Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Sacred Theology (STD)

Director

Eduardo Fernandez, SJ

Abstract

This dissertation examines Catholic education in Fiji as a vital expression of the Church's mission through the lens ofrelationality-responsibility ethics and Catholic Social Teaching (CST). It argues that Catholic schools function not only as institutions of academic instruction but as communities of moral and spiritual formation that foster social responsibility and communal transformation. Situated within the relational worldview of Fijian culture, particularly the concept of vanua, the study demonstrates how Catholic education can cultivate ethical responsibility, solidarity, and commitment to the common good.

The study first provides a historical overview of Catholic education in Fiji and then develops a theological framework grounded in CST and relational ethics, emphasizing the principles of human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good. Through a relational reading of educational practice and case studies of Catholic schools, the research shows how leadership formation, pastoral care, and community engagement embody these principles in culturally grounded ways.

Finally, the dissertation proposes a Tanoa Transformative Model of Catholic education inspired by the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). Drawing on the symbolism of the tanoa as a space of communal gathering and shared responsibility, the model presents Catholic schools as formative communities of dialogue, ethical discernment, and social engagement. The study concludes that Catholic education in Fiji, when grounded in relational ethics and inculturated within local traditions, can serve as a transformative mission contributing to justice, reconciliation, and the flourishing of both Church and society.

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