(Program 14477) While it is lamentable that Catholic parents must challenge government schools regarding the suitability of sex education for their children, it is reprehensible that they must wage the same battle in their parish and diocesan schools as well. Indeed, in the past decade we have seen the inclusion of a variety of sex education curricula being offered to children as young as 5 and 6, often accompanied by graphic language and illustration. What is the overall effect of such curricula? How does it usurp parental rights? In what ways is it compatible or not with Church teaching and a Catholic understanding of the human person?
Mary Jo Anderson is a Catholic journalist and commentator. Her articles and commentaries can be read on-line at a number of e-zine sites including WorldNewsDaily.net and in a number of print publications including our own Canticle Magazine.
Rick Fitzgibbons is a psychiatrist in private practice. Rick is a member of the Catholic Medical Association and a consultant to the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy.