The principles implied in the shibboleth, "Free Education for all," which have been gaining ground in modern times, under the influence of Liberalism and Socialism, are full of danger to the interests of family life, especially where the free education is to be given at the public expense in State schools. The danger becomes greater when the State or the municipal authority supplies books, stationery, and medical attendance, and sometimes even free meals, to the children.

This system, suggesting as it does that the children belong to the State rather than to the parents, tends to withdraw both teachers and children from the parents' control. Besides, parents do not, under a system of the kind, take the same interest in the child's education as they do when they themselves defray at least some portion of the expenses. Hence it seems most desirable, in the best interests of both child and parent, that the latter should in all cases pay directly [italics in original] at least a small portion, and, where possible, even a considerable portion of the educational expenses.

E. Cahill, S.J.
Parents and Children--Education | "Free Education for All"
Chapter XX in The Framework of a Christian State
Republished by Roman Catholic Books, Fort Collins, CO
Originally published in 1932

Catholics who have endorsed liberating schools from political influence

Articles

Cyberschools - the rest of the story by Robin Bernhoft, MD

Education and charity begin at home by Thomas A. Droleskey

Killing off the Catholic Church by Father Vincent Fitzpatrick

Satan has no brakes by Marshall Fritz and E. Ray Moore, Jr.

Homeschooling comes of age in U.S. Zenit.org

Calvinism lite: Fresno man seeks separation of school and government

A special endorsement

Catholics who have endorsed liberating schools from political influence

One bishop

Most Reverend Matthias Ssekamaanya

Bishop of Lugazi, Uganda

Fifty one priests

Fr Ramon Adair Sturtze, O.C.D.

Hospice founder, Parroquia San Mandelt, Guatemala

Fr Dr Rogelio Alcántara Mendoza

Director de la Comisión de Pastoral Educativa, de la Arquidiócesis de México

Fr Joseph Balker

Retired, Fresno, CA

Fr Hugh Barbour, O. Praem.

Prior, St Michael's Abbey, Silverado, CA

Fr Constantine Paul Belisarius

History and English teacher, Front Royal, VA

Fr John M Beers

Washington, DC

Fr Robert Billett

Vocation Director, Claretian Missionaries, Los Angeles, CA

Msgr John B Brady

Pastor, Holy Angels Church, MD

Fr James Buckley, F.S.S.P

Professor of Spirituality, Our Lady of Guadelupe Academy, Elmhurst, PA

Fr Francis Canavan, S.J.

Professor of Political Science, Fordham University

Fr Jairo Candimil

Director of Education, Archdiocese of Cali, Colombia

Fr Raymond Dunn, S.J.

Former high school and college teacher, Palo Alto, CA

Fr Luke Dyjak, O.F.M. R.I.P.

San Pedro, CA

Fr Herbert Elmlinger R.I.P

Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Fresno, Fresno, CA

Fr Dennis Evenson

Pastor, Annunciation Parish, Northfield, MN

Fr J. Vincent Fitzpatrick

Newman Center, Grand Forks, ND

Fr Charles Fiore

Lodi, WI

Fr Joseph Ganssle, O.F.M.

Principal, Our Lady of the Rosary Academy, Denver, CO

Fr James Garceau

Los Angeles, CA

Fr Daniel Gorham

Greek Orthodox priest, Lake Worth, FL

Fr John A Hardon, S.J. R.I.P.

Author, The Catholic Catechism, Detroit, MI

Fr Franz Jordan

Parish priest (ret), Racine, WI

Fr Eugene Keane

Pastor, St Augustine's, Highland, NY

Fr Sebastian Kolodziejczyk

Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II orphanage, Lurin, Peru

Fr Maria LaFitte

Rome, Italy

Fr William J.P. Langan

USMC chaplain (ret), Friendsville, PA

Fr George Larin

Russian Orthodox archpriest, Nyack, NY

Fr Donald R Lavelle

Director, St Anthony Mary Claret Center, Compton, CA

Fr Eugene Leonard

Spartenburg, SC

Fr Michael Lyons

Pastor, St John Bosco, Vanderbilt, TX

Fr Simeon Marro

Bolivar, PA

Fr Paul Marx, O.S.B.

Founder, Human Life International, Front Royal, VA

Fr Joseph Menker

St Paul, MN

Fr Robert Pearson

Sons of Mary (ret), West Long Branch, NJ

Fr Roberto Pirrone

Associate Pastor, St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Maywood, CA

Fr Augustine Puchner, O. Praem.

St Michael's Abbey, Silverado, CA

Fr Theodore Reznowski

Former parish priest, now on sabbatical, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Fr Angelo Roncero

Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Guatemala

Msgr Richard Schuler

Pastor, St Agnes, St Paul, MN

Fr Frederick Simunich

Phoenix, AZ

Fr Richard Smith

St Brigid's Catholic Church, Hanford, CA

Fr Michael Steber

Pastor, St Rose Catholic Church, Channing, MI

Fr Hubert S Szanto, O. Praem.

Principal emeritus, St Michael's Prep., Silverado, CA

Fr Egler Tarimoza

Orphanage for brain damaged boys, La Victoria, Venezuela

Fr George Twigg-Porter, S.J.

USF, San Francisco, CA

Fr Norbert Verhagen

Maryknoll (ret), Los Gatos, CA

Msgr Joseph M Wadowicz

Captain, CHC, USNR (ret), Laguna Hills, CA

Fr Paul Wicker

Pastor, Holy Apostles, Colorado Springs, CO

Fr Jerome Wilson

Former VP-Business, University of Notre Dame

Fr Michael J. Winn

Pastor, Holy Family Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Fr Walter Wittemann

Semi-retired, Surfside Beach, SC

Four brothers

Bro Paul Akagan, O.P.

