Sending a Letter to Your Bishop

Send this letter to your Bishop one month before the beginning of the school year or when appropriate.

By sending this letter to your Bishop at least a month before the beginning of the school year, you will ensure that he knows you hold a strong position on how you want to raise your child, or children, in the classical Catholic doctrine.

Talk to other loving parents and see if they will send similar letters. Print this page so you can use it as your guide. (If you are concerned about a specific program, be sure to name the program and perhaps include a critique found on this web site or one that you decide to write.) This page is formatted to be read easily with your browser.

Most Reverend (your bishop’s name)
Bishop of (your diocese)
Address
City
State and Zip Code

Your Excellency:

Another school year is about to begin. Parents will again have to evaluate various lessons and programs offered by the school of the diocese. Under normal conditions there would be no reasons to write about classroom sex education or safe environment courses, since this vile methodology has long been prohibited by the Magisterium.

“No approbation whatever can be given to the advocacy of the new method even as taken up recently by some Catholic authors and set before the public in printed publications. ” Decree of the Holy Office, March 21, 1931

Unfortunately, this standing prohibition of the Magisterium is ignored, or forgotten. The state of affairs is very serious. The Holy See’s document, Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, provides guidelines to assist parents in the evaluating any form of affective sex or safety instruction given to children outside the home. Recommendations are included to remove children when ever necessary. For example:

“The family has an affective dignity which is suited to making acceptable without trauma the most delicate realities and to integrating them harmoniously in a balanced and rich personality. As we have recalled, this primary task of the family includes the parents’ right that their children should not be obliged to attend courses in school on this subject which are not in harmony with their religious and moral convictions.”– Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, no. 64

“It is recommended that parents attentively follow every form of sex education that is given to their children outside the home, removing their children whenever this education does not correspond to their own principles.”
– Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, no. 117; emphasis in original

“It is recommended that respect be given to the right of the child or young person to withdraw from any form of sexual instruction imparted outside the home. Neither the children nor other members of the family should ever be penalized or discriminated against for this decision.”
– Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, no. 120; emphasis in original

“Finally, as a general guideline, one needs to bear in mind that all different methods of sexual education should be judged in the light of the principles and moral norms of the Church, which express human values in daily life.” Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, no. 142

What assurance can Your Excellency give Catholic parents that parents or families will not be punished or discriminated against when they remove their children from classes or events in our diocese on the basis of these guidelines?

I await your reply.

Yours in Christ and Mary,

(signature)

Your Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Telephone number is optional.