Scottish cardinal warns against sex-education agenda

Keith Michael Patrick Cardinal O‘Brien

Function: Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, Great Britain

Title: Cardinal Priest of Sts. Joachim and Anne at the Tuscolano

Birthdate: May 17, 1938	Country: Scotland

Elevated: Aug 21, 2003	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org, www.archdiocese-edinburgh.com

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Scottish cardinal warns against sex-education agenda
May 08, 2005
Cardinal Keith O'Brien has attacked Scotland's local authorities and health boards for "pushing an agenda" of sex education contrary to Christian teaching.

Edinburgh, May. 06 (CWNews.com) - The cardinal also warned that Catholics must "remain vigilant" over the way the Scottish Executive's guidelines on sex education are implemented.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Catholic Headteachers' Association of Scotland, Cardinal O'Brien said: "It appears that some agencies, in their legitimate determination to reduce teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, appear only to be treating the symptoms of the problem rather than addressing its root causes."

He continued: "There are already signs that some agencies are determined to promote a 'safe-sex' message to all young people, irrespective of their age, Schooling, or religious belief."

The cardinal called on the Church to "remain vigilant in this area." He added: "I fear that this will be particularly vital where health boards or local councils may be pushing an agenda which fails to take into account our own Christian understanding of the human person and of human sexuality."

The cardinal provoked anger last year when he accused ministers of ushering in "state-sponsored sexual abuse" of children over their plans for a nationwide sexual-health strategy. Under the plans, outlined by the health minister, Andy Kerr, in January, abstaining from sex at a young age will be promoted in the classroom. However, last month, Bishop Vincent Logan of Dundee condemned plans to provide free condoms "within walking distance of every secondary school" as "simply not acceptable." Tayside health officials had unveiled the proposals in an attempt to reduce the high number of teenage pregnancies in the area.

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