Are we equipping young people to be pro-life against the odds?

Defending traditional marriage -
an act of politics or not?

Today the BBC reports that Education Secretary Michael Gove is to examine whether the Catholic Education Service (CES) has infringed political impartiality rules, by circulating a letter to nearly 400 Catholic schools in the state sector asking them to back the Coalition for Marriage petition against homosexual "marriage".  (As far as I can make out, this is the same letter that was read in all Catholic parishes in March.)  The CES says that reading this letter to pupils is just part of the Catholic school's legally permitted remit "to teach matters relating to sex and relationships education, including the importance of marriage, in accordance with the teaching of the Catholic Church".  The Department of Education fears that the CES has encouraged schools to infringe their "responsibility under law to ensure children are insulated from political activity and campaigning in the classroom".  (Note: the petition is only intended to be signed by those over the age of 16, so we are, I hope, talking about sixth-form pupils.)

There's quite a lot to mull over in this situation.  Firstly, I note with interest that the DoE spokesperson says "While faith schools, rightly, have the freedom to teach about sexual relations and marriage in the context of their own religion, that should not extend to political campaigning".  Is this political campaigning?  To me it sounds more like, as the CES put it, "a positive affirmation of marriage, as is the Coalition for Marriage's online petition".  It is the Government who have decided to take a socially and legally-recognised institution and turn it into something else, something it has never through the ages been recognised by anyone as being.  The definition of marriage should not be the stuff of political debate and vote-chasing; if voicing an opinion in favour of traditional marriage has become a "political" thing to do, the Government have made it so.

There is, as so often, also the implication that supporting traditional marriage is part of a package of discrimination against gay people.  It is not. The CES says, "The Equality Act 2010 applies to all schools and we are fully supportive of the Act. It is central to Catholic teaching that all individuals should be treated with respect and dignity."  Yes, you can oppose the redefinition of marriage without being homophobic or treating pupils with same-sex attraction differently from others.

This also rings of today's widespread secular dogma that religious beliefs are all well and good - as long as they do not make any difference whatsoever to the way an individual relates to the society around him.  They must remain purely "private and individual views".  No genuine religious belief can ever remain thus, of course, by its very nature.  Whilst I continue to think that the CES' actions in this case should not be described as "political", it does throw into sharp relief an attitude that perhaps many Catholics themselves are dangerously close to taking on board these days.  "Of course I believe this and that, but I wouldn't impose my beliefs on you."  Well, no, you can't impose or indoctrinate.  You can, however, witness and speak out; you have every legal right to do so; you have an evangelical obligation to do so.

What is the point of having Catholic schools if they cannot offer a clear and challenging witness to their pupils of what it means to be a faithful Catholic?  I notice that the BBC makes sure to point out that the schools in question are state-funded.  Well, they're still Catholic.  Either withdraw state funding from them or let them be Catholic.  My children have all come through the Catholic school system and I am grateful for it; they were good, supportive schools.  However, many Catholic parents these days do not see the clear benefits of sending their children to Catholic state schools and if wishy-washy catechesis is to be the only incitement to do so, then I can understand how they feel.

One school at the centre of this row is St Philomena's in Carshalton.  The BBC, in a beautifully unbiased paragraph, tells us that "Earlier this week, Pinknews.co.uk reported that students at St Philomena's Catholic High School for Girls in Carshalton were 'encouraged' to sign the anti-equality pledge by the school's headmistress". Apparently a sixth-form pupil remarked, "In our assembly for the whole sixth form you could feel people bristling as she explained parts of the letter and encouraged us to sign the petition... She said things about gay marriage and civil partnerships being unnatural. It was just a really outdated, misjudged and heavily biased presentation."

Now, I know very little about St Philomena's, other than that orthodox Catholic friends send their polite and very pleasant teenage daughter there.  I'm sure it's a very good school; the Headmistress evidently did speak clearly and unambiguously about the teachings of the Church; and the sixth-form pupil quoted may not have been typical in her her views. Perhaps the pupil was remarking on the mode of presentation rather than the content.

Having said all this, however, I fear that what this sixth-former said would be echoed by young people in many Catholic schools across the country.  Are our Catholic schools in fact producing well-catechised young people, who know the Faith thoroughly on the formal level and have been given every encouragement to develop their faith on a personal level?  The second I believe is probably true in most Catholic schools, but without the first - solid orthodox catechesis - that personal faith development is going to go awry.