Missionary, St Dominic Priory, Yaba, Lagos

Bro Paul Goeltz, S.M.

Director, A H Meadows Center, St Mary's University, San Antonio, TX

Bro Francis Mary Kalvelage, F.I.

New Bedford, MA

Bro Augustine Kelly, O.F.M.-Conv

Habit and ecclesiastical-vesture maker, Libertyville, IL

Twelve nuns and consecrated virgins

Marianne Alpha, C.V.

Headmaster, Holy Rosary Academy, Anchorage, AK

Sr Mary Catherine

Catholic elementary teacher (35 years-ret), St Paul, MN

Sr Patricia Crowley

Former elementary teacher, Los Angeles, CA

Sr Connie Driscoll

Founder of St Martin de Porres House of Hope, Chicago, IL

Sr Nhur Juque

Missionaries of Nazareth, Caracas, Venezuela

Sr Leonece, M.C.

Orphanage for brain damaged children, Catia la mar, Venezuela

Sr Maria Luz Martinez

Superior General, Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Madrid, Spain

Sr Mary John Morriss

Beaverton, OR

Sr Maria Eva Parra Restrepo

Franciscan finance director for Colombia

Sr Encarnacion Saiz

Teacher, Missionaries of Nazareth, Caracas, Venezuela

Sr Eliza Santos

Santa Cruz, CA

Sr Susanna, M.C.

Orphanage for brain damaged children, Catia la mar, Venezuela

Many lay leaders

Nora Bennis

Leader, Ireland Christian Party, Limerick Ireland

John Blewett

Board Member, Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, CA

Alex Chafuen

President, Atlas Foundation, Dunn Loring, VA

Gregory Clovis

Director of Human Life International-U.K., London, England

Dean Clancy

Policy Analyst to House Majority Leader Dick Armey, Washington, DC

Douglas Dewey

Director, Children's Scholarship Fund, NY

Thomas A. Droleskey, Ph.D.

Publisher, Christ or Chaos

Dan Engler

Pro-life volunteer, copywriter, Santa Barbara, CA

Michael Engler

Pro-life volunteer, copywriter, Santa Barbara, CA

John Finn

Early organizer of U.S. pro-life movement, Redondo Beach, CA

Marshall Fritz

Director, Alliance for the Separation of School & State, Fresno, CA

Thomas Furtado

Director of Admissions, Seton Home School, Front Royal, VA

Fran Griffin

Prioress, Immaculate Conception Chapter, Third Order of Preachers, Vienna, VA

Kimberly Hahn

Homeschooling mother, Catholic apologist, Steubenville, OH

Ed Hurlbutt

President, Fresno Right to Life, Fresno, CA

Jim and Tina Johnston

Board of Acton Institute, Red Cross Emergency Specialist, Wilmette, IL

George Kendall

Catholic freelance writer, publisher & philosopher, Grand Marais, MI

William K Kilpatrick

Professor, Boston College Author, Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong

Philip Lawler

Editor, Catholic World Report, Boston, MA

Tim Leonard

1998 US Taxpayers Party Candidate for Gov. of Colorado, Kittridge, CO

Leonard Liggio

Atlas Foundation, Fairfax, VA

Robert Marlowe

President, Council for Educational Freedom, Upper Marlboro, MD

William H Marshner

Professor of Theology, Christendom College, Front Royal, VA

Margaret E Mathers

Former director of Catholic Charities, Farmington, NM

Kevin McCready

Director, San Joaquin Psychotherapy Center, Clovis, CA

Tom Monaghan

Founder, Domino's Pizza

Steven W Mosher

Population Research Institute, Fairfax, VA

CE Newbury

Prolife leader, Johannesburg, South Africa

Carl Pherson

Professor of Ag Economics, California State University at Fresno, Fresno, CA

John Pisciotta

Professor of Economics, Baylor University, Waco, TX

James Prusa

The Joseph Foundation

Charles E Rice

Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, IN

Llewellyn H Rockwell, Jr

Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn, AL

Michal Semin

Civic Institute, Prague

Mark Shea

Catholic apologist, author, speaker, and blogger

Joseph Sobran

Editor, Sobran's, Burke, VA

Charles Solis

REACH Family Institute, Ashland, OR

Angela Stadler

Director of Human Life International-Austria, Vienna, Austria

Robert Teegarden

CA Catholic Conference, Sacramento, CA

Tim Tillman

Property manager, Diocese of Fresno, Clovis, CA

Jeffrey Tucker

Director of Research, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn AL

Christine Vollmer

President, Provive, Caracas, Venezuela

Gary Walterscheid

Pro-life volunteer, advertising copywriter, Visalia, CA

A special endorsement

"As C. S. Lewis remarked, the modern world keeps trying to make religion a purely private matter while constantly reducing the areas of privacy that are left to us. If we treasure our liberty, we must keep the minds of our children free of the power of the state.

"Nobody is fighting for this cause more thoughtfully or vigorously than the Alliance for the Separation of School & State, whose goal is to make education completely and inviolably private.

"Its founder and leader is Marshall Fritz, one of the most amazing men you'll ever meet ? a huge man who combines the mind of a philosopher, the humor of a comedian, the piety of a monk, and the energy of my grandchildren. I don't mean to heap hyperbolic praise on Marshall; the most important thing about him is that he simply understands what the battle is all about. It's not just about imparting computer skills and raising test scores; it's finally about making sure that children learn about Christ. That's exactly what public education is now designed to prevent."

Joseph Sobran in "Washington Watch,"
The Wanderer, February 13, 1997

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