discourt copy - Brussels International Catholic School
Transcription
discourt copy - Brussels International Catholic School
BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL 21 OCTOBER 2015 BLESSING OF NEW BUILDING FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL DEPARTMENT AND CONSECRATION OF THE SCHOOL TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS Discourse pronounced on the occasion of the official opening of the new secondary school campus by Cardinal Burke It pleases me very much to offer a brief reflection on the happy occasion of the blessing of the new building of the Brussels International Catholic School for its secondary school department. In a particular way, I am happy to bless the new chapel which is indeed the heart of any Catholic school and to consecrate the secondary school to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, enthroning His image as a daily reminder of the immeasurable and unceasing love of God for His children in the Church. I commend the Brussels International Catholic School on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of its founding for its dedication to excellence in Catholic education, so that its pupils understand and enjoy more and more the happiness for which God has given them life and which He will bring to its fullness in the eternal life which is to come. In a particular way, I express deepest gratitude to Canon William Hudson, Headmaster, for his dynamic and untiring leadership over these past ten years, and to the teachers and staff of the School who carry out their duties in accord with the high standard of Catholic education. In thanking Canon Hudson, I thank also Monsignor Gilles Wach, his superior, and the entire Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest for their steadfast commitment to the apostolate of Catholic education in Brussels. The ever increasing enrollment of the School over the years gives witness to the trust which parents place it. May today’s celebration confirm Canon Hudson and all work with him in their service of the children and young people who are the hope of the future of the Church and of all society. Catholic education of children and youth is a complete education, that is, the development of reason through the competent imparting of learning and skills within the context of the faith. It is an education which has its foundation in the study of God and of His plan for us and our world, as He has revealed Himself and His plan to us. Pope Pius XI, in his Encyclical Letter Divini Illius Magistri, described a Catholic or Christian education with these words: La fin propre et immédiate de l’éducation chrétienne est de concourir à l’action de la grâce divine dans la formation du véritable et parfait chrétien, c’est-à-dire à la formation du Christ lui-même dans les hommes régénérés par le baptême, suivant l’expression saisissante de l’Apôtre: Mes petits enfants pour qui j’éprouve de nouveau les douleurs de l’enfantement jusqu’à ce que le Christ soit formé en vous. En effet, le vrai chrétien doit vivre sa vie surnaturelle dans le Christ, le Christ, votre vie, dit encore l’Apôtre, et le manifester dans toutes ses actions, afin que la vie même de Jésus soit manifestée dans notre chair mortelle. Il s’ensuit que l’éducation chrétienne embrasse la vie humaine sous toutes ses forme : sensible et spirituelle, intellectuelle et morale, individuelle, domestique et sociale, non certes pour la diminuer en quoi que ce soit, mais pour l’élever, la régler, la perfectionner, d’après les exemples et la doctrine du Christ. Le vrai chrétien, fruit de l’éducation chrétienne, est donc l’homme surnaturel qui pense, juge, agit, avec constance et avec esprit de suite, suivant la droite raison éclairée par la lumière surnaturelle des exemples et de la doctrine du Christ : en d’autres termes, c’est un homme de caractère, Ce n’est pas n’importe quelle suite ou fermeté de conduite, basée sur des principes tout subjectifs, qui constitue le caractère, ma la constance à obéir aux principes éternels de la justice. Le poète païen le reconnaît lui-même quand il loue sans les séparer les deux qualités de "l’homme juste et ferme dans sa résolution". C’est d’ailleurs une condition de la pleine justice que de rendre à Dieu ce qui est à Dieu, comme le fait le vrai chrétien. 1. Only such a complete education can guide our children and young people on the way of the happiness for which God has created each of us. With the help of a sound education at home and in school, children know happiness both during the days of their earthly pilgrimage and finally at the eternal destiny of their pilgrimage which is Heaven. It is only such an education which can transform our culture. The family is, of course, the first place of education, but parents depend upon the cooperation of the school in providing for the education of their children. Regarding Christian marriage and the family, and, in particular, the education of children, Pope Saint John Paul, in his 1981 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the family, Familiaris Consortio, declared: “La famille chrétienne, en effet, est la première communauté appellee à announcer l’Évangile à la personne humaine en développement et à conduire cette dernière, par une education et un catéchèse progressives, à sa plein maturité humaine et chrétienne”. Christian education in the family and in the school introduces children and young people, in an ever more profound way, into the Tradition, into the great gift of our life in Christ in the Church handed down to us faithfully, in an unbroken line, through the Apostles