Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Toledo (Agenzia Fides) - With regard to the compulsory school subject “education to citizenship”, imposed by Spain's socialist government, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Archbishop of Toledo and vice president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference said recently that the subject is to be rejected “not for a question of religious beliefs but on the grounds of humanity" and he defended the inalienable right of parents to choose what type of moral and religious education their children receive.
Cardinal Cañizares said he is committed to the “defence of certain individual rights from the imposition of a determined concept of the human person and human morals”. Defence “which exposes a mentality which has nothing to do with party politics and is not against the government”.
The Archbishop of Toledo said the duty to provide moral formation for children “does not fall to the government”, and this compulsory subject is an act of “undeniable transgression” of the rights of parents, schools and teachers. For the vice president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, the state is attempting to transmit “a radical secular vision of man which gives no importance to God ” and moral formation which Christians cannot accept because it is contrary to their faith. In this regard he recalled that 80 per cent of parents request religious education for their children.
Cardinal Cañizares recalled parents' right to decide on the moral and religious education for their children, according to the right to freedom of conscience and religion.
The Cardinal said Spain is the only country in Europe with this situation. In other countries schools teach fundamental rights, explain the national constitution and even urbanisation, but there is no attempt to form a “personal identity”. He also said in Spain that not only the Catholic Church but also other religious communities oppose “education to citizenship ”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 11/1/2008; righe 26, parole 333)
