August 27, 2007
Dear Father X,
Well the summer has flown by, and fall is fast approaching. I have reviewed for the third time Formation in Christian Chastity, as I promised. I have enclosed separately the text, together with critical comments written in the margins. The comments reflect the ideas expressed in the previous documents I have sent to you, (which are posted on the web) and are enclosed as well, for your review. In addition, I provide for your prayerful consideration these general reflections:
One needs a proper understanding of “reverence,” “mystery,” and “intimacy” in order to understand the danger of classroom safe environment programs and chastity/sex education programs. This program is both safe environment and sex education. As such, it deals with intimate subjects which should never be allowed to become the topic of classroom discussion. By doing so, you kill the mystery of sexuality, thereby distorting its true meaning.
Indeed, the classroom discussion part operates on the principal that knowledge is virtue. St. Paul knows that this is not so. Parents foster an authentic, gentle love of chastity in their children and a love of God by loving. Virtue is more caught than taught.
In the classroom, the topics outlined in the lesson plans have no controls. A teacher cannot know the individual maturity and sexual history, as well as the personal perspectives within each family, regarding deep subjects. Von Hildebrand was so absolutely correct when he defined purity as “that virtue which keeps the sexual secret hidden, the dominion of which lies in the hand of God.” In this program, the teacher can become the curriculum. A child can be traumatized. The children’s classroom comments and discussions are unknown and can lead to soul breaking consequences.
The program is two-faced. In many places it talks about the parents’ primary job of formation, especially sexual formation, but then it reverses itself by taking over the parents’ role. Why else does the manual speak of the teacher providing this and that information on delicate subjects? Why the need for parents to provide even the most yucky medical descriptions? (God forbid that this is how a parent teaches the facts of life to a child.) The reason for the graphic discussions is because it will be or could be discussed in class. If the program had only stuck to the Church teaching parts!
The primary grades section speaks a lot about the safe environment subjects, good touch, bad touch, falsely empowering a child and downright scaring them with scenarios which probably never happen. A child has an inner sense of modesty, and if properly formed in the Faith and in love, will not hang around to say “No” to the aggressor. Nor will that child have learned to repeat again and again proper medical names for private parts. This is shear desensitization.
The Veil of Innocence website has the Church’s instructions about the proper instruction of youth on this delicate subject of sexuality. Even the Catechism of the Council of Trent urges caution to a good father instructing his son of the mysteries of life, to be careful in language so as not to enflame the passions. The language in this program is not careful; it is reckless. Moreover deep subjects require deep, noble language, and this program uses mundane words.
If your purpose of asking me to look at the program again, and underline what was objectionable, is in order to “fix up the program,” I have a suggestion and a comment. You could extract from the program the faith instruction, the scripture quotes, the catechism quotes, and the chastity concepts to a degree, like faithful love, temple of the Holy Spirit etc., modesty in the most abstract terms. You could use the lives of the saints as long as the language of rape and death are gone over carefully with all of the parents so as not to scare some kids. If you do this, then in honesty, it is not the Harrisburg program, just parts. As such, I guess it proves my point that the teacher is the curriculum. the first teacher being you. However, it would be the best idea…. call the program something different like Teachings of the Church.
Lastly, on a good news note, I have learned that Bishop Vasa is developing a film series for parents. I understand that it is formation for parents on how to give the kids a sense of belonging and faith. (Virtue caught – and seamlessly taught.) It has psychological input on safety issues I believe. When even a draft of this series becomes available, I will send it to you. I hope it will be a perfect answer to the bishops who insist on “something.” We wait and see.
Please let me know how you plan to proceed on this issue.
God bless, and may Our Lady, Lily of the Most Holy Trinity, inspire you!
Alice Ann Grayson