The Today piece was bizarre. Rabbi Romain was complaining that the reference to the school's religious character was unacceptable. Ed Balls was cast as the enemy, defending the rights of faith schools while insisting that he was not transgressing against secularist orthodoxy because Catholic schools will still be required to give information about contraception and abortion. (See also Richard Marsden's excellent summary with quotations from the programme.) Nobody was there to point out that Catholic schools cannot give information about how to access the local abortion clinic since this would be formal co-operation in a grave evil.
As Damian Thompson reports, everyone official on the Catholic side was conveniently unavailable. If you think that it is OK for a Catholic school to give information about abortion services, I suppose you might as well let Ed Balls give the reassurances rather than allow yourself to be quoted on the subject.
Earlier this month, Pope Benedict said to the bishops of England and Wales:
I urge you as Pastors to ensure that the Church’s moral teaching be always presented in its entirety and convincingly defended. Fidelity to the Gospel in no way restricts the freedom of others – on the contrary, it serves their freedom by offering them the truth.So would it be too much to ask for a clear statement that Catholic schools may not refer pupils to "services" that will kill unborn babies?
22 comments:
Well Father, evidently there will be no such clear statement tonight, following the vote 386 to 41 in the House (How many Catholic MPs are there? 64 or so, isn't it?).
No doubt some MPs will have fallen lazily for the smokescreen amendment, and assumed that this offered the sought-after protection for faith schools.
This smokescreen, apparently with the connivance of the CES, was an artifice which successfully captured media attention in the last few days, allowing the anti-faith lobby to dominate the agenda as the "injured party" and thus to ensure that no serious discussion of orthodox Catholic views could be heard.
The Catholic Education Service has a statement on its website, but not exactly what we need:
"The governing bodies and head teachers of Voluntary Aided schools are required to conduct their schools in accordance with their Instrument of Government and the Trust Deed under which they operate. The provisions of the amendment will enable schools with a religious character to fulfil these requirements in the teaching of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education, which includes Sex and Relationships Education (SRE).
The teaching of all aspects of the curriculum in Catholic schools reflects their religious ethos. In the same way, the SRE in Catholic schools will be rooted in the Catholic Church’s teaching of the profound respect for the dignity of all human persons."
The CES does not explain how Catholic schools can teach profound respect for the dignity of the embryo, while ensuring that pupils can access abortifacient pills conveniently.
Tonight's Telegraph Education blog reports the Schools Minister Vernon Coaker as saying today that faith schools would not be able to opt out of any element of compulsory PSHE, including sex and relationship education.
Schools with a religious character, like all others, would be required to deliver PSHE in a way that was "compliant with the principles set out in the Bill", he said.
Mr Coaker added: "There is nothing in the Bill that diminishes these principles or lessens their impact on faith schools.
"And while faith schools will, as now, be able to teach their faith's views on issues that arise within the teaching of PSHE, what they will not be able to do is to suggest that their views are the only valid ones and they must make clear that there are a wide range of diverse views."
So we will have to teach that views approving of abortion, contraception and extra-marital sex are also valid?
I think it is time, CES, to recognise dissent for what it is.
Fr. Tim,
The Catholic primary school that I attended was founded by a heroic parish priest who risked imprisonment in the 1950s for setting up the school illegally when the local authority refused to establish a Catholic school in the locality. (My parents tell me that there was a lot of "no Rome on the rates" sentiment back then).
Well, the heroic priest faced down the anti-Catholic politicians and civil servants and dared them to put him in prison. They caved in. He won.
Why have our bishops and their agencies allowed that brave priest's efforts to be betrayed by refusing to follow his example?
I don't recall Today saying that nobody was available for comment from the Catholic side. Does Damian Thompson know this for a fact? When Channel 4's Jon Snow ambushed Joanna Bogle over AIDS, I am told Channel 4 had refused to accept the representative of the Bishops' Conference who was an expert on Africa.
All that said, Catholic schools can no more (indeed, much less) teach the moral viability of abortion than they can teach the moral viability of racism. Looking for compromise with the situation is reminiscent of the policy's of all accommodationists (whom, in another mood, I might call collaborationists).
We are now definitely a persecuted Church in this country!
Can the Pope sack Bishops who fail so scandalously in their duty to lead and protect their flocks?
We now have a huge problem. How do we remain faithful and within the law? To my mind this will not be possible. We are being required to commend views that are in direct contradiction to church teaching, and what ever the cost it is now time to stand up and defy this unjust legislation.
The Church must regain its vocation; it must preach Christ, celebrate the sacraments, and start praying. We have for to long quietly given in to an anti-Christian agenda, only by being more fully ourselves will we start to turn back the tide.
