The really sinful aspect to all this is that the insistence on 'modern' teaching techniques for learning to read has blighted the lives of two generations, many of whom are now really unable to write, or use words to express themselves with any clarity. It is hardly their fault, and it is tragic because education and the pursuit of knowledge is a means of liberation, through self-understanding first and foremost, but is also something needed to advance in the world of work. It also has wider implications, in particular for the Church because of the high value she places on the pursuit of human knowledge as a gateway to the wisdom of God, but also because the Gospels requires a facility in the use of words to understand its meaning, and the doctrine derived from its content.

The debacle over teaching techniques for reading is symptomatic of a much greater malaise that effects so many parts of contemporary government, and that is the desire for constant meddling. This meddling stems from a distrust of the individual, whether in his or her personal or working identity, and has now become an end in itself. The new buzzword to describe this phenomenon is the rather sinister word, 'process'. This expression is then mutated into dozens of nouns that have been turned into verbs. It now often becomes a surreal experience to meet officials from a government department who speak a technical language of buzz words and pseudo-concepts about a process that has no beginning or end, and who has no conscious direction.

The good news is that this quiet revolution has begun. State interference in one aspect of teaching has shown itself to have been a lamentable failure. Now the learning revolution needs to spread to other areas of education.

Christian Humanism espouses a love of humanity

Last week marked the 40th Anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council and, to commemorate the occasion, Pope Paul VI's final address has been republished on the Zenit, the news wire service specializing in coverage of the Holy Father, life in the Holy See, and events of interest to the Church. The Pope explained that the guiding religious principle to the documents had been that of charity, and it was in this spirit that the Council had analysed man and the world, both in his greatness and in his wretchedness. The charitable impulse made the Council dwell more on the positive aspects of humanity, and Pope Paul described this method as a 'wave of affection and admiration that flowed from the Council over the modern world of humanity'. This orientated the mission of the Church out from itself and towards the whole world. The aim was to create a coherent 'Christian humanism' that would counteract the secular humanism of the modern age, deifying man and his achievements, and systematically excluding the idea of transcendence. This Christian humanism is God-centred, focused on the God who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, and who sent His Holy Spirit into the world. The Catholic faith is now seen as being made for mankind, because Christ gave 'the most precise and sublime interpretation' of humanity. In the words of St Catherine of Siena, 'In your nature, Eternal God, I shall know my own'.

This love of humanity is the ultimate purpose of the Church's mission and this love becomes the first step to assist man to rediscover the fraternal love of God. The Council, along with Pope Paul VIth, were subsequently criticised for having too naïve view of humanity, failing to grasp the depths of depravity into which the modern world would sink. Perhaps the language of some documents, such as Gaudium et Spes, seem over wedded to the time and to a vision of society that has largely collapsed. However, the perennially valid basic insight is that the missionary and charitable work of the Church must reflect the two dimensions, the divine and the human, that meet perfectly in Jesus Christ.

All charitable work undertaken in the name of the Church by both organised Charities and individual Catholics will always have a universal outlook, but not at the cost of abandoning the divine dimension. The universal ethic derived from the parable of the Good Samaritan is often misinterpreted as permission to abandon religious faith in a desire to help others. Tragically this path has been taken by many Catholic charities working under the umbrella of the Church, and which have replaced faith with procedures, audits and business plans. Some Catholic charities almost seem to possess an antipathy to the faith with a lack of provision for Mass and/or spiritual support, both for their staff and for those whom they serve. The removal of crucifixes, lest they offend members of other faiths, is just one example of a misguided universality. The Samaritan was a man of faith, and shared many of the traditions of the Levites and Priest. His faith formed his charitable impulses, and turned the abstract notion of universal charity into practical help for one particular person.

The insights of the Second Vatican Council have all been too easily dismissed by those who believe its only fruit was a destruction of the liturgy, the collapse of Mass attendance and the watering down of doctrine. However, its message, albeit very old, is the message of Christ Himself, and from which no exceptions are admitted. His message was focused on our humanity as seen through the eyes of God, who is our origin, our protector and our destiny. It is this vision that every Catholic is asked to make his own, and which of course will inform our vocation to serve. The logical conclusion of this way of thinking is a reversal of the statement, 'Where there is charity, there is God', becoming 'Where there is no God, there can be no love'.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church: Providence and Evil ccc 302-314 (pt2)

The question of moral evil and its consequences has been a long-standing objection to believing in the existence of a good God. Any attempt to answer the question must recognise both the reality of evil suffered, and the difficulty of applying human language to God. The goodness of God is not something additional to God, unlike a good novel which one values over and above an indifferent one. The goodness of God is that He exists, and that He creates, sustains and brings the universe to a conclusion. Consequently every person created by God is good in that he or she has life. This life includes the ability to choose right or wrong, and so man can choose to love God freely by choosing the good. God respects our freedom but in so doing permits us to make the wrong choice, and commit acts of evil. These acts are not caused directly by God, because God is all good, but are instead evidence of a failure on the part of humanity, and these failures are real enough.

At the level of natural reason it remains questionable whether the power to do good outweighs the power to do evil. The Christian faith is established on the historical fact that good triumphed over death in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sufferings of Jesus were real enough, and could not be avoided, as poignant scene in the Garden of Gethsemane makes so clear.

The power of God is such that He can bring good out of evil situations as He can create out of nothing. This is seen most clearly in the death and Resurrection of Jesus, when the Father raises the Son from the nothingness of death. This Easter drama is the model for our own lives. The suffering of moral evil is not necessary in human life, but virtually unavoidable in a fallen world. However it is never the last word, and though the Catholic faith cannot insulate one from being a victim of moral evil, faith can begin to see a way through present suffering. Since evil is the complete absence of good it has no part in God, so can never be done in order to achieve a supposed good, which would participate in God's providence. This understanding provides the framework for the Church's teaching of the inviolability of the Ten Commandments.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church: God, maker of heaven and earth CCC325-354

God is the Father almighty, and this power and care is expressed in his creation, both visible and invisible. Since both the material and spiritual worlds are the creation of God they are bound together. They are distinguished by place, but the human person as body and soul simultaneously occupies both realms, though our occupation of the spiritual realm is only partial, and heaven is the place to which every believer must aim to enter.

The spiritual world is the world of God, and His angels. All angels, like humans, have an intellect and will, but unlike us they think and wish eternally without change. The rebel angels fell at the dawn of time, and their choice to depart from God can never be revoked. The holy angels possess one thought which is God's message. They appear in the Bible from the very beginning - St Michael at the gates of Eden; the archangel Gabriel giving the message of salvation to Our Lady; and the angel at the open tomb proclaiming the Good News. The Church teaches, after Jesus' own words, that each of us has our own Guardian Angel who pleads for us in heaven. Traditionally the Church has ascribed different orders to the angels such a Cherubim and Seraphim, etc. The world of the angels reveals the beauty and richness of God's creation, as well as the quality of the relationship that exists between the spiritual and material world.

The Catechism upholds the deeper truth of the Genesis account of creation, that everything owes its existence to God. The goodness of each creature is related to its creation by God, and that goodness is expressed in the orders and laws of the world. The belief in creation implies that there is an interdependence between all creatures, the spiritual foundation of the ecological movement; the beauty of the universe as a result of the harmony between the diversity of nature; and the hierarchy of creatures which was revealed over the six days of creation.

The inner meaning of Creation is revealed in the Sabbath, and the worship of God, the weekly recognition of the goodness of Creator in sharing His life with us.