EUROPE/SPAIN - Cardinal Cañizares reminds parents of their right to defend their choice of education for their children with every legitimate means: pastoral letter offers guidelines with regard to the controversial issue of “Education to Citizenship ”

Toledo (Agenzia Fides) - "The Church with independence, authority and moral responsibility, without invading fields which do not belong to her, and by virtue of her vocation in the social field, can and must teach the great criteria and binding values, orient and form consciences, advocate for justice and truth, defend and promote freedom, educate to individual and political virtues": this is the opening statement of a Pastoral Letter addressed by the Archbishop primate of Toledo, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, with his auxiliary Bishops offering the faithful guidelines with regard to the issue of Education to Citizenship.
First of all the Letter says that the subject is "unacceptable in form because it imposes on all an anthropology which only a few uphold and because its contents are a threat to the integral development of the person". With this school subject the government will impose a certain formation of moral conscience which is contrary to the " inalienable and not negotiable right" of parents to choose how their children are educated. For the bishops the fundamental problem with the subject is that it imposes certain criteria proper to relativism, it obliges pupils to assume a certain vision of mankind which contrasts with the truth about man and with the Christian vision with regard to humanity, it imposes gender ideology, transmits a secular concept of life in which God is either not present at all or restricted to the private sphere.
In this situation the Cardinal reminds parents that they can and must defend their right with all the legal means at their disposal including objection of conscience. "Since the education of children and freedom of education is at stake, parents can rest assured that if they choose objection of conscience they will be choosing to protect their children, to safeguard fundamental rights and contribute towards the common good " the text affirms. It also recalls that the decision to choose the subject of Religion and Catholic Morals at school is more important than ever. "Let us be very attentive. Let us defend a school which offers authentic education and does not destroy the personality of your children with didactic publications and tools, or with inadequate or harmful teaching" the Letter concludes.
Numerous associations in Spain have mobilised to promote objection of conscience to defend values and morals in education of children: many families have already presented their objection of conscience. The Professionals for Ethics Association has published a Guide on Objection of Conscience which explains the principle contents of the subject. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/6/2007; righe 30, parole 422)