is the mass of Christian men who feel in their bones that there is something wrong, though they have difficulty in explaining it. The reaction is usually slow and muddled and for a long time not successful. But in the long run with internal heresy it has always succeeded; just as the native health of the human body succeeds in getting
rid of some internal infection."

-Hilaire Belloc, The Great Heresies

Encyclicals: A Matter of Translation?

In April 2005, I was asked why excerpts from a particular encyclical, Militantis Ecclesia, from which I quoted (in a 1997 article) did not match with online versions of that same encyclical. The answer appears to lie in a matter of a "new" and "improved" English translations, but none of the online encyclicals make any note of such a change. My moderators and I referenced older hard copies and sought for online renditions. What we discovered is that there is quite a difference between previously published translations and the recent online versions.

Since at least 2005 (if not earlier), it seems almost all of the online sources for papal encyclicals are now using the "updated" translations. Some lines and paragraph remain the same as the former translation; those most pertinent and oft-quoted and which reinforce tradition are those revised. When you see the difference between the examples provided below, you also may wonder if the real problem is only "a matter of translation."

My original response to the question:
I am aware that at least two online sources for Militantis Ecclesiae (e.g. - EWTN Library and Papal Encyclicals Online) feature a different translation from the older version which I referenced at the time. Why there is such a variation in the newer translations is a matter of conjecture.

At any rate, it appears the your problem is rooted in a difference in the encyclical's more recent translation. In my book, Keeping It Catholic Home Education Guide (Volume I), I also quoted particular excerpts taken from paragraph #18 of Militantis Ecclesia as follows:

"Religion must not be taught to youth only during certain hours, but the entire system of education must be permeated with the senseof Christian piety. If this is lacking, if this holy spirit does not penetrate and inflame the souls of teacher and pupil, small benefit will be derived from any other sort of education; instead damage will be done." And finally, it states: "Religion must permeate and direct every branch of knowledge."

Now compare those few excerpts from the newer online version (below) of the same paragraph #18:

"18. Secondly, it is necessary to teach religion to children, butnot only at specified times. All their teaching should occur in anatmosphere of Christian piety. If it is otherwise, if this sacredinspiration does not penetrate the spirits of the teachers and ofthe students, the instruction will produce only little fruit andwill often even have seriously harmful consequences."

The paragraph then closes as follows: "The knowledge of many subjects should always go hand in hand with the care of the spirit. Religion should give shape and direction to all branches of knowledge. Its majesty and sweetness should strike home and inspire the souls of the young."

Again, there is QUITE a difference between my older hard copy version [which I acquired some time before 1990, from the Daughters of St. Paul] and the "newer" online versions.

Also, if you read paragraph #80 in the encyclical Il Divini Magistri (On Christian Education of Youth, 1929) it also quotes two sentences from Militantis Ecclesiae, which was promulgated by Pope St. Leo XIII. However, you will notice the sentence in which Il Divini Magistri quotes from the Militantis Ecclesiae encyclical does not match the updated online versions of the latter. This once more indicates a change in translation between older and newer versions.

Below, I shall include the former English translation from paragraph #80, Il Divini Magistri in its entirety excerpt from Pope St. Leo XIII in Militantis Ecclesiae:

From Il Divini Magistri, the older version:

#80. For the mere fact that a school gives some religious instruction (often extremely stinted), does not bring it into accord with the rights of the Church and of the Christian family, or make it a fit place for Catholic students. To be this, it is necessary that all the teaching and the whole organization of the school, and its teachers, syllabus and text-books in every branch, be regulated bythe Christian spirit, under the direction and maternal supervision of the Church; so that Religion may be in very truth the foundationand crown of the youth's entire training; and this in every grade of school, not only the elementary, but the intermediate and the higher institutions of learning as well. TO USE THE WORDS OF LEO XIII: It is necessary not only that religious instruction be given to the young at certain fixed times, but also that every other subject taught, be permeated with Christian piety. If this is wanting, if this sacred atmosphere does not pervade and warm the hearts of masters and scholars alike, little good can be expected from any kind of learning, and considerable harm will often be the consequence. [Footnote 50, which refers in Latin to to Ep. enc. Militantis Ecclesiae, 1 Aug. 1897: Necesse est non modo certis horis doceri iuvenes religionem, sed reliquam institutionem omnem christianae pietatis sensus redolere. Id si desit, si sacer hic halitus non doctorum animos ac discentum pervadat foveatque, exiguae capientur ex qualibet doctrina utilitates; damna saepe consequentur haud exigua.]

Again, why there is such a difference from previous and more recent translations is anyone's guess. Yet the change seems to be a Red Flag. Is it possible that new version is due to the modernist infiltration of the Church? Modernism has tinkered with everything else; it would certainly explain why there are now "updated: translations of various papal encyclicals - which, in their original form and even in the former English translation, clearly outlined that which most helped the hierarchy and faithful "keep it Catholic."

St. Gabriel's in PA: Catholic Parents Note More Red Flags

One may wonder how or why St. Gabriel's "Catholic" Academy dares to present itself as Catholic. Let's examine the problem - it's called sophistry (which means "false reasoning").

As I made clear years ago, Christian means Catholic and Catholic means Christian. But thanks to modernism and its child, ecumania, the unthinkable is happening: Protestantism, erroneously believing itself to be Christian, now begins to call itself "Catholic." We should have seen this one coming.

Christian means Catholic and Catholic means Christian; that much is clear from all of the long-standing Church documents. So modernism, that schizophrenic heresy which is so adept at changing and adapting in order to sustain itself while simultaneously deceiving the unwary, coyly steps in. (Yes, it's "Modernism and the Borg Queen" all over again.) Still, all the semantics in the world cannot change the unchanging Truth that Christianity and Catholicism are one and the same. We are not speaking of Protestantism, which thinks itself Christian but is not.

The non-acceptance of that one truth - even amongst Catholics from all walks of life - is one reason why so-called "Christian" educational academies (that are only singular entities which cling to the heresy of Protestantism, which itself takes hundreds of forms) are gaining Catholic adherents. Since Protestantism is an erroneous "belief system," it is a false religion yet one that wrongly considers itself "Christian."

Today, the serious error has progressed even further, to the point that at least one of these false Christian organizations now calls itself Catholic. What a twist on "Catholic means Christian, and Christian means Catholic" - and that twist is nothing but a flagrant example of the modernist heresy at work.

