South Philly Review

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You don’t have to have your child in Catholic school or be a practicing member of that religion. It is impossible not to feel compassion for area Catholics forced to deal with the loss of their cherished schools. It wasn’t so long ago when our neighborhoods were defined by what parish you lived in. People sacrificed a lot to send their kids to these schools. These were more than just schools; they were the essence of community for many Catholics and non-Catholics.

Economic reality changes as do demographics. Enrollments declined as neighborhoods aged, competitive charter schools gave parents more options and tuition costs became too great for the budgets of even many dedicated Catholics. Vocations have dwindled along with the priests and nuns who used to be counted on to provide high-quality and low-cost education. All of us saw the handwriting on the wall here when St. John Neumann was forced to merge with St. Maria Goretti High School a few years ago. And yet again the pill is bitter to swallow as groups form to attempt a last ditch appeal to save their schools. The protests represent something more than the understandable effort to stave off a tragic loss. They demonstrate a credibility gap between the church and many of its members.

I am not one to blame the sex abuse cover-up for all or even most of the financial woes that have fallen on the schools. You might even make the case that even with the legal costs incurred, the schools would have eventually been overwhelmed financially. What I do know is the trust factor just has disappeared between parishioners and their church since the cover-up was disclosed. Once you are forced to admit to transferring pedophiles to other unsuspecting parishes, any future statements — even about unrelated issues — are suspect. Apparently this lack of credibility even affected the donations received from parishioners.

Years ago, if the archdiocese had announced the same regionalization plan, there would have been sadness among its devoted followers, but few would have challenged the “facts” the Blue Ribbon Commission used to determine which schools closed and which were saved yet that is exactly what is happening right now. The list of failing schools included some schools thought to be safe. There is a feeling among some outraged parishioners that the books were cooked and there are other hidden reasons why the decisions were made. Charles J. Chaput, the new Archbishop, admits it is possible mistakes were made and promises an open appeal process. But he undermines his own credibility by claiming his Catholic schools were done in by “discrimination.”

Discrimination is a serious charge. It also is reckless, untrue and totally irresponsible. The archbishop apparently believes the failure of government to provide vouchers to the Catholic school parents is de facto discrimination. Let me be clear. I have supported the use of vouchers as part of the education budget because I believe by doing so the base of support for properly funding our schools increases. Currently the political support for funding public schools is small because parents of alternative schools perceive they have no stake in the matter. I also am aware of the legitimate arguments against vouchers — the constitutional question of the separation of church and state and the real chance voucher funds simply would be subtracted from the already diminishing public school budget. There is also the consideration that if a school accepts vouchers, then it has to accept government oversight the way public schools do. To add to the issue’s complexity, in these lean times, education budgets are being cut, not increased, but all of these issues are legitimate legal and policy questions — a far cry from discrimination.

I find it difficult to believe Chaput isn’t aware of the political difficulties the question of school vouchers raises all across the country. I find his discrimination charge deceitful, an effort to find a scapegoat for his churches’ real problems. His false cry is an echo of what we heard when the grand jury report detailed the abuse cover-up. The crisis in Catholic school education is a tinderbox and it doesn’t need the archbishop to throw logs on the fire.

It may be that no matter what, providing and maintaining an alternative Catholic education system is no longer feasible. I am the last person in the world to tell the archdiocese how to manage its money and run its schools, but I live in the neighborhood and see the profound sorrow and pain folks are feeling, but unless the archdiocese regains a measure of trust with its followers, it is going to make bearing the difficult times even more difficult.

When there’s a credibility gap, trying to pass the buck only makes it worse. The sooner the archdiocese realizes its problem, the better it can deal with the real issues. The appeals process will hold a key to whether it can convince its followers that it is treating them fairly. Until then, the archbishop would do well to stop the inflammatory rhetoric and stick to solving the real issues within his control.

Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.