In dealing with the particular I would suggest that our Bishops invite the MPs who are Catholic, and any others of good will, to come to see them and discuss the matter. They must be left in no doubt what there duty as Catholics is. What ever happens we must not, by the back door, be forced into becoming advocates for abortion and other immoral acts. We must not allow ourselves to become hijacked by the tyranny of ‘tolerant’ ‘non-fundamentalism’, we must clearly state that judging between what is right and what is wrong is part of our Christian vocation, and that even in the PC ridden age we find ourselves we shall continue to judge and be intolerant of all that is immoral, and wrong. Perhaps we need to bring the word ‘Sin’ back into the vocabulary!
Have left this comment on other Catholic Blogs Fr Tim:
"WHAT A SELL-OUT!!!!!!
This from today's LifeSite.news -
Ed Balls said,
“They must give a balanced view on abortion, they must give both sides of the argument, they must explain how to access an abortion, the same is true on contraception as well,” Balls said. Balls backed up his insistence that faith schools will be forced to abandon their religious beliefs, in a letter to the London Times.
Balls went on to thank Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the head of the English Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and the Catholic Education Service (CES) for their support of the bill. It was revealed by the government last week that the CES had actually assisted in drafting the legislation.
Balls said, “To have the support of the Catholic Church and Archbishop Nichols in these changes is, I think, very, very important, is a huge step forward… The Catholic Church, which I really welcome, is supporting, for the first time, compulsory sex education with an opt out at 15 [years].”
I'm totally exasperated, gob-smacked and saddened by this pack of lies, because on the face of it society at large (which probably cares not a hooot anyway) will now think that this IS the Catholic viewpoint!!!!! And that simply is not true!
We Catholic parents thank Archbishop Nichols, thank our Bishops, thank the CES - for being so true to Catholic Teaching. I'm sure Heaven will thank you too in the fullness of time.
Full story here:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10022306.html
What else to say........"
24/2/10 10:00 AM
Or, we believe as a religion that killing Jews is wrong, but we're still going to teach the kids how to operate the gas chambers.
Can't understand the bishops. Are they cowards or fools, which are at least human weaknesses, or is it that they don't really believe in their hearts that Catholic teaching is true, and are therefore taking the relativist line?
Anyway, Father, so many teachers in Catholic schools are either not Catholic, or don't accept the Church's teaching - or don't know or understand it - that no-one is liekly to see a problem there anyway.
It is to much to ask our hierarchy to do anything much at all in my experience as a English Catholic for the last 28 years.
After yesterday's debacle government lies and deceit mixed with CES and Archbishop cosying up to the enemy and with all the facts on the table I am now considering my position as a Foundation Governor of our local Catholic Comprehensive. It is unlikely the school will go the route which an impassioned Antonia Tully suggests in her open letter to Archbishop Nicholls (see SPUC website).
And I cannot and will not stand by and allow these relativistic anti-life and anti-Catholic 'normal and harmless etc... alternatives' to be taught under my nose in a Catholic School of which I am a Governor.
Two options as I see it:
1/ walk away - send in my letter of resignation and reasons why to my Bishop (as a Foundation Governor he was directly responsible for my appointment some years ago).
2/ stay and fight - and continue to 'howl at the moon!' That's exactly what it feels like when you know you have almost no support from school, governors, other parents and your own Bishop.
3/ can't think - but will pray a lot. Perhaps this is still some sort of 'Orwellian' nightmare from which we will all wake shortly!
Jeff Mirus of Catholic Culture has just posted about an analysis (http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=600)of why Catholics in the Germany of early Nazism at first went with the prevalent political and cultural flow: the heresy of modernism.
Without saying so openly, he makes it clear that the same compliance with "the signs of the times" on the part of Catholic authorities who should know better seems to be taking place in the US. As it is a US blog, he did not mention the CES leadership issues we are dealing with here, but mutatis mutandis...
While Catholic spokespeole were unavailable the rest of us had to suffer the hateful comments of the BBC News 24 and not doubt other channels. My grandfather died fighting for this country, I am a British born citizen and I have paid my taxes and TV licence but according to the BBC and their guest speakers I with other catholics are the scume of the earth. WE teach our children to hate homosexuals and refuse to allow schoolgirls to protect themselves. Little me and many other little me`s complained about the hate campaign and imbalance in reporting the sexual education bill. This morning in typical `you will do what you are told fashion` an anouncer argued with a politician that they were not helping unwanted pregnancies by allowing faith schools to be exempt. I have accused her of a hate crime because there is no evidence whatsoever that girls leaving faith school become pregnant at a higher rate than from state Schools. I have written to my bishop asking him why it was left to ordinary catholics to try to defend the CAtholic Faith.
Where are the Shepherds?