Over a dozen years ago, armed with clear and concise Church doctrine, I warned my fellow Catholics that so-called "Christian" materials are "Red Flags" for Catholic homeschooling families. Why? There are many reasons, the first and foremost being the Church's doctrine on the Christian education of youth.

The key words in that last sentence above are "the Church" and "Christian." There is only one Church established by Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, and His Church bears four marks. The Church is one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic - and these very words are used in The Apostles' Creed of the Church. Therefore, the one and only Church of Jesus Christ is the Catholic Church, simply known as "the Church" for many centuries. Today, however, Catholics are practically forced to say "Catholic Church," since those who accept the various Protestant heresies (and its many variations) and gather together to "worship" call themselves "churches."

To continue with the theme of Christianity means Catholicism and Catholicism means Christianity: Neither term means Protestantism. Protestantism is a heresy; it is not Christian, because it refuses to acknowledge that Jesus Christ founded the Church, which is one, holy, Catholic and aposstolic - e.g., the Roman Catholic Church. Protestantism is a heresy because it rejects one or more of the tenets of Divine Revelation. Protestantism, therefore, is not Christian because it is not Catholic, which means universal. Even with the word universal, we must now be careful, due to its new modernist definition.

The heresy of modernism redefines all the truths, down to every minute detail, of the Faith. Catholics hoping to avoid the traps laid by modernism should often refer to Pascendi Dominici Gregis; it is an infallible papal document, issued by the Holy Office, in which the "Doctrines of the Modernists" are well-explained and condemned. Modernism is the foundation of ecumania (literally, "a mania for ecumenism"), but ecumenism itself has been redefined by modernism! The modernist definition of ecumenism wrongly teaches all sorts of errors (heresies) as true doctrines of the Church - e.g., that all religions are good and equal; that the Church must conform herself to modern times; that the Mystical Body of Christ can learn a few good and worthy things from heretics (forgetting that if they teach anything that is good, it is because they retained a few Catholic truths); that the Church must seek for deeper understanding not only of herself but also of other "churches," and much more nonsense. Most of all, modernism insists that the Church must assimilate heresies into her very doctrines. Of course, the true Church (meaning Eternal Rome, the kingdom of God on earth, the Bride of Christ) will never officially define heresy as Truth, but individual Catholics within the Church can and do accept (and spread) modernist errors. Why? They dismiss the teachings of Tradition as "not relevant to today" (which itself is a modernist teaching!).

The end result is that modernism claims that the "universal" Church is one in which all belief systems are accepted as true, valid and acceptable to God. This claim is an evil deception; modernism is the worst heresy that has ever afflicted the Church. In fact, one of the popes succinctly defined modernism as "the synthesis of all heresies," and so it is.

One may wonder: What does all of this have do with Catholic homeschooling? Too much, actually. We have long known that Protestant home study programs, academies, and services wrongly proclaim themselves to be Christian. With modernism so prevalent, it follows that it was only a matter of time before we began to see Protestant organizations daring to present themselves as "Catholic." Modernism is usually subtle but always cunning. We've already seen at least one example in which a Protestant home study organization pretends to be Catholic by including the word "Catholic" in its legal name... and it may be there shall be more to follow.

To clarify a previous blog entry under the Red Flag section, the legal name of St. Gabriel’s is St. Gabriel’s Catholic Academy. The mailing address is 10 Shurs Lane Philadelphia, PA 19127.

Catholic parents familiar with “Red Flags” sent the following information and/or personal testimonies in regard to the allegedly Catholic online service:

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Note: July 31, 2009 UPDATE! Before continuing, it must be said at this particular juncture that since this post was first written in April 2008, St. Gabriel's "Catholic" Academy (SGCA) changed its website from www.stgabrielcatholicacademy.org page to another server. Its NEW home page is http://studioanino.com/clients/lbg/stgabriel/index.php?


Please take a look at St. Gabriel's Catholic Academy's "Homeschool Web Site Copyright Notice" which is now at [http://studioanino.com/clients/lbg/stgabriel/index.php?page=copyright]. The notice clearly displays the strong Protestant affiliation of this “Catholic” academy, including use of a Protestant "Bible":

Materials, code, scripts, html, Uniform Resource Locators and other materials located on or associated with this homeschool web site are copyright © 1999–2008 ELRN, Inc. and/or Learning By Grace, Inc. and/or other copyright holders. All rights reserved. Duplication is permitted, on public domain etexts only, other site content may NOT be copied. Some material may be © Copyright 1999–2008 J. Banfill, IDG, Inc., EVS, Inc., Christian Liberty Press, Inc., Learning By Grace, Inc., Learning By Grace Delaware Inc., Oliver Schulz, Tutorbots, Inc., TheSchoolResources.Com Foundation, How Great Thou Art Publications, Glory Math Education, Inc. and other copyright owners. Some content is a trademark of or a registered trademark of Learning By Grace, Inc. and/or ELRN, Inc. and/or St. Gabriel Catholic Academy. (sic) and/or other trademark holders. The St. Gabriel Catholic Academy (sm) is a service mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. ‘Exploring Creation’ is a registered trademark of ELRN, Inc. used with permission. Scriptures marked as “(GNT)” are taken from the Good News Translation – Second Edition © 1992 by American Bible Society (www.americanbible.org, www.bibles.com). Used by permission. We thank American Bible Society for their generous provision and their historical mission. We thank Gutenberg Project for their massive contributions to the advancement in the worldwide availability of literature.
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I saw red flags on the St. Gabriel site, too. Dr. Bill Bright (now deceased) was well known in Protestant circles, but he was not Catholic. He was the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization on college campuses all over the country which evangelizes college students to Protestantism. Catholics not firm in or not understanding their faith have been lost to the Church due to this ministry.

The St. Gabriel Catholic Academy religion course includes a [Protestant] book by Dr. Bright called "Living Supernaturally in Christ," so that tells me this could be a site with a hidden agenda or a very confused protestant (sic) trying to gain some Catholic homeschoolers…

If you compare the grade 9 Bible course of the [Protestant] Grace Academy with St. Gabriel Catholic Academy, you will see they are EXACTLY the same….[but]the Catholic faith and protestantism are not interchangeable. May we all be one in Christ one day, but it hasn't happened yet...

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Check this link:

http://www.learningbygrace.org/LBG_academies/compare1.php

St. Gabriel's [Catholic Academy] appears to be identical to the above linked "sister" academies. Although St. Gabriel’s isn't mentioned, it has [an] identical mission statement, objectives and curriculum. The webpages all seem too similar to be coincidence.

