Especially in our own time — when it is not so much the Catholic Faith itself as the
moral and social teachings derived from that faith that are under attack — we need to
prepare Catholics for engagement in the world by providing them with effective apologetics,
derived from a sound Christian anthropology, on the critical social and moral
issues of the day.
“The Catholic Educator’s Resource Center is an initiative which is enthusiastically supported by the Archdiocese
of Vancouver. Your support for this venture is a way of promoting the “new evangelization” for which the
Holy Father so often prays.”
Most Reverend Adam Exner, OMI
Archbishop of Vancouver, B.C.
Mr. Fraser Field and his colleagues have assembled an outstanding website that makes available a broad range
of valuable resources which are loyal to Catholic teaching and up to date in every way. I encourage you to give
serious attention to CERC’s appeal. Your generosity will yield a great harvest in the generations to come.”
Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Denver, CO
the facts in context
the Church in the world
the Faith in education
the latest, the best, the brightest
from outstanding writers, authors and journalists around the globe.
What’s The Problem
“Christianity seems to be the Great Projection.
Whatever evil we imagine running rampant
amongst ourselves, and especially our ancestors,
it is Christianity – not greed or lust or pride –
that is to blame. The natural man, unfettered,
is always good. It’s that blasted Christ with
his message of peace, love, humility, etc., that
caused the battles of the past 2,000 years.”
Elizabeth Nickson, National Post, Feb. 23, 2002
• Many thoughtful people in the United States and Canada are alarmed at a growing
effort in diverse educational and cultural circles to paint Christianity as a blot on
human existence.
• Whether it’s CBC’s Michael Enright declaring the Catholic Church to be “the
greatest criminal organization outside the Mafia,” or billboards going up around
Washington and Toronto telling us “Because the bishops ban condoms, innocent
people die,” false and misleading information about the history and teachings of
the Catholic Church have become standard fare in the United States and Canada today.
• That such indictments go largely unchallenged is surprising, especially in view of the
fact that their particulars are almost always either plainly false or so stripped of context
as to be purposefully misleading. But in the face of such attacks on their faith — their
Church — most Catholics have been at a loss to know what to think, let alone what
to say. As a rule, Catholics simply haven't had the facts or the arguments they need to
challenge the misinformation.
• Simultaneously, in the public schools the important — indeed central — role Christianity
has played in history and culture has been cut from the textbooks. The rich
traditions of the Church and the remarkable moral, cultural, and intellectual contributions
it has made to the betterment of mankind are today unknown — and as a
consequence uncelebrated.
• Even Catholic schools have been affected. Outside the subject of religion, Catholic
schools in the United States and Canada have come to rely almost exclusively on
public school resources, resources which ignore the positive role Christianity has
played in history and culture.
What’s Our Next Step
initiative, with your prayers and with your financial contribution.
J. Fraser Field
Executive Officer
Catholic Educator's Resource Center
3284 Hernando Avenue
Powell River, B.C.
V8A 1B8
Phone: 604-485-0561
Fax: 604-485-0562
