TORONTO – Italian Catholics are, in the main, among the most observant of the religious rites and rituals of the Christian [Catholic] faith. They form the cultural bases of their social juridical organization. Many of the religious tenets call for thought and behaviour that promotes human dignity, responsibility and cohesion. A Catechism – guidebook – provides a pathway for “moral behaviour” for its adherents (the faithful). 

These “rules” do not change merely because some choose not to be observant. There are no temporal penalties for holding different views from those accepted by the congregation of “believers”. Non observers are merely not part of the collective. In a democratic society, they cede rights to participate in any decision-making process reserved Constitutionally for Catholics.

It is a concept that some Catholic trustees and administrative staff find difficult – or inconvenient – to grasp. Former Premier Kathleen Wynne, not a Catholic, supported Catholic schools but thought “their days might be numbered”.

Today, given that circa 23% of Canada’s population self-identifies as Catholic – by far the most numerous of religious or areligious group of Canadians in absolute numbers or percentages – her prediction could only be realized if Catholicphobics continue their uncontested hate campaigns. Or if Catholic administrators manifest cavalier disregard for their administrative and fiscal obligations.

Take for example the case of the demolitions of an elementary school, regina Mundi E.S. in the Dufferin-Lawrence area. Before the end of this week, the school and an adjacent convent will be nothing but rubble.

In an elaborate financing arrangement, the Toronto Catholic School Board paid about $ 22 million to acquire the convent for its long term “objectives” in 2015. They had also received some $ 12 million from the Ministry of Education to “upgrade” the elementary school. The project “went south”, as the saying goes, and any construction project associated with “land swaps” and cash outlays were “put on hold”. Until last February when the TCDSB asked for and received a demolition permit to level the two buildings.

As of last week, the Planning Department for the City of Toronto had not yet received an acceptable application for construction. It may not be any time soon. Since the collapse of that ill-fated project, its financial position has gone from a $100 million surplus to a $58 million structural deficit.

Worse (if that is possible), in that period, the student population of the TCDSB has dropped by just under 8% from 89, 923 to 83,026. The TCDSB’s ”go broke for woke” policies are unlikely to attract replacement numbers from disaffected parents in the public school system who are fed up with woke, counter-culture ideology in coterminous or nearby boards of education.

 So why go through the expense of demolition? Hold on: we need to provide parking spaces for the teachers and day-care instructors at the converted high school, now Regina Mundi E.S.

For this we need a Catholic School system? 

In the pics below, the demolition (photos: Corriere Canadese)