I wonder if Mimi Rothchild is behind it? Please see: http://www.learningbygrace.org/mimi_rothschild.php

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This is [the info] I sent to my home school group [on St. Gabriel’s Catholic Academy). In addition, all these other [Protestant "sister"] schools [with which St. Gabriel's is associated] have a variation on their statement of faith.

The woman I spoke with was very evasive. She never answered my questions [in a satisfactory fashion]. She sounded as though she was saying what she was told to say. [e.g. - “canned” replies]

[It appears that] Mimi Rothschild is involved with this. She and her husband were involved in starting a virtual charter school in PA a few years ago that was a flop. Perhaps someone in PA could provide more info on that?

There are also numerous complaints I found on other blogs. There were red flags everywhere![St. Gabriel’s Catholic Academy] is associated with Learning By Grace, Inc., which also runs other online Protestant schools. (All the schools share the same address in PA.)

I called to talk to someone at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Academy and while on hold I was treated to very holy music with monks chanting, etc. The woman with whom I spoke said they [St. Gabriel’s Academy) are an online curriculum provider. They do not give diplomas. You must register as a home schooler and they provide teacher "support.”

She said that the teachers are "trained in Catholic teaching" but are not necessarily Catholic. I could not get a straight answer as to who exactly runs this school or who started it or how they can claim to be Catholic.

So I asked about the other “Christian” schools run by them. She said that they "support those other academies as well.” I pointed out that they all appear to have the same curriculum. She said it is not the same [but] the "content is conducive to each religion." (!)

I then questioned her again as to whether the teachers at St. Gabriel's were Catholic and she said that "each teacher is an expert" in their area of study. (Why not let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no"?)
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St. Gabriel's [Catholic Academy]…is identical, right down to the curriculum, to Learning by Grace which is very protestant. [sic]

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St. Gabriel’s Catholic Academy uses the same curriculum as Morningstar Academy, which is an Anabaptist/Sola Scriptura (“Bible only”) provider. St. Gabriel’s Catholic Academy is not Catholic, so why is it pretending to be? Presenting itself as a "Catholic academy" is an outright deception.

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The shared observations above are the latest information to date. As one can see, there appear to be extremely valid concerns in regard to the Protestant heresy which permeates the curriculum of this alleged “Catholic” academy.

This grave error only serves to once more prove that the Church's doctrine on the Christian (meaning Catholic) education of youth is our sure and sound mooring. The four pillars of true Catholic education (toward which Keeping It Catholic has consistently pointed for over a dozen years) must be present. For many years, I have explained the details of these four pillars on the Keeping It Catholic list, in my books, and in my various speeches.

The four pillars are solid anchors, but it seems that there are those who dare to use the Church's very documents in order to defraud Catholics. This is easily done when the word "Christian" is wrongly assumed to include Protestantism. Thus, when a Protestant site features excerpts from Catholic Church documents like Divini Illius Magistri or Militantis Ecclesiae which refer to "Christian" or "Religion," what other conclusion can we reach, other than their self-representation is a purposefully disingenous facade?

"...it is necessary that all the teaching and the whole organization of the school, and its teachers, syllabus and text books in every branch, be regulated by the Christian spirit, under the direction and maternal supervision of the Church; so that Religion may be in very truth the foundation and crown of the youth's entire training; and this in every grade of school, not only the elementary, but the intermediate and the higher instituions of learning as well." (#80, Divini Illius Magistri - "On Christian Education of Youth" - 1929)

Always remember...a Catholic is a Christian, and a Christian is a Catholic, but be on guard any "new" definitions of the meanings!

St. Gabriel's Academy in PA: At Least Five Red Flags

Keeping It Catholic recently received an inquiry about St. Gabriel's Academy, an online Catholic curriculum provider with a mailing address in the state of PA. The email received stated:

Hello,
I was recently made aware of the St. Gabriel Catholic Academy and wondered if anyone at "Keeping it Catholic" had any info on it. They claim to be an online catholic homeschooling curriculum, but I have serious doubts about their "Catholic" faith. Coming from an evangelical background, I can easily recognize similar language on this website. It would be interesting to know who is behind this curriculum and what their motivation is.

Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. I fear that some Catholic homeschooling parents may not search this out thoroughly and purchase this curriculum not knowing that it could be dangerous to their faith.

Thank you and God bless,
(Name withheld by KIC)

Keeping It Catholic's Response:

Dear XXXX:

Thank you so much for contacting me. Keeping It Catholic was not aware of St. Gabriel Catholic Academy. That fact alone is surprising, since their website states "Copyright 1999-2008" (which implies that the service was founded in 1999), but KIC is familiar with "services" and "home study programs" which are (or claim to be) Catholic. You have now brought a questionable one to our attention, for which I must thank you.

After looking at the website, it would seem there exists a number of "Red Flags," of which I will mention only five:

First, the service claims it is Catholic yet only reiterates that it is biblically-based. What is conspicious by its absence is any mention of Tradition. (There is, however, one web page in which excerpts from various papal encyclicals are displayed. This page might mislead a parent to think that since magisterial documents are referenced, Tradition will also hold its rightful place within the courses of study. That assumption is apparently negated by the website's repeated stance that the program is biblically based.)

Second, it appears that some license was taken with the Apostle's Creed, with the result that parts of their "statement of faith" conflicts with the true Apostle's Creed (not to mention the Nicene Creed). If this academy is Catholic, why not use the Apostle's Creed as the Church has given it to us?

Third, there are no names provided - not even for the director, much less any board, trustees, teachers or counselors. Such an omission strongly suggests that the individuals behind St. Gabriel's Catholic Academy are carefully concealing their real identities - but for what reason? One should not be ashamed to use one's good name for the cause of Christ.

Fourth, this academy is located in Pennsylvania, which (based on the state's laws) is one of the more challenging in which to homeschool. My personal inquiry made to the statewide Catholic Homeschoolers of PA network - which was founded years before the academy - revealed that St. Gabriel's Academy is not at all known to them.

Fifth, the academy's accreditation status appears to be questionable, since no real authority (church or state) holds responsibility for it. In fact, their FAQ page features the question, "Is the St. Gabriel Catholic Academy a licensed or accredited school?" The answer-that-is-not-a-clear-answer claims that St. Gabriel Catholic Academy is "accredited" by NAPCIS (National Association of Private Catholic Indepent Schools) - an entity which, contrary to popular belief, holds absolutely no authority within either the Church or the state to "accredit" any school of any kind. (FYI: The issue of "accreditation" and accrediting agencies has been covered on the Keeping It Catholic email list.)

