17 September 2010: The Catholic bishops of England and Wales must obey Pope Benedict’s words this morning that teaching in Catholic schools “must always be in conformity with Church teaching”, says pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). Pope Benedict made his statement this morning at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, London.
John Smeaton, SPUC director commented: “The Catholic bishops’ conference of England and Wales has signally failed to ensure that teaching in Catholic schools is in conformity with Catholic Church teaching, including on the sanctity of human life. The Catholic Education Service (CES) of England and Wales welcomed and helped draft government guidelines on sex education under the previous government, guidelines which were diametrically opposed to Catholic teaching on abortion and sexual ethics. [see note 1 below]. The CES recently appointed Greg Pope as its deputy director, a former Labour MP with a lengthy anti-life/anti-family record. [note 2] It also seems that Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster and former CES chairman, goes along with prevailing unCatholic ideas on sex and relationships education. [note 3] “The papal visit should be the occasion when the bishops start obeying Pope Benedict’s teaching through a root-and-branch reform of the Catholic Education Service (CES). The bishops must also conduct a thorough review of the content of teaching in all the Catholic schools in their dioceses, ensuring that such teaching is in perfect conformity with Vatican documents on sex education [note 4]", concluded Mr Smeaton. SPUC endorses comments made this morning on Sky TV by Fr Thomas Williams, professor of theology and ethics in Rome, who said: “It’s not for 50 protestors to tell parents how to educate their children. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and have a right to educate their children according to their values and to ensure that external education corresponds with that upbringing. It’s not for others [than parents] to indoctrinate children with [different] values.” Notes:
1) SPUC director’s blog, 10 February 2010 http://bit.ly/b5azgu Bishop Malcolm McMahon, the current CES chairman, told Pope Benedict today at Twickenham that the Catholic Church in England and Wales “value[s] very much” its “unique relationship with our government”. http://bit.ly/9laS6v
2) SPUC director’s blog, 22 April 2010 http://bit.ly/9nccnH
3) SPUC director’s blog, 21 April 2010 http://bit.ly/dtKnBy
4) In particular “The truth and meaning of human sexuality: guidelines for education within the family”, Pontifical Council for the Family, 1995. http://bit.ly/5Cheg1 |
