Preserve Catholic identity of charities, schools: Archbishop Chaput

June 23, 2011

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver underlined the importance of protecting a distinctive Catholic identity as he spoke on June 21 to an audience of Catholic social workers.

“The more that Catholic universities or hospitals mute their religious identity; the more that Catholic social ministries weaken their religious character ... the less useful to the Gospel they become,” the archbishop said in his address to the convention of the Catholic Social Workers. Archbishop Chaput's speech was seen as a major policy statement in light of recent challenges to the Catholic identity of institutions such as hospitals, adoption agencies, and schools. The Denver prelate stressed that by compromising their distinctively Catholic principles, these institutions would be undermining their own value--both as Christian apostolates and as contributors to the common good of society.

 

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Further information:

• Archbishop Chaput warns about Catholic institutions losing religious identity (CNA)
• Renewing the Mission of Catholic Charities Archbishop Chaput on Catholic identity and the future of the Church's social ministry (text via National Catholic Register)