Tea at Trianon: Joining Faith and Reason in Educating Catholic Children

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Joining Faith and Reason in Educating Catholic Children

From Mater et Magistra:

The teaching of evolution in Catholic education requires a nuanced approach that respects both faith and reason. While some mistakenly view evolution and Catholicism as opposing forces, the Church has historically encouraged scientific inquiry, provided it does not contradict divine revelation. Catholic educators must approach this topic with clarity, ensuring that students understand both the scientific framework and the theological principles underpinning creation.
The importance of defining terms cannot be overstated. Evolution can mean different things: microevolution (small changes within a species), macroevolution (the emergence of new species over time), and philosophical evolutionism (a worldview that excludes God). Catholic educators must distinguish between scientific theories and materialist ideologies. (Read more.)