SAN DIEGO (LifeSiteNews) — The Diocese of San Diego, led by pro-LGBT Cardinal Robert McElroy, issued a new policy earlier this month that bars homeschooling groups from using any diocesan parish properties.
The new policy, which took effect September 1, prohibits the use of parish facilities by homeschool, private school, and charter school programs, according to a memo released by the diocese on September 18. The policy comes as the number of children enrolled in homeschooling programs has rapidly increased in the diocese.
The memo states that the restrictions went into effect because the usage of parish facilities by homeschoolers “can undermine the stability of nearby Catholic schools and lead people to think that the Church is approving and advancing particular alternative schools and programs.”
The Diocese of San Diego did not respond to LifeSiteNews’s request for comment as of publication.
McElroy, the ordinary of the diocese, has promoted the idea of female “priests,” defended giving Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians, and allowed numerous pro-LGBT liturgies in the diocese.
According to anonymous sources from the diocese who spoke to The Pillar, what is primarily driving the tension between the diocese and the homeschooling communities is that several have requested to opt out of the standard parish CCD programs and instead conduct their own sacramental instruction.
According to a 2020 diocesan policy, religious education, including sacrament preparation, “cannot be done independently from the diocese,” and homeschooling families must participate in the parish’s sacramental prep activities such as retreats.
However, a spokesperson for Catholic Homeschoolers of San Diego told LifeSiteNews that they don’t think the new policy has anything to do with CCD program disputes, emphasizing that that same policy allows homeschooling parents to offer their own sacramental instruction so long as they receive approval from their pastor.
“This new policy is far more about the Diocese clumsily trying to prevent independent schools from operating and about them not understanding homeschooling and how it works – they seem to think all homeschool groups are basically schools, and if they don’t have classroom space at parishes, the ‘home school programs’ will fold, and those students will end up in Catholic schools. Obviously, this is not how it actually works,” the spokesperson said.
The diocese may be concerned about the dramatic growth in homeschooling in both San Diego and the state of California. In California, homeschooling enrollment increased by a whopping 78 percent between 2017 and 2023, according to The Washington Post. Enrollment has grown even faster in the San Diego Unified School District, where homeschooling has shot up nearly 130 percent since 2017.
While Catholic homeschool programs in San Diego are no longer allowed to use parish school properties, the diocese’s policy memo indicates that non-Catholic educational programs can rent space in the parish schools.
“If a parish has a closed school building which is creating economic hardship, rental of the school to a non-Catholic educational program or school will be considered on a case-by-case basis with approval by the Bishop, always emphasizing that there are no conflicts in its mission with Catholic doctrine and that such a rental will not harm neighboring Catholic schools,” the memo states.
One San Diego homeschooling group with around 40 enrolled students is currently holding its weekly co-op enrichment classes at a family residence. Others are still meeting at parishes while pastors and administrators await clarification from the diocese on when they will no longer be able to use parish spaces.
“Eventually, these co-ops will be exited from parish properties,” a San Diego priest wrote to homeschooling families, according to a memo obtained by The Pillar.