Our society gives more evidence every day of its determination to marginalise those of religious faith and to positively strip them of any meaningful opportunity to live out that faith.  In such a society it is more vitally important than ever that Christian schools have a robust catechetical curriculum.  Otherwise the pressures on poorly-instructed young Catholics to compromise will just be too great, and they will not see any reason not to do so.  The areas in which this is most likely to happen are marriage and pro-life issues.

Normalising sexual promiscuity in the young

The BBC news website today carries a story about plans to widen over-the-counter access to the contraceptive pill.  A study by NHS South East concludes that the provision of the Pill by pharmacists, with no GP prescription necessary, should be widened from the five pharmacies currently offering the service.  These pharmacies are in Southwark and Lambeth, two boroughs which apparently have the highest teenage conception rates in London and some of the highest in the whole of Europe.  It seems that there has been a significant drop in emergency contraception in these areas since over-the-counter contraceptive pills have been made available.

This of course does not mean that women's behaviour with regard to casual sex has changed, simply that they are preparing better for it in advance, which as far as modern sex education goes seems to be the end and only goal.  Even that does not seem to be happening as effectively as it could.  In fact, the BBC reports, "While one pharmacy saw a significant drop in the use of emergency contraception after the pilot was launched, the report also found that a large proportion of women did not return for a subsequent pill supply - having gone back to emergency contraception. Many said this was because they did not have a regular partner."

This is enough of a shame when we are talking about adult or near-adult women, but becomes positively sinister when we read that the same NHS report suggests widening the over-the-counter service to include girls as young as 13 - which, of course, is already happening in the Isle of Wight and Manchester.  Just how quick, convenient and "normal" can we make it for under-age girls to have sex?  As one user of the South London service told the BBC, "It is a quick way to get contraception, and it is very private, unlike a clinic where everyone will know what you are going there for."  Talk as much as you like about guidelines for pharmacists and the questions they will be expected to ask before giving out the Pill, the fact is that this scheme intends to make it substantially easier to obtain the contraceptive pill and that is what will happen.

So here we go again. As ever, the answer to teenage pregnancy rates is... encouraging teenagers to ask for contraception.  Contraception that is not only easier and easier to obtain at an ever younger age, but is also easier and easier to obtain without parental knowledge. The net effect is that we are progressively normalising casual sexual behaviour for girls and boys who are effectively still children.

A Department of Health spokesperson has said, "Young people should think carefully before they have sex". And yet no-one thinks to point out to them that there are alternatives to "contraception and sexually transmitted infections".  We could try that much-mocked word, ABSTINENCE, for a start.  The comeback to that one, of course, is always, "But they're going to do it anyway so we have to make sure they do it safely".  Well of course they're going to do it when we're making so much effort to show them it's normal and easy... in fact, it's the done thing and anyone who doesn't do it is, well, a bit odd.

There is no solid evidence that this approach works, anyway.  The BBC reports that "Currently it is not known if the service has helped reduce teenage pregnancies as conception data for the last three years is not available" and quotes Dr Peter Saunders as saying, "There is no clear evidence from this study that it will reduce unplanned pregnancy and abortion and there is a real risk that, by encouraging more risk-taking behaviour, it could fuel the epidemic of sexually transmitted disease. Without comprehensive research on real outcomes this strategy could well be like pouring petrol on flames. We should instead be focusing on evidence-based strategies aimed at bringing about real behaviour change" (my emphases).

After I had read the BBC report, an article in the latest Pro Life Times caught my eye. Its topic is a SPUC conference earlier this year where Professor David Paton gave Northern Ireland politicans "a stark warning not to copy England's strategy to reduce teenage pregnancies".  Northern Ireland, as we are well aware, has had much more restrictive abortion laws to England, a lower provision of family planning services and "a stated goal to decrease the rate of teenage sexual activity" (hurrah!).  Despite this, said Professor Paton, rates of both teenage pregnancy (abortion plus births for under 16s) and sexually transmitted infections in Northern Ireland are less than a third of those in England.  Unfortunately this could change, as Northern Ireland has started to emulate England in the past decade with regard to easier access to birth control for teenagers and in its sex education.  The result of its new strategies?  From the available data, none of them appear to have had a positive result, says Prof Paton.  "In fact, the under-17 birth rate... was higher in 2010 than when the [new] policy started in 2002."

