Archive for category: Commentary

In a new document released October 22, the Vatican warned of the “crisis in the transmission of the Faith” from one generation to the next. This is the crisis that underlies all of the work of The Cardinal Newman Society — and, in our view, the crisis at the root of so many problems in the Church and society — so we’re excited to see the Vatican turning attention to it.

Published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Venite ad me (Come to Me), points to “an advanced stage of secularization, which has led to a significant crisis in the practice of Christianity within the home.”

The document also notes how large numbers of young people are drifting from the faith after receiving sacramental formation or attending Catholic schools where the catechesis struggles “to foster a solid and lasting personal encounter with Christ.”

We’ve heard many heartbreaking stories from parents and grandparents attesting to this tragic reality.

In 2007, after Pope Benedict XVI declared an “educational emergency” in the Church, we launched The Newman Guide. Since then, we’ve seen great success in forming young souls for Christ from faithful Newman Guide Recommended education—the great hope for renewal in the Church today.

One of the cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this term involves a Washington State law requiring that when a minor goes to a youth shelter, the parents must be notified, except when it involves a child’s gender “transition.” In such cases, the notification is sent, not to the parents, but to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to support the child’s “transition” — and only later to the parents.

This is a terrible law that violates parental rights and has implications for Catholic education. Pope Saint John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio (The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World), defined parents as the primary educators of their children, while the Church and state play a supporting role (F.C. 40). He later writes that “the State cannot and must not take away from families the functions that they can just as well perform on their own or in free associations; instead it must positively favor and encourage as far as possible responsible initiative by families” (F.C. 45).

The saintly Holy Father’s words are exactly the opposite of the Washington State law, which says the state knows better and need not notify the parents when their child is in need. A federal district court said that the parents do not have “standing,” meaning that the threat of removing their children from their home without due process is not an immediate enough concern for the parents to file suit. The Supreme Court hears oral arguments in International Partners for Ethical Care v. Ferguson on December 7, 2026. Let us pray the Court prioritizes the family over ideology.

Hey, the Archdiocese of Denver really likes us! Right back at you, Denver. In the Denver Catholic, Associate Superintendent Michael Edghill says Denver’s partnership with The Cardinal Newman Society “is very exciting for us and a tremendous validation of the work that we have been doing with our Mission Fidelity Assessment process.” I’m so proud of our team, who carefully reviewed Denver Catholic school policies and found that they meet our Newman Guide standards. Now schools in the Archdiocese can undergo a streamlined process toward Newman Guide Recommendation and/or accreditation with our NAPCIS accrediting program. Outstanding!