and their successors. Education, if it is to be sound, that is, for the good of the individual and society, must be especially attentive to arm itself against the errors of secularism and relativism, lest it fail to communicate to the succeeding generations the truth, beauty and goodness of our life and of our world, as they are expressed in the unchanging teaching of the faith, in its highest expression which is prayer, devotion and divine worship, and in the holiness of life of those who profess the faith and worship God “en esprit et verité”. The Declaration on Christian Education, Gravissimum Educationis, of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, made clear that the primary responsibility for the education of children belongs to parents who rely upon sound schools to assist them in providing any part of the total education of their children which they are not able to impart in the home. The gift of children, one of the essential goods of marriage, includes both the procreation and the education of the child. I quote from Gravissimum Educationis: Les parents, parce qu’ils ont donné la vie à leurs enfants, ont la très grave obligation de les élever et, à ce titre, doivent être reconnus comme leurs premiers et principaux éducateurs. Le rôle éducatif des parents est d’une telle importance que, en cas de défaillance de leur part, il peut difficilement être supplée. C’est aux parents, en effet, de créer une atmosphère familiale, animée pour l’amour et le respect envers Dieu et les hommes, telle qu’elle favorise l’éducation totale, personnelle et sociale, de leurs enfants. La famille est donc la première école des vertus sociales nécessaires à toute société. Mais c’est surtout dans la famille chrétienne, riche des grâces et des exigences du sacrement de mariage, que dès leur plus jeune âge les enfants doivent, conformément à la foi reçue au baptême, apprendre à découvrir Dieu et à l’honorer ainsi qu’à aimer le prochain; …. Certainly, society, in general, and the Church, in a particular way, also have a responsibility for the education of children and young people, but that responsibility must always be exercised with respect for the primary responsibility of parents. Parents, for their part, should be fully engaged in whatever service of education is provided by society and the Church. Children and young people should not be confused or led into error by an education outside of the home which conflicts with the Christian education given in the home. Today, parents must be especially vigilant, for sadly, in some places, schools have become powerful agents of a secular agenda inimical to the Christian life. One thinks, for example, of the compulsory so-called “gender education” in some schools, which is a direct attack on marriage at its foundation and, therefore, on the family. For the sake of our young people, we all must give particular attention to the fundamental expression of our culture which is education. Good parents and good citizens must be attentive to the curriculum which schools are following and to the life in the schools, in order to assure that our children are being formed in the human and Christian virtues and are not being deformed by indoctrination in the confusion and error concerning the most fundamental truths of human life and of the family, which will lead to their slavery to sin and, therefore, to profound personal unhappiness, and to the destruction of culture. Education which takes place first in the home and is enriched and supplemented by schools and, above all, by truly Catholic schools is directed fundamentally to the formation of good citizens and good members of the Church. Ultimately it is directed to the happiness of the individual which is found in right relationships and has its fulfilment in eternal life. It presupposes the objective nature of things to which the human heart is directed, if it is trained to be a “un cœur attentif ”, that is, to follow a correctly formed conscience. It seeks an ever deeper knowledge and love of the true, the good, and the beautiful. It forms the individual to this fundamental pursuit throughout his or her lifetime. 2. May God inspire and strengthen parents and all of us in the work of forming “un cœur attentif ” in our children and young people for their salvation and for the transformation of our culture. In a particular way, may God inspire and strengthen the work of the Brussels International Catholic School, so that, in accord with its nature and purpose as a Catholic school, it may serve well the families who confide in it for the education of their children. Brussels International Catholic School, working together with parents, strives to serve the highest good of the children and young people who receive their primary and secondary education here. Given the fundamental importance of the mission of the School, it is right that we have asked God’s blessing upon its newest building and have consecrated the building to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, recognizing that it is Christ, our Divine Teacher, Who alone brings to full light and perfection the studies we pursue and the skills which we develop at school. Through the blessing and consecration, we place the School totally at the service of Christ and ask that, through the intercession of the Mother of God and our patron saints, He may dwell always in our hearts and that His presence be acknowledged and welcomed in every aspect of the life of Brussels International Catholic School. Thank you for your kind attention. May God bless you and your homes. Raymond Leo Cardinal BURKE 3.