Credit Where It's Due...

I have been quick enough to criticise the Catholic Education Service of England & Wales in the past, and feel, in the light of recent events, that I ought to send some positive comments its way.

The CESEW is coming under fire for daring to encourage support in Catholic schools for the petition in favour of the traditional view of marriage.

Secularists are getting their collective knickers in a twist because the Catholic Education Service is daring to advise Catholic schools to support Catholic teaching on marriage.*

I can see why they would be shocked. After all, the CESEW hasn't exactly made a name for itself speaking up for Church teaching in the past. I detect a sense of outrage among the secularists that this body should suddenly "go native" and revert to orthodox Catholicism. Maybe getting rid of Oona Stannard wasn't just cosmetic.

Before I get a spate of comments telling me how bigoted the stance of the Catholic Church is against equality for gays, I would just like to point out that civil partnerships already give homosexual couples every legal protection and advantage (or lack of it) afforded to heterosexual couples. This is not about equal rights for gays. This is about the right for people to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman for the purposes of procreation and bringing up of children. This right is under attack: if the secularists get their way it will be illegal for faith schools to teach this.

Megan Moore and Michael Merrick have each written excellent posts on this topic. Do check them out

*Actually it's not just Catholic teaching. It affects the whole of society...