“If family education regains its prominence, many things will change for the better. It’s time for fathers and mothers to return from their exile – they have exiled themselves from educating their children – and slowly reassume their educative role,”
Pope Francis, Rome, May 20, 2015
On May 20, 2015 in St. Peter’s Square, Rome, Pope Francis spoke of the essential role parents play in educating their children. He gave harsh criticism to the “intellectual critics”, so-called experts, that he said have “silenced” parents claiming to be defending younger generations from real or imagined harm. Pope Francis lamented how schools now are often more influential than families in shaping the thinking and values of children.
“In our days the educational partnership is in crisis. It’s broken,” said Pope Francis. “On one part there are tensions and distrust between parents and educators; on the other part, there are more and more ‘experts’ who pretend to occupy the role of parents, who are relegated to second place,” he said.
Furthermore, Pope Saint John Paul II gives us a practical suggestion for protecting our children: Teach them the Truth so they can recognize Error when they hear it from a “trusted authority.”
“Error makes its way because truth is not taught. We must teach the truth whenever we see something which is against the truth. We must teach truth, repeat it, not attacking the ones who teach errors because that would never end – they are so numerous. We have to teach the truth.”
Pope Saint John Paul II, as reported by Canadian Cardinal Édouard Gagnon
“Truth has a grace attached to it. Anytime we speak the truth, we conform to what Christ teaches and what is being taught us by the Church. Every time we stand up for the truth, there is an internal grace of God that accompanies that truth. The truth may not immediately enter in the mind and heart of those to whom we talk, but the grace of God is there and at the time they need it, God will open their heart and they will accept it. He said, error does not have grace accompanying it.”
Pope Saint John Paul II, as reported by Canadian Cardinal Édouard Gagnon
God Trusted You with that Child, Trust Yourself!
This fight has been long in coming. For several decades school systems have usurped the authority of parents under the guise of Family Life Education. If it is family life education, the education belongs in the family.
God has been banished from the Public Schools. There is not Truth without God. The best schools can teach, is half-truths. A half-truth is a Lie. Parents are often unaware of the insidiousness of the “half-truth”, Lie. It is up to every parent to assure that children are well versed in the Truth and can recognize the Lie.
This website exists as a tool for parents who wish to reassert the authority over their children, given to them by God. It will include
- Truths of the Faith given to us by Jesus Christ and the Holy, Catholic Church that can help inoculate children from the harm of Error;
- Information, context and analysis on what is being taught in Fairfax Public Schools (and across the country) so that parents can be prepared and respond as appropriate;
- Practical Strategies to shield and protect children from harm from well-meaning, but erroneously harmful information pervasive in schools and the wider culture.
- Connect parents with other parents for practical support and organized responses when appropriate and necessary.
Most importantly, Parents Out of Exile will use its most powerful weapon to protect our children: prayer.
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