Interestingly, St. Gabriel Catholic Academy doesn't answer the question about any "license."
Instead, their response continues: "Catholic homeschool parents who enroll in St. Gabriel Academy are encouraged to look into their local homeschooling laws for oversight." [Emphasis added]

Translation for those who have not yet learned how to read-between-the-lines: "Our NAPCIS accreditation only means that a self-appointed entity, with no real authority within the Church or the state, has approved our curriculum to be in line with its self-appointed standards. Our NAPCIS accreditation means that and only that."

With those five points alone, I would have to agree with your assessment that extreme caution must be employed when considering this allegedly Catholic academy.

Again, thank you so much for bringing St. Gabriel Catholic Academy to our attention.

In the love of Christ and His Virgin Mother,
Marianna Bartold
We're "Keeping It Catholic" on the Net at http://www.keepingitcatholic.org/

Charlotte Mason: For Whose Sake?

It seems there is a flurry of interest in my last blog entry in regard to Catholic homeschool catalogs. The main question: Which Catholic homeschooling catalogs promote Charlotte Mason ("CM") - and why? Don't they realize Mason, a Protestant teacher, many times proved herself to stand against sound Church doctrine? All one has to do, they say, is read her books. (True enough...but one needs the "Catholic conscience of history" to spot Mason's many errors.)

As to which Catholic catalogs are helping promote Mason while making a bit of money on her, too, for now I ask that you simply peruse the catalogs yourself...it's good practice in cultivating your Red Flag Instinct! In the meantime, here's another question: How did a good part of the Catholic homeschooling world enter a dangerous alliance with the heretical Charlotte Mason?

Answer: By reading and buying Protestant materials from Protestant homeschool catalogs - a practice which I publicly warned against, first in 1996 and again in 1998. Mason (and all for which she stands) is the perfect example of the dangers in which we Catholics place ourselves when we flirt with and flip through Protestant homeschool catalogs, which are (naturally) stocked with Protestant authors and a Protestant world-view (which, by the way, is very contagious).

But now we don't even need to flip through a Protestant catalog. The "Catholic" catalogs are picking up Mason, too!

These catalogs do us no favors; in fact, to use Olde English parlance, they "do us a discourtesy." They lead us into temptation, with the result that, today, too many Catholics fling aside bits and pieces of the Church's doctrines on faith, marriage and education and replace the Church's sound doctrine with those of heretics'.

Catholic education-at-home is slowly but surely being replaced with the sweet poison of the heretical Charlotte Mason, the Victorian poster girl for the likes of Rousseau, Darwin, Locke, Huxley, Herbart, and many more anti-Catholic philosophers. The next thing we know, we'll be spouting Teilhard de Chardin with glee.

Charlotte Mason cunningly lures and beckons with what we imagine to be the beauty of the Victorian Era. A time named after Queen Victoria of England, a queen who was head of a heretical "church," the Victorian Era was one of Protestant prudery, hidden under the guise of modesty. In a time in which the people were culturally forced into covering the body from (literally) chin-to-toe, lulling the populace into thinking they were exhibiting the virtues, the human mind was under attack with the age's evolving novelties. One need only read the Church's Syllabus of Errors, in which the Church formally listed condemned errors to grasp the concept.

Charlotte Mason, an Englishwoman of the Victorian Age, designed her "child-raising" model specifically to attract mothers. In this, she was fairly successful. (And let's not forget - England has not been a Catholic nation for centuries.) Let's also not forget that the mothers Mason wished to attract were those of the Anglican upper-class (and, therefore, they were her own path to a self-supporting lifestyle), those who could afford nannies for their children, not to mention affording servants to clean their homes, wash their clothes, shop, and prepare their meals, those who did not engage in "real" one-on-one mothering but were more inclined toward social gatherings and tea parties and "charities."

No, Charlotte Mason's "model" was never meant to be a model for real Catholic mothers - who understand and accept the Church's doctrines on the Christian education of youth, who take care of their own children and homes - much less a "homeschooling" model of any kind.

As daughters of Eve, we can be kind, compassionate, and open to others. On the other side of that same coin, our openness to others, combined with Mother Eve's self-assuredness, curiosity, and pride - which she passed down to us - leads us into very dangerous spots if we don't ignore our willful inclinations.

Let's not show ourselves to be so filially devoted in the latter regard, for that is what we will do if we harken to the voice of Charlotte Mason, just as our first mother entered into "dialog the devil," when she herself was still innocent ...and her husband, watching with casual disinterest, went along with the game. We all know what happened afterward.

The ancient story of Adam and Eve is a lesson to us in regard to many things. When it comes to Catholic education, rather than "adopt" Charlotte Mason in your Catholic home - thus taking the first steps to a Protestant worldview - follow in the footstops of "the new Eve," the Virgin Mother Mary. Listen to and obey the voice of God, which is entrusted to the Church via Divine Revelation, and "keep it Catholic" in all things.

Yes, dear friends, only the Catholic Church is the faithful guardian and interpreter of Divine Revelation. Of its many doctrines, the Church also possesses a doctrine on the Christian (meaning Catholic!) education of youth. How many Catholic families honestly and conscientiously cling to even this one doctrine? For if we cling to one, then we cling to all.

Divine Revelation is meant for all ages. God wants all of His children to attain Salvation. Only God gives us the means for a Catholic education that confirms itself to His Will - not that of Charlotte Mason's.

Today, we live in an era permeated with modernism. When speaking of this particular heresy, I often quote Boromir from the movie version of The Lord of the Rings, when he spoke of Mordor: "The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume." Whether we like it or not, modernism is the poisonous fume that we breathe; therefore, it affects each one of us, because we have been born and raised in The Modernist Era.

The Church, however, possesses timeless antidotes, which are summed up as follows: "Pray - Study - Act" - especially by partaking of the Sacraments, praying the Holy Rosary, wearing the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and clinging to the Church's doctrines and dogmas.

Still, there has always been and always will be Catholics who refuse to adhere to various Church doctrines and wrongly think themselves free to do so. It could be Mass attendance, it could be contraception, it could be anything - including not obeying the Church's docrine on Catholic education, especially as it is provided in the encyclical, Divini Illius Magistri (On Christian Education of Youth, 1929).