Isn't it time, at long last, to stop flogging a dead horse and try a new approach to sex education and reproductive health?  As responsible adults who care about the health and welfare of our upcoming generations, I would suggest that it is our positive duty to do so. Instead of applying plasters to the wounds created by our current behaviours, we should - we must - suggest modifying those behaviours themselves.  It can be done.

"Except for death, no-one will kiss me"

Hat tip to John Smeaton for this touching video - an "interview" with an unborn child aware that he is going to be aborted.  Just a word of warning, though - it isn't gory (the images it contains are beautiful) and the abortion itself is not described; but, because it focuses on the humanity and the unique individuality of the child in a very emotionally immediate way, it could be upsetting for a woman who has been through an abortion to watch.

The "interview" is in fact the poem Interview with an Unborn Child by Dr. Mojdeh Shirvanianear.  When watching bear in mind that, as Brad Mattes of the Life Issues Institute says, you are hearing the child's words "within the context of the deaths of 1.2 million babies every year".

Promoting a positive view of disability

I've just been posting over at Crawley Catenian about the charity that the Crawley Catenian Circle is going to be supporting in 2012-13 and decided I'd like to mention it on this blog too, because it's one whose work I very much admire and which is very much in the pro-life spirit.

The Circle will be supporting Just Different.  This is a charity set up in 2008 by Toby Hewson, a young man suffering from cerebral palsy, to educate children and young people about the world of disability and thus promote positive social attitudes towards disabled people.  Just Different take interactive workshops on disability - written, produced and presented by disabled people - into mainstream schools.  One of Horsham's primary schools, St John's, recently enjoyed one of their workshops which was very well received.

Toby Hewson, Just Different's founder

Edek and I have found from our experience with our daughter Aila that out of the many challenges facing disabled people, one of the most crippling can be the fear of whether other people will be able to relate to them.  Will those they meet be able to see past the wheelchair to the "ordinary" person within?  How will this affect their working relationships?  How easy will it be to make friends?  Unfortunately their fears are not always unfounded, but this isn't necessarily because people bear ill-will towards them or are prejudiced.  Often it is because of simple misunderstanding which means that others aren't quite sure what to do, say or expect.

By working with young people, Just Different is tackling this problem at grass roots level.  A generation of youngsters growing up today with an understanding and appreciation of disabled people will lead to a more genuinely inclusive society tomorrow.

Just Different offer their workshops free of formal charge, although they ask a suggested donation from the schools they visit.  They are keen to keep things on this basis and avoid charging large fees which many might find unaffordable, thus restricting access to their life-changing message.  However they need financial support - to, in their own words, "pay for the recruitment and training of disabled presenters, the travel costs associated with reaching the schools, workshop equipment and workshop development, so that we can bring about the changes we feel so passionately about."  They are therefore seeking voluntary forms of financial giving to support their costs.

To read more about Just Different, visit www.justdifferent.org.

"We see a world in which difference is always valued. The earlier children and young people begin to learn about disability, the more likely they are to just accept it as a normal part of the world they live in for the rest of their lives. JustDifferent workshops demonstrate to children and young people that disabled people can achieve, participate and lead normal lives."

By working towards a society where disability is accepted as a normal part of the world we live in and where all and sundry accept that disabled people can lead happy, worthwhile lives just like everyone else, we are working towards one in which the pressure to abort or euthanase whole sections of society will have been consigned to a less enlightened period of our human history...

BBC to broadcast from an abortion clinic

Earlier this week The Independent (amongst others) reports on an upcoming broadcast (date to be confirmed) from an abortion clinic by journalist Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5 Live. This is an...interesting and very worrying prospect as the report will not be talking about the two sides of the argument but, as Ms. Derbyshire herself says; "Our point on that day is to bring new insights into areas of British life." They will only be visiting one clinic which will make it very hard for to remain unbiased as they will only be interviewing people from that particular clinic and not seeking an opinion or insight from anyone else. Whilst I'm quite sure that the interviews with staff will be pretty searching given the recent discoveries by the Daily Telegraph about some clinics in the UK performing abortions because the parents wanted a child of a different gender I will admit to being apprehensive about the whole thing. Although I don't know what they will ask or say and we should, certainly, always hope and pray for the best I am concerned that this report might be used (either by the clinic being interviewed or others) as a way to advertise their 'services'. That abortion might be presented as just another normal part of British life (not shown as the terrible act it truly is) and this is simply where it happens. That being said I shouldn't make rash judgements and will pray hard that I am proved wrong.

