Halifax, Canada, Mar 31, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Nova Scotia’s three Catholic bishops have entered the provincial debate about a new sex-education manual proposed for high school students.
In a letter released to all Catholic parishes in the province March 18, the bishops remind parents that they have “the right and privilege to be primary educators of their children.” Therefore, they also have the right to determine the moral principals and context in which their children learn about sex.
Halifax Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, SJ, his Auxiliary Bishop Claude Champagne, and Antigonish Bishop Raymond Lahey signed the letter, which is a response to the new booklet, Sex, produced by the Nova Scotia Department of Health for students in the province’s public schools.
In the last two months, the booklet has split many school boards because of the explicit descriptions of some sexual behavior – including homosexual behavior – and its lack of any moral content, reported the Catholic Register.