Wednesday 10 March 2010

Girls are told to taste flavoured condoms in Catholic London school

In her letter to the Catholic Herald last Sunday, Oona Stannard, the chief executive and director of the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales, says:
"Catholic schools uphold the teachings of the Church in all that they do."
I feel compelled to ask the question: What planet does Ms Stannard live on?

May I hereby invite her to visit my part of the planet - which, during the day, is SPUC's office in Kennington, London, SE11 4AB. She will quickly discover that a good part of my time is spent dealing with the constant concerns of parents and teachers about the provision to their children of inappropriate, often arguably abusive "sex education" in schools which are advertised as Catholic. This includes the provision of information about how to access abortion and contraception.

It also includes teaching young girls how to put a condom on a life-size model of a penis - at Sacred Heart School, Hammersmith. I have received this information from more than one source. The girls were told to taste the condoms, which were all of different flavours. How, may I ask, does this fulfil the mission statement of the Sacred Heart school?

May I urge Catholics among my readers to join me in praying a traditional Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in reparation for what has been happening at Sacred Heart School, Hammersmith? The prayer says, among other things:
"[W]e are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behaviour, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent...."
In this connection my blog visitors may like to sign to an excellent petition "Against Government-led Sex Education in Catholic Schools" - and to urge others to do so. It's addressed to the Catholic bishops of England and Wales and says:
We, the undersigned, call upon the Bishops of England and Wales and the Catholic Education Service to fulfil their duty as guardians of our Catholic Faith and unequivocally reject recent Government measures forcing Catholic schools to teach what is explicitly condemned by the Church, viz: presenting active homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle, and providing information on the nature - and provision - of contraception and abortion services. Compliance on the part of the Bishops and the CES in such measures would effectively render our schools no longer Catholic in any meaningful sense, and would place the faith and moral life of our children in jeopardy. As Catholic parents, teachers and pastors, we earnestly beg of you, our Shepherds in Christ, that you do not allow this to happen.
I have frequently blogged about the co-operation of the bishops and the Catholic Education Service with government measures on sex and relationships education - and the government has welcomed Archbishop Nichols's support for the government's terrible legislative proposals.

Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
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