A true shepherd does not abandon his flock.
Whoever causes [a child to suffer or stumble or sin] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea (Matt. 18:6).
It is time for Catholics to stand up for their faith. To protect their children in Catholic Schools.
The problem is many of our schools have had their faith so watered down that changes will not even be noticed. In my childrens school 80%+ of the staff are not even Catholic and many of the others are merely career orientated.
English Catholics have never had much of a backbone. Very few stood up to Henry VIII and very few will stand up now and defy this legislation. Catholics have a narrow path to follow.
I am deeply shocked by what you say. I'm delighted you're drawing it to our attention.
I particularly like Francis' comments.
St Thomas More School is in the Northampton Diocese. Old timers like me will remember Canon Arthur Brewer who fought similar brave battles to build Northampton's schools in the 50s and 60s. I recall Sr John Margaret and Sr Mary Benedict, two magnificent heads, who supported him in the most difficult circumstances. They taught in terrible buildings, but you could feel the buzz.
They were brave, resourceful, intelligent people, motivated by deep faith and a love for the truth. One parishioner said of Mary Benedict, "She could build a nest in your ear, lay an egg, rob it and you wouldn't know it had happened." And we loved her.
I'm told that local authorities dreaded dealing with Canon Brewer but had the utmost respect for him.
Times change, but they also remain the same. When are our leaders going to stop being so woolly minded about the very clear fundamentals?
Perhaps it is time for the Bishops to officially absolve us of our duty of obedience to this government as they have the authority to do, I believe this kind of circumstance is exactly what such power is meant to be used for.
As an American I am confused by your system. Why can your government tell your schools what to teach at all? Is it because the schools take money from the government? Then it is obvious that you have to refuse any money from the government, and run your schools on an independent basis. This may be hard to do and there would be fewer of them, but the ones there would be, would be able to teach Catholicism.
In this country it is not allowed for religious schools to get money from the government. Students at Catholic colleges, though, do get Federal student loans, which is already a compromise because the Feds can use that as a club over the colleges.
Unfortunately a lot of Catholic schools in this country don't have to be made by the government to teach this stuff, they want to, because those that run them aren't very Catholic. Still, if a parish or diocese can fund a school, and wants to teach Catholicism including Catholic beliefs about sex and the family, the government can't say a word to them. Or if Catholic laymen want to run a school that way, again, no one can object.
You have to get disentangled from the state!
By the way, how are Muslim schools going to handle this? By ignoring it, right? And no one will say a word to them. If Catholics could uniformly do the same thing with the same self confidence, maybe the state would back off of you also.
But I doubt it. Start cutting the money strings. (Truly private schools are allowed there, aren't they? )
Susan Peterson
Fr Hunwicke offers this:-
http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/teaching-sin.html
Father,
I am an American, and I came across your blog because I am trying to figure out what is going on in the UK right now (there is very little press on this in the States, as you can imagine, and none of it objective).
Perhaps you can answer some pertinent questions for me:
(1) Where do the Orthodox Jews and the Muslims in the UK stand on this issue? The evangelical Christians? Is there any efforts being made to come together on this issue and fight back (I would imagine the numbers would be quite large if these three groups worked together).
(2) Is anyone in the hierarchy speaking out against this? If this happened in America, you can bet most of our bishops would be apoplectic.
(3) I have read reports that the Catholic hierarchy supports this bill. I do not understand how this is possible. Can anyone please explain this to me? I just cannot wrap my head around this.
Yours,
A baffled American
Jennifer
(1) Good question. Nothing public so far as I am aware. But we may try to pursue this path.
(2) Deafening silence so far.
(3) It is the CES, an agency of the Bishops Conference that has publicly welcomed the various Government moves. They do represent the Bishops. So far, we have to draw our own conclusions.
There are many clergy in this country who also cannot wrap their heads around this. You can expect some public action soon.
2 weeks ago we heard a pastoral requesting more money because diocesan finances are in a bad way. I sat listening to this in a recently reordered Church upon which was spent more than a 1/2 a million, designed to provide a meeting room about the size of my mum's lounge. This on top of the Bishop's reordering of the Cathedral which we understand cost more than 2 million. This latter is the one with the cathedra above the sanctuary - (there are in fact more steps up to the cathedra than in the Lady chapel up to the Blessed Sacrament). To describe it as vulgar and visually moronic would be an understatement.
Last Sunday, the PP requested more money to back up the pastoral and like the previous week's effusion mention was made of the need to "finance our schools".
In common with our political leaders and bankers, the hierarchy have lost touch with reality and the local ordinary's request for a 'bail-out' was so replete with irony that it could only serve to exhaust the vocabulary of even the most credit crunched of victims.
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