The Harrisburg Plan: Formation in Christian Chastity
By Sean Mackin, March 15, 2006
By its very definition it is self-evident that “formation in chastity” is “formation in human sexuality”, and the terms are practically interchangeable. This cannot be disputed as the Catechism states: “Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being.” (2337)
The Vatican is clear, even in the very title of its Pontifical document, “The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education Within the Family”, (TMHS) that formation in chastity, formation in human sexuality, is to be taught first and foremost by parents within the family home by the method of a personalized individual dialogue between parent and child (nos.5, 64,65,66, 67, 77,129). This is a fundamental norm that cannot be disputed or violated.
The Harrisburg Plan rightly defines chastity in terms of sexuality, but in practice the program does not follow the fundamental norm that formation in chastity, formation in human sexuality, is to be carried out primarily by parents within the family home by means of personalized individual dialogue between parent and child. Violating this fundamental norm, the Harrisburg Plan is primarily centered on teachers providing chastity or human sexuality formation within a mixed group classroom setting in the absence of the parents.
The Harrisburg Plan attempts to insist at the outset that it is primarily a parent centered program. However, the “program” for parents consists in them receiving one letter at the beginning of each year (the same generic letter repeated with minimal variations every four years for grades 1-12), along with an information sheet on child safety from the US Department of Justice. These two essentially identical information sheets are mailed each year to parents for grades 1-12. This “program” for parents does not even refer to the THMS until the 9th grade when it recommends that teachers not parents read it. The Harrisburg Plan has no parent study program of this essential document.
The Harrisburg Plan does not have a substantial program for parents and parents are not at the “center” of the program as it is actually developed. No true program exists to assist parents in the formation of their children from the time they become parents until the child enters the 4th grade. From grades 5-12, the Harrisburg Plan program lesson plans that are developed in more detail are written for parish catechists and school teachers, so they can provide formation in chastity or human sexuality for the children in the classroom.
Even though parents have not asked for this program, and their permission was not solicited, they are expected to receive this as a form of mandated assistance. Mandated assistance is being offered first and foremost to children and not to parents and the program appears to be developed to satisfy the “Safe Environment” mandate of the USCCB.
This situation contradicts Church teaching in TMHS where it says: “There are various ways of helping and supporting parents in fulfilling their fundamental right and duty to educate their children for love. Such assistance never means taking from parents or diminishing their formative right and duty, because they remain “original and primary”, “irreplaceable and inalienable”. Therefore, the role which others can carry out in helping parents is always (a) subsidiary, because the formative role of the family is always preferable, and (b) subordinate, that is, subject to the parents’ attentive guidance and control. Everyone must observe the right order of cooperation and collaboration between parents and those who can help them in their task. It is clear that the assistance of others must be given first and foremost to parents rather than to their children. (n. 145)
The chastity formation lessons contain basic general teachings on the commandments and examples of the saints that could be used in any religious education class in grade 5. But in grade 6, teachers must begin to define chastity (which means mixed classroom discussions of sexuality), to define modesty (which means discussing dress, private parts and the concept of arousing others sexually), to discuss dating, a recreational deformation of the concept of courtship, (which means young people will ask questions about “how far one can go” sexually without sinning), and to define adultery, pre-marital sex, acts which arouse self or others, homosexuality, pornography, and sexual abuse (which means not only violating Vatican teaching, but also creating an intolerable and certainly litigious situation for teachers, students and parents as word gets out regarding what is being discussed with children in religion class).
Parents “would be guilty were they to tolerate immoral or inadequate formation being given to their children outside the home”. (n.44) “Parents should also consider any attack on the virtue and chastity of their children as an offense against the life of faith itself that threatens and impoverishes their own communion of life and grace (cf Eph 6:12)”. (n.21) Teachers discussing sexuality with young people in a mixed group classroom setting in the absence of their parents, which includes all the immoral and inadequate Child Protection Protection programs as well as most “chastity formation programs”, must be considered a direct attack on the sanctity of the family and the vocation of parents and be rejected.
The Harrisburg Plan outlines topics of discussion for teachers, but teachers will be imparting this information to someone else’s child according to their own level of moral and spiritual development, classroom preparation, understanding, value system, language and communication skills, etc. This could be potentially very dangerous to the children they are teaching as there will be a great disparity between what children are taught and how they are taught from one teacher to another. Furthermore, how can a parent be sure of any teacher’s personal adherence to Church teaching in such fundamental areas as artificial contraception, frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, belief in the Real Presence, their views on modesty, etc. Statistically, there are teachers in our Catholic schools and parish communities who do not adhere to these principles.
TMHS affirms these concerns, “Those who are called to help parents in educating their children for love must be disposed and prepared to teach in conformity with the authentic moral doctrine of the Catholic Church …they must enter “into the same spirit that animates parents” (n. 146). How can a parent be assured that the teacher teaching their child is animated by the same spirit? Broadly speaking, it’s simply not possible for parents to screen and know each teacher their child will be exposed to over the years their children will be exposed to classroom training.
Examples of grave concern with the Harrisburg Plan are classroom subjects introduced in Grade 8 and beyond. The following information will be taught to 13/14 year olds in mixed class settings: “the husband and wife are called to make a total gift of themselves to each other through the marital act. The marital act must always be open to life and love and it is reserved for marriage… Sexual acts outside of marriage are grave sins. Some of these sins include adultery, premarital sex, and any other act intended to sexually arouse oneself or another. Use of pornographic materials is also sinful. Homosexual acts are always gravely sinful. If a person has committed a sexual sin, it needs to be confessed in the Sacrament of Penance” (Grade 8, Lesson Plan 1).
Each child in a mixed classroom setting will have different ideas and knowledge about human sexuality. Some may know anatomically correct definitions while others may only know vulgar definitions and still others nothing at all. Having children participate in the discussion materials suggested in Grade 8, Lesson Plan 1 will mean children sharing what they know about sexuality, thus exposing other children to information their parents may not want them to have, and providing an opportunity for children to continue their discussions outside of class with unforeseen consequences. The mixed classroom setting in Catholic facilities is a very dangerous and explosive environment to be engaging in these discussions.
To address these very concerns, TMHS teaches that each child is unique and must receive “individualized” formation, and that “no one can take this capacity for discernment away from conscientious parents” (n 65); that “each child’s process of maturation as a person is different” and therefore discussions of the “biological, emotional, moral and spiritual” aspects of chastity formation should take place between mothers and daughters, and fathers and sons in “personalized dialogue” based on “love and trust” (n 66-67), and that the “moral dimension must always be part of the explanation” (n 68).
Still under study, more to come…
The decision for parents is straightforward: if they want to adhere to official Church teaching and protect their children, they must opt-out and not permit their children to participate in any secular or chastity formation-based child protection program taught in classroom settings.