Child Focus Education

In 1884 the American Bishops decided to build Catholic schools so that every Catholic child could get a Catholic education.  With that decision two things happened.  One, priests obtained power based upon their skills with money, since they had to build and maintain schools.  Being able to teach adults  was of no importance if you wanted to get promoted.  Second, Catholic education in this country would be child focused.  Catechisms were written with children in mind.  Adult education fell by the wayside.  The Paulist Fathers were and are into adult education.  For most parishes, the only time adults might receive anything was in the yearly parish mission, but often these were dreadful as well. Speculative thinking, searching, questioning, historical study were not good things.  The Catholic church had the truth and would explain it in a way a child could grasp it.  Trouble was it did not speak to college educated adults who embraced secular learning, science, and modern ideas.  It is not that the Catholic church did not have something for such people.  But the treasures were either buried, or ignored, or poorly presented.  Adults had to feed off a faith that a child might understand.  I still see this today in my travels.  Thinking is not much encouraged. Loyalty is the virtue.  If a good book is written to explain the faith, but reveals a lot of history or theology newly presented, bishops were not about to promote it.  If a ten year old might have problems with it then it must not be good.  Look in a Catholic bulletin and see how much adult education, not indoctrination, is offered.