They will not endure the Truth in a matter they (wrongly) consider inconsequential, or "out-dated." They will not endure the Church's doctrine on the Catholic education of youth, but they will pretend theirs is merely a "disagreement" (conveniently, and usually with coy guile) with those who try to help them by sharing the Church's doctrines. Willing victims of modernism, they act as though a matter of Church doctrine comes down to, "We'll just have agree to disagree."

What can be done about those dedicated to this most tragic, unfortunate progressivism within the Catholic homeschooling world? Pity them and pray for Catholics with that viewpoint, but do not listen to them.

For truly, we see - even within Catholic homeschooling circles - Our Lord's words come to fruition once more: "For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. But be thou vigilant, labour in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober." (2 Timothy 4: 3-5)

(First posted July 1, 2006 to the original blog, Keeping It Catholic - with Marianna Bartold)

Let's Talk About...Red Flags in Catholic Homeschool Catalogs

Yes, that time of year is once more upon us! It's Homeschool Shopping Season! Homeschool conference season is upon us, leaving parents with bags of books and (hopefully) happy memories. But – ah! - a homeschool catalog is a horse of a different color. We can still peruse catalogs at our leisure, lingering over them in our favorite corner of the couch, gleaning ideas by scanning book lists and descriptions, and feel ourselves motivated merely by flipping through pages. A homeschool catalog, unlike a conference, is always waiting for us. A homeschool catalog holds a different kind of…potential. You have to be a homeschooling parent to understand what I mean by that remark.

I’m more than a bit concerned, however, when I read through the (still) relatively few Catholic homeschool catalogs available today and see a variety of Red Flags in at least one of them that shall not (yet) be named. One worrisome example is Charlotte Mason, “affectionately” known by her “followers” as “CM.” For those who don’t know, the long deceased Charlotte Mason’s philosophy was anti-Catholic. One might say that “CM” aspired to be the "New and Improved" (albeit female and Victorian) version of Rousseau, one of her favorite philosophical “mentors.” (She had quite a few - Pestalozzi, Froebel, Huxley...and the list goes on.)

Mason knowingly embraced the philosophy of Rousseau, the so-called Father of the Enlightenment, aka the “Age of Reason” in which Our Lord was deposed from His altar, in which Our Lady was replaced with the “Goddess of Reason” and in which countless faithful were martyred at the guillotine.

Yes, dear readers, that's real history with what Hillaire Belloc called “the Catholic conscience.” As he explained so well, a true Catholic sees and understands history “from within” and not with a “perspective” or an “aspect.” I realize that many Catholic homeschooling parents, themselves cheated of a Catholic education in which religion (and the Catholic conscience of history) permeated all the subjects, never heard of the French Revolution. Not knowing much, if anything, of the French Revolution, it cannot be expected such parents know of Rousseau, much less expect that they have they read his infamous novel, Emile or understand its significance in this discussion. (Let it suffice to say that the theme of Emile was simply this: Children should be raised for the State, not for God).

But Mason knew all that Rousseau advocated in that regard - and she thought it a grand idea. Can there really exist a Catholic parent who does not find that fact alarming?

Since there are well-meaning Catholic homeschooling parents who do not yet know these characters or about these important facts of history, I explain to them, with a detailed "overview" in my books and speeches, why “Rousseau” is a huge, billowing Red Flag. I do so to further explain why Charlotte Mason's educational ideas or methods were not of a kind which we Catholics should respect or emulate.

It's one matter if parents really didn't know the truth about Rousseau, Pestalozzi, the French Revolution, or even Charlotte Mason herself. However - lest we forget the Church's teaching regarding culpability - we become morally responsible if, once charitably warned, we refuse to accept the truth for what it is.

The truth is that Rousseau was a degenerate and Charlotte Mason knew it; still, she admired him, calling him a "prophet" and a "genius." Since she admired Rousseau, an enemy of the Catholic Church, and since she promoted errors condemned by the Church, what did all of that make her?

A heretic, for one thing. A rationalist, for another. And let's not forget a Communist (under the guise of Christian Socialism), a feminist, a humanist, a Darwinian, and host of other sundry terms that might make even the most liberal Catholic a tad nervous.

Right reason, combined with even a superficial knowledge of Catholic history and a budding Catholic conscience of history, makes a world of difference in understanding what is wrong with Charlotte Mason. Once one studies the French Revolution (and its lingering effects) with a fully formed Catholic conscience of history, no further explanation is necessary.

That's why so many parents who intrinsically understand what it means to “Keep It Catholic” don’t allow the Charlotte Mason "Method" (or anything "CM") in their homes. So what is the faithful Catholic to do when flipping through at least one Catholic homeschooling catalog, as I did this past week, only to find a few books about CM, like “The Charlotte Mason Companion,” proudly displayed and sold? That very fact alone brings forth questions about the company itself.

Can it be that a Catholic homeschool company that has been around for quite some time truly doesn’t know anything about the real “issues” about Charlotte Mason? It hardly seems possible. Could it be that they don't know the real history of the French Revolution?

If that is true, can we really trust their history recommendations for our Catholic homeschools, much less their recommendations in other study areas? Or is that they can blithely and completely disregard Charlotte Mason's admiration for Rousseau, the man who fathered and then abandoned his illegitimate children, and set in motion the ideals that led to the French Revolution? One might as well admire the person who admires Karl Marx, Lenin and Stalin - and be done with it.

Continuing with this serious reflection, does or does not this Catholic-owned business accept the Church’s condemnation of the very same errors embraced and promoted by Charlotte Mason? If they accept it, they will abandon carrying anything to do with CM.

And then there is the “Great Books” philosophy, which is also being touted in the same catalog. (It falls within the realm of what people today think is "classical education.") As I humorously ask my audiences, “Who decided what’s so great about the Great Books, anyway?”

In fact, in my book, Home Education Guide, Volume I, I explain the worldly thinking that is the "Great Books" philosophy. We cannot pretend we don’t “get it,” we cannot “gloss over” these very real and very important issues, and we cannot pretend that we can somehow “catholicize” Charlotte Mason.

