The stakes have never been higher

Each September as the school year begins, we feature Catholic Education as our theme for the magazine. As I thought about the current state of affairs in our society, I am compelled to share some thoughts on how this relates to Catholic education.

I do not need to remind you of the daily news headlines, and how the anti-Christian agenda seems to be advancing every time we turn around. These forces at work, which I believe are diabolic at their root, appear to have as their agenda the elimination of the very basic truths (such as the mere definition of gender) that we thought would never be questioned. The boldness and rapid advance of this agenda is more than startling, as individuals and organizations who attempt to oppose it are viciously attacked.

So what does this have to do with Catholic education? Everything! According to recent studies, every year more and more Catholics are believing what the society at large is teaching, versus the truth as proclaimed by the Church. So, to say that the stakes have never been higher would indeed be an understatement. The Catholic Church has always been the voice of truth, proclaiming natural law and the moral foundations that have been the groundwork of every free society. Yet, there is great pressure on our Church leaders and Catholic schools to conform to this agenda.

This is a time when we need clarity from our Catholic schools (at every level, from grade school to graduate school) to proclaim and teach the truth as defined by the Church! Our devout, faithful, orthodox Catholic schools are like beacons…lighthouses in the fog, which are meant to be bright and immovable signs of where danger lies; to keep the ships from being smashed in the storm! Yet, our bishops, priests, boards, school presidents, and principals are under great pressure to extinguish the light, to compromise, to capitulate.

You are business leaders…you know the kind of pressure they are under. They need our support. They need to know we are praying for them, and supporting them and will stand with them. You know what it feels like to be at the helm in a storm. They need to know we understand what is at stake and that we are behind them.

I have long been convinced of the preeminent importance of Catholic education, the importance of proclaiming the truth in times of great confusion. Well, we find ourselves in such a time; and yet we have every reason for hope, for we know the outcome under God.

TOM MONAGHAN is Legatus’ founder, chairman, and CEO.