Modern Bishops on Sex Education
Cardinal Lopez-Trujillo – President
Pontifical Council for the Family, Rome
January 19, 1996
The Pontifical Council for the Family authored “Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family.” This document promotes a reverent education in chastity. Grave errors and mistakes have been made in our Catholic schools. Our Vatican document is, at last, the Church’s response to the cries of protest by Catholic parents.
Bishop Elio Sgreccia
Pontifical Council for the Family, Rome
Certo!
When asked in September 1995 if Pope Pius XI’s encyclical prohibiting classroom sex education was still in effect, Bishop Sgreccia responded with an emphatic “CERTO!” (certainly!), and went on to clarify that all papal encyclicals pronounce unchangeable truths about faith and morals.
Bishop Carlo Caffarra – Director, John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage
PONTIFICIA
UNIVERSITÁ LATERANENSE 00120 SCV MAY 31 1990
P.za S. Giovanni in Laterano, 4 – Tel. 6986401
Fax: 6986103 INSTITUTO “GIOVANNI PAOLO II”
per studi su
MATRIMONIO E FAMIGLIA IL PRESIDE
Mr. Richard J. Lloyd
NCCL
Lehigh National Bank Building
433 Front Street
CATASAUQUA PA 18032 USA
Dear Mr. Lloyd:
This letter will serve as a follow-up to our meeting in Rome in connection with the topic of sex education.
According to constant Catholic Church’s teaching, sexual education is a right of family and everybody must educate children according to their parents.
It is important that a sound doctrinal catechesis be given to all children in order that they completely understand and be able to live the faith. Naturally within this sound doctrinal catechesis authentic sexual morality should be taught. It is important to note, however, that the Church when educating children at the elementary and secondary school levels with regard to sexual morality has constantly done so within the framework of the regular religion class, and has not attempted to isolate the teaching of sexual morality or “chastity education” in separate programs not related to the other virtues.
Sincerely in Christ,
[SIGNED]
Bishop Carlo Caffarra
Director,
John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage
Myroslav Ivan Cardinal Lubachivsky
Archbishop Major and Metropolitan of all Ukrainian Catholics in the world
UKRAINIAN CARDINAL ENDORSES UNIVERSAL BAN ON CLASSROOM SEX EDUCATION
Reprinted from The Wanderer
March 8, 1990
CATASAUQUA, Pa. – Myroslav Ivan Cardinal Lubachivsky, Archbishop Major and Metropolitan of all Ukrainian Catholics in the world, has endorsed a universal ban on classroom sex education. In a letter dated February 19th to Richard J. Lloyd, Vice-President of the National Coalition of Clergy and Laity (NCCL), Cardinal Lubachivsky wrote:
Consistent with the traditional teaching of the Magisterium, I am in favor of a universal ban on classroom sex education.
Bishop Roman Danylak
Apostolic Administrator of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto
May 4, 1998
Catholic Bishop Slams Door on Classroom Sex-Education Programs
Referring directly to the “Fully Alive” sex education series, the Bishop stated:
“This series is gravely flawed because it deviates from the Church’s teaching […]. This teaching is set forth in the encyclical of Pope Pius XI On the Christian Education of Youth of Dec. 31, 1929 […].
The Fully Alive program is not a program for formation in Christian virtue but a program of imparting sexual knowledge to children.
A summary of the matters discussed at the Grade 7 level makes clear how this sex education course descends to the level of child abuse.
It gives group instruction in intimate sexual matters although the Church has specifically forbidden this.
My recommendation asks that the Fully Alive program be replaced in our schools: all that is necessary can be taught in the context of the Sixth and Ninth Commandments with formation and teaching in the virtues of chastity and modesty and in accordance with the directives of The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, through the solid Faith and Life religion series.”
Archbishop Stephan Sulyk
Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Province of Philadelphia
Archbishop Sulyk reaffirmed his opposition to classroom sex education. Richard J. Lloyd, Vice-President of NCCL, stated that in the Bishop’s letter to NCCL, Archbishop Sulyk declared that he
“remains committed to the traditional teaching of the Church that sex education falls within the domain of parental responsibility.” October 4th, 1989
Bishop John Chedid
Maronite Bishop of The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles
Following Cardinal Trujillo’s publication, TMHS, Bishop John Chedid declared in the Eparchy’s Newsletter:
The Pontifical Council for the Family in Rome has released a new document called, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality – Guidelines for Education within the Family. Catholic families are urged to read this very important documents. Parents need to be aware of current threats to children, which come under the guise of sex education, family life or health education in the schools. At times, parental and Church authority are undermined, and courses are laced with political and/or societal agendas which are not in keeping with our Catholic heritage. As the document states, the subject of sexuality education is the duty of parents first and foremost. This sacred duty to educate in love calls for delicacy and reverence for the mystery of sexual union, whereby, from generation to generation, God creates the human soul. Parents must be mindful of their God-given role to educate in matters of love and sexuality. Don’t let anyone else – nor assume it is to be left to experts – take this responsibility from your hands. (1996)
The Danger of Sex Education
Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
(From Peace of Soul by Fulton J. Sheen)
Sex Education
One of the great fallacies of some types of sex education is that it is assumed if children know some of the evils that result from excesses, they will avoid the reckless use of the libido. This is not true.
No mortal who sees a sign on a door marked “typhoid fever” has an urge to break down the door in order to contract the disease.
But when the word “SEX” is written, there is a drive to break it down.
The Spirit lusts against the flesh and the flesh lusts against the Spirit.