Thanks everyone!

Aila's dad does his bit
in the kitchen!

The "cobs, cakes and cards" bacon breakfast event at St John's went very well this morning; on behalf of Aila and all the family, I'd like to say a HUGE "thank you" to everyone who...

 ...baked, fried, sliced, served, sold, bought, ate...

...or supported us in any way whatsoever!

Nearly £300 was raised for Aila's Fund and, as ever, the kindness and fellowship were heartening. God is good.

Let us pray and pray and pray

Sometimes it seems that we are facing insurmountable obstacles in our quest to proclaim the Gospel of Life.  Sometimes the task seems futile; we will never change anyone's mind, the tide of public opinion is too strongly turned against us.  Sometimes we are alarmed by the hostility of the opposition.  Worst of all, sometimes the division in our own ranks discourages us, because it seems that even within the Church there are so many dissenting and disagreeing voices and not a little capitulation to secular, morally relativistic values.

As usual our wonderful Holy Father knows what to say and how to shine a certain beam of Truth into our situation.  We must simply pray, and trust.  Prayer was the first reaction of the early Church at the "Little Pentecost", Pope Benedict pointed out during his Wednesday catechesis this week.  When Peter and John are released from prison for preaching the Gospel they return to their brethren, who, as the Holy See Press office (reporting on the Holy Father's catechesis) tells us, "did not reflect on how to react or defend themselves, or on what measures to adopt; rather, 'in that moment of trial they all raised their voices together to God', Who replied by sending the Holy Spirit."

The Vatican Information Service continues, " 'This was the unanimous and united prayer of the whole community, which was facing persecution because of Jesus', the Pope explained. It involved the community 'because the experiences of the two Apostles did not concern only them, but the entire Church. In suffering persecution for Jesus' sake, the community not only did not give way to fear and division, but was profoundly united in prayer'.

"When believers suffer for the faith, 'unity is consolidated rather than undermined, because it is supported by unshakeable prayer. The Church must not fear the persecutions she is forced to suffer in her history, but must trust always, as Jesus did in Gethsemane, in the presence, help and strength of God, invoked in prayer'."

In prayer, we are encouraged and strengthened.  In prayer, we learn to see our trials as "part of a plan of love in which the final victory over evil, sin and death truly is that of goodness, grace, life and God".  In prayer, we are profoundly united with each other, because we begin to see with God's eyes and set aside our personal opinions, needs and prejudices.  This seeing with God's eyes means we can evaluate events correctly, because "in prayer, meditating on Sacred Scripture in the light of the mystery of Christ helps us to interpret current reality as part of the history of salvation which God enacts in the world".

It is only through prayer that we can become opened to be channels of the Holy Spirit, which is so important because only in and through His power are we enabled to "become a force for the transformation of reality, changing the hearts, minds and lives of men and bringing the radical novelty of the Gospel".

Thank you, Papa B, for reminding us that in any circumstance, our very first reaction must be to fall to our knees and pray.  We entrust all pro-life causes, the unity and integrity of the Church, the world and all its souls, here and now and always to God and to the intercession of Our Lady.

Particular causes you might like to raise in prayer right now:

The two Glasgow midwives who were told that they had no conscientious right to object to supervising abortions have appealed against the court's decision.  SPUC are underwriting their legal costs.  Read more here.

Doctors who refuse to prescribe contraception to unmarried women or provide sex-change operations may risk being struck off the medical register.

Kerbside vigils against abortion are being held across the country on 28 April under the auspices of SPUC.

And, of course and always, let's pray for vocations to the priesthood, particularly on Vocations Sunday (29 April).  May God send us many courageous men to lead the way in proclaiming the Gospel of Life!

Father of all,
in the name of Jesus Christ
who came not to be served but to serve,
grant us the grace of many new vocations to the priesthood in our diocese.
Give us men after your own heart who,
following the example of the Good Shepherd,
are willing to joyfully lay down their lives
in your service and for your glory.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.