The saga of our Muslim brethren suing the People called Methodist, specifically, Wesley Girls School, reminds me of the aftermath of the demise of my late Dad when one of my aunts raised a question if, by way of sharing my old man’s estate, she could be given a half plot of the land on which stood my elder brother’s Church!
My illiterate mom’s response answers this issue perfectly well when she threw a question to my aunt, if she had ever seen a Protestant Pastor building and living on the Church compound of a Catholic Church, on which stood the Church building before?!
Since mission appreciates deeply, religious tolerance does not guarantee a politically or other religiously motivated action that runs counter to the core values, principles, and motives for which such missionary schools were established.
The truth about the matter is, government schools and later on policies came to meet the mission schools.
Even though, is an undisputable fact that, every human person has the right to go to the court and seek justice, but let’s not forget that, despite the directives of the Ministry of Education and the memorandum of understanding, the Church in her religious matters is self-sufficient and autonomous and the administration of her schools doesn’t depend mainly on the secular powers. It only respects and coordinates out of mutual respect between the State and the Church.
Following the argument, despite the Computerized Placement System, no parent is forced to attend one school or the other. Once the parents accepts the admission letter from the school, deposits the fees and report on the day of opening having given orientation and the Code of Conduct of the school, the parents, be it biological or surrogate, has given his or her consent, taking cognisance of the kind of school it is(be it mission or private or) government), the discipline, the itinerary of programme to follow and the core purpose for its very establishment.
So, once a new student enters the school, he is obliged to follow the rules religiously and not impose his or her own.
As you and I may know, the establishment of the mission schools is an extension of the Church’s work of evangelisation, and so, every mission school is very particular about the mission’s clear identity, principles, teachings, and beliefs.
So, the authority allowing a Church building in a Muslim school would be contradictory in principle, fundamentals, and core mission. Likewise, Muslim students are doing the same in a mission school.
Normally, after attending the Church’s Sunday or weekday Church Services, an appropriate place or classroom is allotted to them to pray as believers from different religious sects, which shows a clear appreciation of religious tolerance and fraternal respect, faith-wise!
If one wanted to push it further, did the Christian parents not know that the Ahmadiyah School is for Muslims?
So, if he was not ready to follow the Islamic rules, why gain admission there in the first place?
By the Church’s law, Catholic schools in the strictest sense are not for non-Catholics per se but Catholics, since the Church’s law obliges Catholic parents to enroll their children in Catholic schools. And the motive for this law is to ensure the ongoing Catholic or Christian formation holistically by forming both the mind and hearts as Catholic principles dictate.
We acknowledge the fact that, despite the different religious backgrounds, we are all brethren and some if not all the mission schools are government assisted and there is a memorandum of understanding between the Church and the State in the running of the mission schools, let us adhere to the core values and principles for which they were established and know the limit of each party knowing very well that, where one man’s ends, another man’s freedom begins says Jean Jaque Rousseau, the French Philosopher.
By: Rev. Fr. Albert K. Danso
Chaplain of the Ghanaian Catholic Community Church, Italy, and
Student of Church or Canon Law.
