Church Documents
on Catholic Education
Catholic School Standards Project – NCEA
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This list presents of timeline of major Church documents that are integral to Catholic Education dating from Present – 1965.
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- 2015, USCCB Bishops Response to “Educating Today and Tomorrow: A Renewing Passion”.
- 2015, Educating Today and Tomorrow: A Renewing Passion; Instrumentum Laboris (Working Document) for World Congress on Catholic Education 2015.
- 2013, *The Joy of the Gospel – Evangelii Gaudium; Apostolic Exhortation On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World by Pope Francis.
- 2013, Educating to Intercultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools; Living in Harmony for a Civilization of Love by Congregation for Catholic Education.
- 2011, *YouCat – Catechism of the Catholic Church for Youth.
- 2009, Circular Letter to Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences on Religious Education in Schools.
- 2008, Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age, by the USCCB.
- 2008, Catechetical Formation for Chaste Living, Guidelines for Curriculum Design and Publication, by USCCB.
- 2007, Educating Together in Catholic Schools: A Shared Mission between Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful; Congregation for Catholic Education.
- 2006, Five Essential Marks of Catholic Schools, by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, C.S.B., then Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education.
- 2005, Renewing our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium, by USCCB.
- 2005, *National Directory for Catechesis, by USCCB.
- 2003, Consecrated Persons and their Mission in Schools, by Congregation for Catholic Education.
- 1998, *Fides et Ratio: On the Relationship between Faith and Reason, by Pope Saint John Paul II.
- 1997, General Directory for Catechesis, by Congregation for Clergy.
- 1995, *Evangelium Vitae – The Gospel of life, by Pope Saint John Paul II.
- 1994, *Catechism of the Catholic Church, promulgated by Pope Saint John Paul II, developed by Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
- 1993, *Veritatis Splendor – The Splendor of Truth, by Pope St. John Paul II.
- 1993, *Guide for Catechists, by Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
- 1990, *Redemptoris Missio – On the Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate, by Pope Saint John Paul II.
- 1990, Ex Corde Ecclesiae – On Catholic Universities.
- 1988, The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School: Guidelines for Reflection and Renewal, by Congregation for Catholic Education.
- 1982, Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, by Congregation for Catholic Education.
- 1981, *Familiaris Consortio – The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, by Pope Saint John Paul II.
- 1979, Catechesi Tradendae: On Catechesis in our Time, by Pope Saint John Paul II.
- 1977, The Catholic School, by Congregation for Catholic Education.
- 1975, *Evangelii Nunciandi: On Evangelization in the Modern World, by Pope Paul VI.
- 1972, To Teach as Jesus Did, by NCCB.
- 1965, Declaration on Christian Education – Gravissimum Educationis, by Pope Paul VI.
- 1965, *Gaudium et Spes – Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, by Pope Paul VI.
*Documents with an asterisk are supportive of an understanding of Catholic Identity and the Catholic Mission of the Catholic School, but not directly written about Catholic Education as such.
There are many other documents that could be considered supportive and this list is by no means exhaustive. However, this list does contain the major Church documents that pertain directly to Catholic Schools published since 1965.
The link to the Catholic School Standards project is part of a National Catholic Educational Association initiative to Strengthen Catholic Schools. Their work relies heavily on Church documents related to the Catholic School while creating helpful rubrics for analysis and growth in the Catholic Identity of the Catholic School and the support of a professional organization committed to excellence in Catholic Schools.