Archbishop of Armagh Dr Seán Brady has strongly promoted Catholic education, claiming it "should serve society by forming human individuals who will change society for the better".
Speaking at the launch of a website for the Consultative Group on Catholic Education at St Mary's University College, Belfast, the Catholic primate said education should do more than produce "an educational product" shaped solely by the needs of a consumer economy.
He pointed to a future for Catholic education, claiming it continues to bring a message of hope to the world.
"In an age of moral confusion it offers a clear and unapologetic set of values based on the Gospel," he said. "In an age of celebrity it celebrates the dignity of every person. In an age of social breakdown it seeks the common good of all people and the building-up of community."
Speaking in the same week as Sr Stanislaus Kennedy suggested that the Catholic Church should withdraw from running schools, Dr Brady spoke of an ongoing requirement for church schools to teach.
He referred to Christ's command to "teach all nations", adding that the requirement to educate could not "be seen as an optional extra or as detached from the mission of the church".
"No one approach to education has a monopoly on forming children in the virtues of tolerance, understanding and reconciliation," he said. "All sectors have their part to play. As the Catholic sector we are fully committed to playing our part with others in healing the divisions of our society."
Without making direct reference to Sr Stanislaus, Dr Brady outlined what he saw as an enduring need for the church to involve itself in education.
"We are not afraid to say there is a God and a moral law to which we are all accountable," he said. "We do not abandon children to the 'whatever you think yourself' approach to morality so often associated with a purely secular or state-based education often found in other countries."
He continued: "Our vision of education warns us against creating 'carbon copy people' formed in the values of the contemporary world. We hope to have our pupils grow into a different culture, one of peace, justice, respect, forgiveness, reconciliation, service and non-violence."
Referring specifically to Northern Ireland, where there are 547 Catholic schools teaching some 45 per cent of pupils, the archbishop said Catholic schools had a role to play in the formation of what he called a "new society". He denied the existence of Catholic schools promoted division.
"Our schools have always been active in developing cross-community and international links," he claimed. "They welcome people from all national backgrounds and people from various faith traditions and none.
"Catholic schools are not an obstacle on the road to reconciliation. They make a vital contribution to it while maintaining the right of schools to have their own distinctive character. That right is consistent with the principle of a diverse society. In fact, it is essential to it."
Dr Brady also highlighted the need for parents to teach their children to respect those with legitimate authority in society, saying: "It is time to recover a balance of respect in our society between those who exercise legitimate authority for the common good and the important freedoms of the individual."
He concluded with an appeal for a general acceptance of the right of the church to teach.
Full text of archbishop's address on ireland.com