Letters

New RE program (letter)

Paul Chigwidden

Contents - Oct 2003 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The role of the Catholic in public life - Peter Westmore After 25 years: the impact of John Paul II's pontificate - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Ethics: Bishop Fisher and Dr Philip Nitschke in Sydney euthanasia debate - Frank Mobbs Saints: The Beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Youth: Thomas More Winter School in Sale Diocese has Eucharistic focus - Michael Casanova Melbourne Archdiocese responds to John Paul II's Year of the Rosary - AD2000 Report How fatherhood is crucial to children's faith - Fr Robbie Low Why Catholic teaching on marriage is 'good news' for all humanity - Eamonn Keane AD2000 readers' generous response to Queensland Lourdes appeal - Jenny Davies and Nicole King Orthodox US Catholic colleges and universities continue to flourish - Julia Duin Letters: Original Sin (letter) - Niall Browne Letters: Individual confession (letter) - John Cassar Letters: Clerical celibacy (letter) - Gerard Wilson Letters: New bishops (letter) - Anne Lastman Letters: Thomas Groome (letter) - Dr Susan Moore Letters: Education crisis (letter) - Alex Sharah Letters: New RE program (letter) - Paul Chigwidden Letters: Inspiring hymn (letter) - Kevin O'Hagan Letters: Footy Show (letter) - Alan A. Hoysted Books: I The Lord Am With You Always: Prayers and Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration - Msgr Peter J. Elliott (reviewer) Liturgical Time Bombs In Vatican II, by Michael Davies - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Crisis In Religious Education, by Eamonn Keane - Damien Tudehope (reviewer) Books: Great books at the best prices! Reflection: Why the tabernacle should be centrally located in our churches - Fr Sebastian Camilleri OFM

On the front page of the June edition of the diocesan paper Together, the Bishop of Wagga Wagga announced that his new religious education program, already used in other dioceses, "is sufficiently comprehensive to be endorsed by the NSW Board of Studies as suitable for the Higher School Certificate."

This is cold comfort when I think of Blessed Mother Mary of the Cross McKillop who stated in early 1870: "We never, never can be connected with any secular Board of Education - otherwise endless evils would ensue and the work of the Sacred Heart would not go on". Again, on 27 March: "At any cost we must be true to all that in so important a matter our first duty requires of us - [that] our schools be Catholic ones not government ones" (Vol 1 pp 283-284, Positio of Mother Mary of the Cross).

I have always deplored the Studies of Religion (NSW) as a subject aimed mainly at showing our Year 11 and 12 students that one religion is as good as another. It is basically put in to stop any sort of catechising by the churches.

It also greatly concerns me that our Catholic Education Office is "trialing" a new sex education program for Kindergarten to Year 6. Trialing is bureaucratic code for "fait accompli".

I can only assume that the Cross is to be replaced by the dollar bill as the symbol of our Catholic schools and faith.

PAUL CHIGWIDDEN
Ganmain, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 16 No 9 (October 2003), p. 15