For the Catholic bishops of Northern Ireland, the cup is already full. The bishops published a statement on June 14, 2023, to show their strong opposition to the education policies that the Parliament of Westminster wants to introduce in the Irish territory attached to the British crown.
Until now, all schools in Northern Ireland had a lot of leeway in implementing the curriculum developed in London, particularly with regard to topics related to sexuality. But maybe not for long.
This is because the UK Parliament has set up a commission of inquiry – called “human rights” – to assess the extent to which colleges and secondary schools provide “age-appropriate, comprehensive and scientifically accurate education on sexuality, health and reproductive rights, including the prevention of pregnancy.” early childhood and access to abortion.
Unsurprisingly, the reports are clear: schools, especially Catholic ones, in Northern Ireland are seen as ‘sexist’, ‘rigid’, even ‘backward’.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, quickly became involved in the investigation, presenting new regulations requiring teaching of topics such as abortion, contraception and those related directly or indirectly to “gender” ideology.
To understand this question, you have to go back a few years. In 2019 Northern Ireland became the latest province to join Britain in legalizing abortion. In fact, London is conditioning implementation of a deal to restore government in Belfast – which has been repealed since 2017 due to political and financial scandals – on the integration of abortion into local law.
It is now legal until the twelfth week of pregnancy, a shorter period than the rest of the UK. However, Westminster immediately expressed “frustration and disappointment” at the Northern Ireland executive’s inaction to fully implement the new rules.
For Northern Ireland’s bishops, however, this is not the time to compromise on the matter: “After imposing some of the world’s most radical abortion laws on the people of Northern Ireland, without their consent, the Secretary of State now appears determined to impose an ideologically biased vision on children,” they warned.
The prelates urged Irish people to reject the progressivism that London wanted to impose on them: “We call on all politicians in Northern Ireland (…) to oppose Westminster regulations. We also encourage parents and teachers in Northern Ireland schools to challenges the Secretary of State and the Human Rights Commission’s unfair portrayal of the extraordinary work being done in our schools”.
The battle has begun between the Church and Westminster…
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