Trust us!

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | May 12, 2003

In response to parishioners' complaints about the "Talking about Touching" program, the spokesman for the Boston archdiocese provide a Globe reporter with this gem:

But he said being in the system involves trusting administrators to make good decisions on curriculum, whether it's sex abuse prevention or Latin.

Right. And when the administrators have demonstrated that they don't deserve your trust, then what? Trust them again?

The comparison of sexual abuse with Latin is interesting, too. Some people are experts in the Latin language; it makes sense to have them teach others. Some people are experts in the sexual education of children. And who belongs to that latter category? According to the Catholic Church, it's the children's parents.

OK, one more point. Latin is-- or at least used to be-- a standard element of the curriculum in Catholic schools. If you sent your children to those schools, you expected them to attend Latin classes. Discussions of sexuality-- especially by young and innocent childrent-- are not part of the same deal.