We can’t do that because we cannot “catholicize” heresy. So keep cultivating both your Catholic Conscience of History and your Red Flag Instinct. And when you see Red Flags like Charlotte Mason or “Great Books” in a Catholic homeschooling catalog, please --- do yourself (not to mention countless other homeschooling families, as well as the company) a huge favor:

Give them a phone call or drop them an email and let them know how important it is that their customers can trust them to be Catholics of integrity, and not just a company out to make a quick and easy dollar. Ask them to drop anything that promotes or supports Charlotte Mason or the Great Books, and replace those products with more items that help you and yours “Keep It Catholic.”

(One line slightly edited. First posting June 29, 2006 to the original blog, Keeping It Catholic - with Marianna Bartold)

Blessed Are We: A New Red Flag

At first glance, "Blessed Are We," a catechetical program by Silver Burdett Ginn, seems like it will meet the mark. However, after taking a closer look at its scope and sequence, one will recognize quite a few Red Flags.

Dear Readers, I hope you don't mind my sharing with you that I possess a unique perspective on these catechetical programs, since I have written "copy" for various publishers, including those who are striving to "update" their catechetical programs. Unfortunately, nothing has changed in the "politically correct department" of these publishing houses, and it is that department that hold the reins.

My original viewpoint as a catechetical contributor was one of hope. However, catechetical writers who are actually practicing, knowledgable Catholics are practically forced to express the truths of the Catholic faith in certain terms; if that does not happen, our phrasing is edited (i.e., it is diluted). Furthermore, and most distressing of all, not all catechetical writers (much less the editors) are even Catholic! Yet, in the end product, there is just enough of the truth featured, providing a nice Catholic facade for those who tend to just "glance over" these programs. (As for me, it was a good learning opportunity, and it greatly assisted me as an educator and a reviewer to experience first-hand the "inside development" of such programs.)

First of all, Silver Burdett Ginn is now a part of Scott Foresman, a secular educational company. (This fact lends further proof to my own observations and experiences that those who control the reigns to catechetical programs are secularists, if not outright progressives, liberals or modernists. )

The focus of "Blessed are We" may be summed up as follows: community, service and social justice. The program aims to "respect diversity, working for social justice on a global scale and teaching effective skills of dialogue, negotiation and non-violent ways to bring about change."

The following is an overview of the first six levels, revealing some of the program's Red Flags:

Baptism is a "celebration of becoming a member of the Christian community." (Notice that baptism is no longer about washing away Original Sin and thus becoming a child of God; instead, the focus is on "the community.")

"Recognize God's image in each person" (rather than clearly explaining that we are made in God's Image and explaining what that means, the change in terms is misleading and can easily lead to a belief in pantheism.)

The Church is defined as a " a world community of all kinds of people." (Compare this definition to that found in the Baltimore Catechism!)

The Apostle's Creed is "a set of beliefs" (i.e., not necessarily defined TRUTHS.)

Confession is termed only as "reconciliation," and little or nothing is said about repentance and penance. Instead, through reconciliation, "we can celebrate God's forgiveness and re-establish our relationship with others, God and the church community. (Notice we "celebrate" - not attain - God's forgiveness for our sins through Confession and absolution. The focus is first on others, then God - a "twist" of the first Commandment as well as the Great Commandment.)

"Blessed Are We" also teaches, "Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick are sacraments of healing which are meant to be celebrated primarily in community." (Since when are these sacraments primarily celebrated 'in community?" Thus, Confession is no longer a "private matter" between God, one's confessor and one's self. Extreme Unction is also a "community" event, but one would like to know "how" if one is sick and ailing, whether at home or in a hospital.) Unlike the Baltimore Catechism or Our Holy Faith, the sacraments are not described as sacraments of the living or the "spiritually" dead, since we can no longer acknowledge that venial sin wounds the grace in our souls or that mortal sin kills the life of grace within our souls.

Mass is introduced as "special meal that celebrates God's love for us." (It is no longer a Sacrifice, but a meal!) Later, there is an acknowledgement that Jesus is "truly present" at the Mass, but it is not made clear "how."

"Blessed Are We" acknowledges that Jesus leads us to God, but it is not made very clear that Jesus IS God. He is mentioned as "messiah" (small m), but His role is played down more to a level of another prophet. At other times, his (sic) "salvific mission" is mentioned. Most disturbing, especially once one gets to the lessons on ISLAM.

"Blessed are We" does not correctly teach the difference between respecting a person of a different religion, because that person is also made in God's image (not to mention that person's soul needs salvation through the Catholic Church) and his belief system; instead it teaches we must also "respect" a person's non-Catholic religion, with a special emphasis on respecting Islam. Furthermore, "Blessed Are We" does nothing positive for the student by presenting these "belief systems" since it does not correct them with true Catholic doctrine. Instead, it indoctrinates the student with the false viewpoint that other beliefs are acceptable, thus promoting the sin of religious indifferentism (i.e., the false belief that all religions are perceived as good and equal.)

Please allow me to provide a specific example (with all emphasis below mine), a very revealing excerpt from the "Blessed Are We" website, which states:
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We are one with our Muslim brothers and sisters. Let us take it upon ourselves to become more knowledgeable and respectful of Muslims and Islam.

The content below was developed by Maureen Gallagher, Ph.D. Archdiocesan Delegate to Parishes in the Milwaukee Archdiocese. Adapt and integrate the content for use in the home, school, or parish.

Some Frequently Asked Questions about Islam, Muslims, and Related Issues

This overview, by the nature of the format, is very cursory. You are encouraged to study the issues in much more depth and explore the resources named at the end of the questions.

1. What is Islam?
Islam is one of the great world religions. It was articulated by the prophet Muhammad in the seventh century. The word `Islam' means submission--submission to the will of God--and is derived from a word meaning peace. The name given to God in Islam is Allah, which is the Arabic name for God.

2. Who are Muslims?
Muslims are people who practice the Islamic faith. Muslims are the second largest group of religious people in the world, next to Christians. Muslim people come from many races, nationalities and cultures. Many parts of the Asian and African world are Muslim. About 18% of Muslims live in the Middle Eastern Arab part of the world. However, it should be noted that all Arabs are not Muslims. Some are Christians and others practice other religions. Many African- Americans are Muslims as their original religion in Africa was Islam. Muslims do not see themselves as a "new religion," but rather the last stage of God's revelation that began with Abraham continued to Moses, Jesus and ultimately Muhammad. Many people of American and European descent have embraced Islam.

3. What do Muslims believe?
Muslims believe in One God. They often use the words, One, Unique, Incomparable God. They believe in angels and in the prophets through whom God's revelations were made known. Muslims believe in life after death and in accountability for one's actions.

