EUROPE/SPAIN - Catholic Bishops concerned for treatment of Religious Instruction in schools. New subject “Education to Citizenship” is state interference with the moral education

Friday, 15 December 2006

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Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops of Spain have expressed concern for treatment of Religious Instruction and the new subject of Education to Citizenship introduced by the government. In a statement dated 14 December issued at the end of a plenary meeting, the Standing Committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference says “despite efforts on both sides there are still fundamental difficulties with regard to respect for the rights of pupils, teachers and the Church in the new Education Law, rejected by the Bishops’ Conference because not in keeping with the Agreement between the Holy See and Spain”.
With regard to Religious Instruction, the Bishops express concern that so-called “educative attention” for children who do not attend Catholic Religious Instruction “fails to protect those who do attend from discrimination”. This, the Bishops say, violates parents’ right to choose to educate their children according to their own moral and religious convictions. They recall that “the choice of moral and religious education is a constitutional right of parents, and that the State is committed to keeping the agreements made with the Holy See”. The Bishops recall "the Ministry of Education and Science issued ‘Proposals for regulation of the structure of the High School’ which make no mention of the Religious Instruction". The Bishops underline that if religious instruction were no longer compulsory in high schools in Spain this would be both contrary to the agreement with the Holy See and a violation of parents’ rights.
With regard to the new subject “Education to Citizenship and Human Rights”, say they are not against “education for coexistence which does not include compulsory moral formation of consciences imposed by public powers ". But they cannot approve the new subject which is an unacceptable interference on the part of the state with regard to the moral education of children a responsibility which belongs to the family and the school ". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 15/12/2006; righe 27, parole 362)