By Judie Brown
On the heels of the debacle we reported about involving the Vatican-sanctioned sex education program entitled The Meeting Point: Project for Affective and Sexual Formation, Argentina-born Catholic reporter Ines San Martin—a huge fan of Pope Francis—extols the program without apology. She tells readers that the units offer “an educational path in love that helps young people discover the beauty of mutual self-giving and the pursuit of happiness through the gift of body and spirit.”
San Martin appears to suggest that even sexually explicit pictures used in the program at various points are not really offensive if one takes the program as a whole and understands that “the units have a common thread, a metaphor of the human person as a ‘tent.’”
But our analysis of the program sheds a different light—tent or no tent. As William Mahoney of our staff points out, there are more than a few reasons to be concerned about the program and the objectionable materials being used. Specifically, these include:
Unit 2: Tent Poles: See especially pages 2-4.
Unit 6: Tent Door and Zipper: See page 5: Choosing our boyfriend/girlfriend, which speaks of discovering heterosexuality.
Unit 6: (Movie recommendations for discussion): See page 5, which recommends Love and Other Drugs—a movie rated R (see here); note the cover for the movie.
In addition, ALL’s statement on this program offers further context, and LifeSiteNews’ analysis of the program offers some bullet points on the worst aspects of the program.
Yet this Vatican sex ed program is not where the problem ends. There is more skullduggery of a political kind going on as well. Think about billionaire George Soros and his efforts to manipulate the bishops by using pawns within the Church to spread his vile agenda and providing funding for it to the tune of at least $650,000. According to LifeSiteNews, “The monies were granted to two US entities that have been engaged in a long-term project . . . of shifting ‘the priorities of the US Catholic church.’ Grantees were PICO, a faith-based community organizing group, and Faith in Public Life (FPL), a progressive group working in media to promote left-leaning ‘social justice’ causes. Soros has funded left-wing causes the world over and was just found to have been funding an effort to eliminate pro-life laws around the globe.”
If this sounds like a nightmare to you, understand that this is our reality. These things all appear to work in concert to undo the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church in a way that I, for one, could never have imagined.
But now is not the time to wring your hands and tear your hair out. Now is the time for a more intense prayer life, a greater commitment to spread the truth, and a higher level of awareness about what is actually going on around you.
The holy priest Father James Schall, SJ, reminds us of this truth and the struggle to defend the family, the preborn, and the truth, writing:
What we must recognize is that articulated, orthodox Catholicism is today the real underground. It is what the culture recognizes that it must systematically eliminate. But this rejection follows a clear and logical path. It presupposes the Gnostic idea that laws and customs of the people are but free constructs, with no basis in reality.
In other words, they are whatever you think they are.
Now more than ever we are called to act with confidence. We encourage everyone to take these positive steps to reverse such deadly trends:
- Sign the petition on LifeSiteNews calling on the Vatican to withdraw the flawed sex education program The Meeting Point.
- Learn how Catholic parents can preserve the integrity of the Church’s teachings on human sexuality by owning and sharing Culture of Life Studies Program materials that are faithful to Catholic doctrine on all subjects dealing with respect for the dignity of the human person.
- Protect the most precious gift that the Lord has given to you: your family.
And as you look at your spouse and your children tonight, never forget these profound words of Saint John Paul II: “Christian spouses and parents are required to offer ‘the obedience of faith.’ They are called upon to welcome the word of the Lord which reveals to them the marvelous news—the Good News—of their conjugal and family life sanctified and made a source of sanctity by Christ Himself.” We are called to guide the souls of our family to eternal life with Christ. Let us pray that all of our actions lead them there.