4. Do Muslims believe in Jesus Christ
Muslims believe Jesus Christ was a great prophet. They do not believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the son of God.

5. Is there any connection between Muslims and Christianity?
Muslims trace their origins back to Abraham as do Jews and Christians. They believe that Muhammad, their great prophet, was descended from Abraham's son Ishmael and that Moses and Jesus were descendents of Isaac. Muslims believe in many of the prophets of the Old or First Testament as well as in the prophetic mission of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.

6. Who was Muhammad?
Muhammad was born in 570 and orphaned as a young child. As he grew up people noticed that he was a truthful, generous and sincere person. He was deeply religious and contemplative. He was known as a fair arbitrator. According to Islamic belief when Muhammad was forty years old he received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. His revelations continued for 23 years. The revelations were written down and formed the Islamic holy book or Qur'an (Koran). The Qur'an has passages very similar to the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, plus unique revelations that Muhammad received.

7. Do Christians believe in Muhammad?
Christians recognize Muhammad as a great religious leader. The Catholic Church has a high regard for Muslims.

8. How do Muslims practice their religion?
There are five pillars in Islam:
One: The Creed The creed is very simple. Basically, it is as follows: There is no god except God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Two: Prayer Prayer is central to Muslim religious practice. Muslims pray five times a day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. Muslims pray in mosques or wherever they are. The prayers are based on the Qur'an and said in Arabic, although personal petitions are said in the vernacular.
Three: Fasting During the month of Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn until sundown as a means of purification and as a way of identifying with the hungry of the world. The Muslim calendar is based on a lunar year. This year Ramadan begins toward the end of November.
Four: Purifying Tax (Zakat) Muslims believe that all things belong to God and that possessions are a trust given to people. The "Purifying Tax" is a way of exercising detachment from things as well as a way of providing for the poor. It is similar to the concept of stewardship or tithing in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Five: Pilgrimage The journey to Mecca is required once in a life time, if it is possible. Mecca is in Saudi Arabia.

9. What are some other things unique to Muslims?
Muslims are restricted from eating pork or drinking alcoholic drinks. Their weekly holy day is Friday. They worship in mosques. Three mosques are particularly important: Mosque of Kaaba in Mecca, Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina and Masjid Aqsa, next to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

10. What have Muslims contributed to the quality of life in the world?
Since the early centuries of Islam, Muslims have made significant contributions to society in the fields of medicine, chemistry, mathematics, arts, poetry, spirituality and physics. Two well known landmarks in Chicago, the Sears Tower and the John Hancock building were designed by a Muslim architect.

11. Why is it that some people associate terrorism with Islam and Muslims?
There are small groups of Muslims who have distorted the practice of Islam and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad by choosing terror and violence as a means of fighting perceived injustice. They are extremists. This does not mean that all Muslims are violent killers. The vast majority of Muslims oppose these violent acts. Just because some Catholics and Protestants act violently in Northern Ireland does not mean all Catholics and Protestants are violent. Most Christians and Muslims live throughout the world in peace and harmony with their neighbors. There are approximately 7,000,000 Muslims living as good neighbors in the United States today.

12. What is the Taliban that we hear so much about these days?
The Taliban currently rules most of Afghanistan. The country has been torn by civil war for the last thirty years. The rise of the Taliban and the United States' role in this is complicated. The word, `Taliban' in Arabic means "seekers of truth." The Taliban is an extremist Islamic group that controls ninety percent of Afghanistan. Their interpretation of Islam is not shared by the majority of Islamic people. Under their interpretation of the "truth," television, dance, film, playing cards, chessboards, fashion catalogues, neckties, photography, kite-flying, non-religious music have been banned. Women cannot attend school or work and generally receive little or no medical care. Famous statues of the giant Buddhas have been destroyed. The majority of Islamic scholars call the Taliban interpretation of Islam a gross distortion.

13. What are the causes of terrorism?
There is no easy answer to this question. Many acts of terrorism are rooted in the experience of oppression and social injustice. Terrorists choose to use violence to eradicate injustice rather than political processes or non-violent approaches as Ghandi or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did.

14. How can terrorism be eliminated?
Terrorism can be eliminated by helping all people respect diversity, working for social justice on a global scale and teaching effective skills of dialogue, negotiation and non-violent ways to bring about change. We must also continue to promote the sanctity and basic dignity of all human beings in such a way that we grow in a global respect and promotion of human dignity.
15. As Catholics what should our attitude and our relationship to Muslims be?

Nowhere is this better stated than in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council:
"The Church has ... a high regard for Muslims. They worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men. They strive to submit themselves without reserve to the hidden decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted himself to God's plan, to whose faith Muslims eagerly link their own.

Although not acknowledging him as God, they venerate Jesus as a prophet. They honor his virgin Mother and even at times devoutly invoke her. They highly esteem an upright life and worship God especially by way of prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Over the centuries many quarrels and dissensions have arisen between Christians and Muslims. The sacred Council now pleads with all to forget the past, and urges that a sincere effort be made to achieve mutual understanding; for the benefit of all, let them together preserve and promote peace, liberty, social justice and moral values." (Nostra Aetate 3)
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The info above comes from Blessed Are We. Since my original 2003 Red Flag alert, the site has removed its preview pages of the program. The information was on The Resource page, which featured a paragraph about links, including the one about Islam (now a dead link).

(First posted Oct. 8, 2003 to the original blog, Keeping It Catholic - with Marianna Bartold)

Catholic Insights into Montessori Education

A few months have passed since I last added anything to the blog. November and December are always whirlwind months, and January proved to be no different. I do hope the last few months have been good to you! I also hope to get "back on track" with (at the minimum) weekly entries to the KIC Weblog.

Of late, I have received a few emails inquiring about either the Maria Montessori or Charlotte Mason "methods" of education. All of the questions center around one theme; that is, they ask me what's really wrong with one or the other?

It seems the word is out regarding Red Flags and Methods in the Keeping It Catholic Home Education Guide Volume I. (It seems more Catholic homeschoolers are sharing the info that the same book examines the problems with both Mason and Montessori, ala "the Catholic Red Flag Lady, Marianna Bartold") ;)

For the sake of the truly polite inquiries, I will do my best to provide, on this weblog, a very modest glimpse into the question of Montessori. (I do promise, however, that there are more quotes in my book regarding both Mason and Montessori.)

But what about Charlotte Mason? Well, I already have much to share (about 10 pages's worth) about Mason in my book, so it would be impossible for me to repeat it here. As for Montessori, my book provides quite a few quotes from Montessori herself, regarding her philosophies, too.

Still, there are Catholics who claim that, since Montessori was Catholic, what she taught regarding the rearing and education of children must be acceptable to Catholics. That would be true if we lived in a perfect world, but we don't. We all know that we live in a fallen world and that our own natures are wounded, that we are disinclined to abandon our own thoughts and ideas, and that - for the most part - we human beings do not easily bend our wills to God. (If we dare to say otherwise, we really are guilty of pride.) The truth of the matter is that we can easily make up all kinds of excuses to continue doing what we want to do, and we easily defend ourselves because we do not want to admit we were misled...it is so much easier to do those two things instead of obeying the Church's teachings.

Regardless of the nay-sayers, please realize that no, despite her book, The Mass Explained, Montessori's educational philosophy did not coincide with Catholic Church teaching. Most of the time she sounded like a rationalist/evolutionist (I'll explain why later.)

Montessori had some very strange ideas about child-raising and child education. And no, we are not talking about "hands-on" learning. Contrary to popular belief, "hands-on" is not what Montessori was about.

For example, Montessori did not allow fairy tales or folklore, although she did promote her own "mythological" story about the world's creation - certainly a contradiction! So fairy stories and folklore were forbidden, but her own "fantasies" were to be promoted to children everywhere. Yet how many Catholics are aware of even that one Red Flag?

Incidentally (and as I point out in my book, Keeping It Catholic Home Education Guide, Volume I), there are similarities in Charlotte Mason's original educational philosophy, many of the latter which coincide with those of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the "father" of the "Enlightenment." The Enlightenment was that "rationalist" era of thought which led to the French Revolution, the invasion of liberalism throughout Europe and into the Church, and which has culminated today in the heresy of modernism.

While I understand that many Catholic homeschoolers might not appreciate hearing such things, I ask them to remember Church teaching on Catholic education and Catholic philosophy.

I strongly recommend that interested homeschooling parents read Montessori's own works for themselves - not just another author on Montessori - and judge according to Church teaching (not just personal opinion). Just to pique your curiosity, I will provide a few examples from Montessori's book, To Educate the Human Potential. Brief background: Maria Montessori told her "creation" story to children, and she wanted it to be told by others who employed her methods. But why? It was because Montessori desired that children should mull upon the evolutionary processes.

Montessori's creation story begins with the oceans (not God, not the Word), and of the "Tribolites" which were "three-lobed creatures, with many legs and numerous other appendices for swimming...other proud ocean dwellers were Cephalopods- literally meaning with legs on their heads - of which Nautilus is most famous."

A little later, Montessori wrote: "We can imagine a committee of Angels or Devas, according to the religion we profess, older sons of God who direct earth's natural forces, sending forth a call for volunteers, and interviewing those creatures who responded with an offer of service..."

My questions: Are we to accept Montessori's word that angels interviewed the tribolites? How does this absurdity correspond with the inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures? Why did Montessori acknowledge another name for angels - i.e., devas? Why did she write "according to the religion we profess"? As a Catholic educator, it was her duty to promote the Catholic faith, not religious indifferentism (which the Church teaches is a sin). When and if necessary to acknowledge other "beliefs" (as opposed to truths), the opportunity to charitably clarify those truths should have been included.

Montessori told children that beautiful plants evolved from algae, moss, etc: "The evolution of plants of earth is estimated to have taken about 300,000,000 years, from algae, mosses and lichens, through ferns to ever more complex forms of strength and beauty." And children were, and are, to believe this nonsense just because Montessori said so?

Monetessori told children that birds evolved from monsters: "If evolution just meant growth, how could sweet birds have come from ferocious monsters, joint-heirs of their kingdom? Nature evolved by strengthening what had been a weak point in animal behavior, bestowing the new energy called Love. This was to be a powerful passion as long as it dominated, able to make a small bird forget fear and care for self. Significantly it goes with warmth of blood."

Montessori told children that the earth was beautiful - so beautiful that the monsters had to go: "The earth must have been truly beautiful, and monsters in their gross stupidity and ugliness were unfit for it. Some tried 'slimming,' shortened their legs and managed to survive, especially those who had the intelligence to turn themselves into snakes. Those who were too lazy to make the effort to adapt themselves had just to perish. Snakes were the lineal descendants of dragons and were not poisonous before the advent of man."

Are you also recognizing those waving Red Flags, dear Reader?

Now for Montessori's story about the appearance of mankind: "The earth was trembling with expectancy and glad foreboding. Her heart moved in sympathy with creation's joy; tremors ran through her frame and emotional tears coursed through her in new streams...she was moved throughout her whole being to feel the near approach of man, her destined lord, and gifts were brought forth in new abundance for his use...all kinds of metal that the earth had been preparing in her laboratories were brought to the surface and deposited...of this largesse of mineral wealth, India received in rich measure, as the scene of earth's greatest emotion...Earth greeted her son with joy, but offered him toil, no enfeebling ease!" (My observation: In other words, mankind is the child of Mother Earth!)

Montessori told children her version of the purpose of man's existence, yet she made no mention of the Catholic Church's clear teachings that we were created "to know, love and serve God so that we might be happy with Him in heaven." Instead, Montessori wrote:

"Man, too, like all beings, has the two purposes, conscious and unconscious. He is conscious of his own intellectual and physical needs, and of the claims on him of society and civilisation. He believes in fighting for himself, his family and nation, but has yet to become conscious of his far deeper responsibilities to a cosmic task, his collaboration with others in work for his environment...Victory in self-fulfillment can only come to the All, and to secure it some are content to sacrifice their own progress towards perfection of form, remaining inferior and humble workers, like the corals, or static usefulness. Other species, having unconsciously reached their limit of usefulness and being unable to adapt themselves to conditions making new demands on them, disappear from the ranks of life in which only the obedient and disciplined will continue to march, to the joyful music of the Song of Life."

Cosmic task? The "All"? The Song of Life? What do these terms mean? They certainly are not Catholic terms. In light of their context, they are NOT intended to be Catholic.

There is more, and there are other Montessori books, but I trust the few excerpts above will inspire the prudent to further study Montessori - in her own words.~ MCB

(First posted Jan. 31, 2004 to the original blog, Keeping It Catholic - with Marianna Bartold)