Are Catholic bishops in New Zealand pushing gender ideology?
The disturbing document, “Aroha & Diversity in Catholic Schools,” signed by the New Zealand prelates on October 3, 2022 expressly asks the staff of Catholic schools to address the delicate questions of new modes of sexuality contrary to the doctrine of the Church, “from the social justice angle.”
Establishing a value judgment that would go against the LGBT doxa would, in the eyes of the members of the episcopal conference, amount to an “injustice,” contrary to the social doctrine of the Church. “We are called to recognize injustice in our own and wider society; to challenge and change our attitudes; and to act for this to happen” (no. 20 p.6) is now specified by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC).
To justify such a postulate, which could sound like a profession of relativism, the 15-page episcopal document recalls that “every person is made in the in the image and likeness of God, the gifts we have received are diverse.” Suggesting that the spectrum of practices related to gender ideology would be included in this “diversity” of divine gifts.
If the students must be reminded of the importance of Catholic marriage between a man and a woman, they must however be warned: “this does not mean that other couples cannot commit to a wonderful, loving, and enduring relationships, it simply means that such relationships are not 'sacramental marriage' within the Catholic Church.”
So, what is the point of getting married in the Church if you are promised something better elsewhere?
The New Zealand prelates have brought a whole toolbox with them to help parents, teachers, and students attached to natural morality, to soften their rigid attitude inherited from a bygone era: creation of support groups for “vulnerable” students – hear LGBT – so that they “feel safe to be who they are” in schools.
In addition, the document wishs to “ensure that no young person (gay or transgender) is referred to a program or organization that supports any kind of ‘conversion therapy.’”
The document goes on to state: “Investigate appropriate dress codes so that young people feel comfortable in the uniform they are required to wear. For example: for girls, they should be able to wear either skirts or trousers and for boys trousers or culturally appropriate items.”
And there are also some instructions for school librarians who will have put themselves in the place of the student and ask themselves several questions when deciding to authorize a book, among them: “Does this book reflect the complementarity between religious belief and LGBT diversity?…Does it support positive attitudes toward being myself? Does it recognize the challenges of knowing who I am, and support this journey of discovery?”
