The article from EWTN News (April 9, 2026) reports that Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze of Dhaka opposes the Bangladeshi government’s proposal to introduce online classes amid an energy crisis, citing concerns over moral formation and educational quality. While the archbishop’s stance appears to defend Catholic education, a deeper analysis reveals a troubling accommodation to secular frameworks and a failure to articulate the full supernatural mission of Catholic schooling.
The Archbishop’s Pragmatic Concerns: A Missed Opportunity for Catholic Principle
Archbishop D’Cruze’s objections to online classes focus primarily on practical and psychological grounds: “we focus on morals, values, and good character” and worries about “where this system will take our students.” These concerns, while valid, remain trapped within a naturalistic framework. The archbishop fails to invoke the supernatural purpose of Catholic education: the salvation of souls and the formation of Christ-like virtues through grace. Instead, he adopts the language of secular educators concerned with “learning gaps” and “screen addiction.”
This reflects the post-conciliar shift toward viewing Catholic institutions as mere providers of “values-based” education rather than as extensions of the Church’s divine mission to sanctify souls. As Pope Pius XI emphasized in *Divini Illius Magistri*, Catholic education must be permeated by the supernatural spirit, with religion as the foundation of all instruction. The archbishop’s silence on this supernatural dimension reveals the extent to which even opposition to secular encroachment has been reduced to managerial concerns.
The COVID Precedent: Unlearned Lessons
The article notes that “the experience of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed serious limits, especially for students’ academic and moral formation.” This admission is damning. The pandemic was a divine chastisement, yet the Church’s response was not repentance but technological adaptation. Catholic schools embraced online platforms without questioning whether such measures fostered or hindered the spiritual lives of students.
The student Sonnet Gomes recounts: “When we had online classes during corona, it was not good for us.” Yet the proposed solution is not a return to normalcy but a permanent acceptance of crisis-driven pedagogy. The mother Priyanka Gomes identifies the real danger: “children stay on their phones all day. They play games, use social media, and become addicted.” This is not merely a pedagogical issue but a spiritual one—digital devices have become instruments of temptation, yet the Church’s response is to negotiate with the government rather than condemn the culture of sin that enables such addiction.
The Government’s Opportunism: Crisis as Cover for Secularization
The Bangladeshi government’s proposal is framed as a temporary measure, but its rhetoric reveals a deeper agenda. Education Minister A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milon declares: “Various crises in world history have opened new possibilities… Education must continue in new ways. We should not see everything as a threat. We can also see opportunities.” This is the language of progressivism—crises are not occasions for repentance but for innovation and centralization.
The government’s consideration of a “hybrid system” in selected institutions, including elite secular schools, suggests that Catholic schools are being drawn into a broader project of educational standardization. The Church’s opposition, while commendable in intent, fails to recognize that cooperation with such systems inevitably leads to compromise. As Pope Leo XIII warned in *Immortale Dei*, the Church cannot submit her educational mission to the control of the state, even when the state appears to offer concessions.
The Financial Burden on Catholic Families
Priyanka Gomes highlights a critical issue: “During corona, I was forced to buy my son a smartphone.” The shift to online education imposes financial burdens on low-income families, many of whom are Catholic. This is not merely an economic injustice but a spiritual one—families are forced to purchase instruments of potential sin to comply with educational mandates.
The Church’s response should be to provide alternatives, not merely to protest. Catholic schools could offer subsidized devices with parental controls or establish community learning centers where students can access online resources under supervision. Instead, the archbishop’s remarks remain at the level of complaint, lacking the prophetic boldness demanded by the times.
The Absence of Supernatural Solutions
Throughout the article, there is no mention of prayer, penance, or trust in Divine Providence as responses to the energy crisis. The Church’s leadership operates within a purely naturalistic framework, negotiating with the government rather than calling the faithful to supernatural remedies. This is the hallmark of the post-conciliar Church—a Church that has lost confidence in the power of prayer and the intercession of the saints.
The energy crisis, like all crises, is a call to conversion. Instead of seeking technological fixes, the Church should be urging the faithful to pray for God’s mercy, to practice penance, and to trust in His Providence. The failure to do so reveals a leadership that has imbibed the spirit of the world rather than the spirit of Christ.
Conclusion: A Call to Return to Catholic Principle
The archbishop’s opposition to online classes is a rare instance of resistance to secular encroachment, but it falls far short of what the times demand. The Church must not merely protest bad policies but proclaim the full truth of Catholic education: that it exists for the salvation of souls, that it must be free from state control, and that it must be grounded in the supernatural life of grace.
The energy crisis is an opportunity for the Church to witness to the world that her trust is in God, not in technology or government programs. Until Catholic leaders embrace this supernatural perspective, their resistance will remain half-hearted and ineffective, accommodating the very systems they claim to oppose.
Source:
Amid Bangladesh energy crisis, Catholics oppose online classes proposal (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 09.04.2026