Politics
Friday April 7, 2006
US Bishops Child Protection Programs Supported by Homosexual Activists
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by Hilary White
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) enjoys the support of homosexual activist groups for its "Virtus" program intended to protect children from sexual predators. Virtus, the Latin word for virtue, is a set of programs developed by the National Catholic Risk Retention Group, called "Protecting God's Children™" for the USCCB.
The program, used in dioceses throughout the US, proposes "training" for children, parents, clergy, teachers and church staff and volunteers and focuses part of its effort in a sex-education program for children as young as six in Catholic schools. The child sex-ed component, called "Teaching Touching Safety," has been denounced by faithful Catholic parents' groups and priests as an attack on children's innocence and a device for dodging responsibility by bishops.
The weblog of a group of parents and teachers, called the Primary Educators' League, says that among the first organizations to endorse the Virtus program was the Catholic Rainbow Parents, an activist organization of parents of homosexuals that formally rejects Catholic teaching on sexuality. In July 2005, in their inaugural public statement, the Catholic Rainbow Parents proclaimed their support of Virtus.
The Rainbow Parents enjoys a high level of support within the Catholic institution in the archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis. A declaration sponsored by the group formally declaring their opposition to Catholic teaching on sexuality was signed by Sisters and Consociates (sic) and the Justice Commission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet of St. Paul. The declaration denounces the Catholic Church and supports homosexual sex, same-sex "marriage," and declares that it is a "myth" that most clerical abusers of children are homosexuals.
The declaration reads: "We share the perspective of the National Catholic Risk Retention Group's Virtus programs, with which the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis collaborates in response to the mandate of the 'Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People' adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2002."
The declaration quotes the Virtus program's report: "It is a myth that most sex abusers are homosexuals. Most sex offenders are not homosexual; they are heterosexual . . . Studies repeatedly show that most male molesters of boys are not homosexual with adults. It is a faulty assumption that an adult male who selects a young boy as a victim is gay."
The Rainbow Parents is part of a larger network that includes the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM), a lay group that lobbies and agitates for the Catholic Church to abandon its teaching on the sacredness of human sexuality and adopt modern sexual mores.
The CPCSM has remained unchecked by the Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis where it is based, since its inception and acts as the quasi-official advocates of homosexuality in the archdiocese.
On the board of CPCSM until recently was former Benedictine monk, Bill Kummer, who taught in elementary and high schools and was the force behind a Minnesota law including homosexuals in the hate crimes legislation.
Far from being censured for his support for homosexual activity, Kummer was granted an award by the archdiocese for setting up a "safe schools" program in the Catholic high schools. Prior to his passing in January he was a long time campaigner for the standard roster of leftist causes including animal rights, homosexuality, environmentalism and 'childhood sexual abuse, safer schools.'
In 1989, Kummer was also awarded the 21st Annual Archbishop Ireland Award by the archdiocese Catholic Commission on Social Justice for his homosexual activism.
Other CPCSM board members include two religious sisters and the widow of a deacon of the Archdiocese who is a member of the Deacons' Council.
Read the websites of:
The Primary Educators League
http://www.primaryeducators.org/who.php
The Rainbow Catholic Parents
http://www.mtn.org/cpcsm/catholicrainbowparents.htm
Contact the USCCB Office of Child & Youth Protection
3211 4th Street, N.E.,
Washington DC
20017-1194
(202) 541-3000
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