AMERICA/ARGENTINA - “The new law aims to impose an education that would distance our young people ever further from the perspective of the family": says Catholic Bishop of San Luis with regard to proposed law on sexual education

San Luis (Agenzia Fides) - Bishop Jorge Luis Lona of San Luis diocese in Argentina has warned his people that a proposed law on sexual education violates the natural rights of parents. The Bishop reminds the Catholic community of certain fundamental principles upheld by the Church and recently re-affirmed by Pope Benedict XVI as principles which are ‘not truths of the faith, although from the faith they receive new light and confirmation, they are inscribed in human nature and are therefore common to all humanity’, namely : the recognition of the family as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage and the right of parents to choose education for their children in keeping with their principles and values.
The Bishop says that in Argentina in the last 25 years the number of married couples has decreased by 50%. This world wide phenomenon - said Bishop Lona - corresponds to an ever more egocentric culture. Relativism which denies permanent values, hides also extreme absolutism: individual freedom which denies any lasting commitment to others, and therefore also matrimony. The family, first experience of solidarity is rejected and disdained. Inevitably sexual life is reduced to selfish pleasure separate from love. In this situation authentic sexual education is more than ever necessary. Sexual education should educate to marriage and parenthood and also to spiritual parenthood of consecrated persons ... education should lead the child to develop and mature in an atmosphere of love. It should teach that human sexuality is not a blind selfish force which grips man fatally or a superficial pleasure which passes, leaving nothing precious. Human sexuality is a richness which grows and is achieved when life is given."
Although for the Bishop the aims of the proposed law are acceptable: “give young people pertinent, precise, reliable and updated information, “promote a responsible attitude towards human sexuality”, “prevent health problems in general and sexual and reproductive health in particular”, he says the principles and criteria followed are not clear. So far "official policies for sexual education have involved mainly massive distribution of condoms ignoring the fact that young people are free beings capable of chastity which not only facilitates engagement and prepares for marriage it is also the best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases" Bishop Lona said.
The Bishop ends his message warning that “today when more than ever our country needs to be educated to the family, the proposed law opens the door to manipulation and education which would distance our young people ever further from that perspective". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 26/7/2006; righe 35, parole 504)