Catholic Schools Ban Charity

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

From AOL News:

Catholics Schools Ban Comic Relief

Hundreds of pupils from Catholic schools in South Wales have been banned from raising money for Comic Relief because church officials have said money raised has been used to support abortions, it has been revealed.

Pupils from several schools in the Diocese of Menevia, which covers Catholic churches in South West Wales, will not be able to join in with Friday's charity event.

Church officials have said that a portion of money raised by the charity over the last 20 years has gone towards supporting abortions in Third World countries.

Father Michael Burke, spokesman for the Diocese of Menevia said that he had been in contact with Comic Relief about the matter.

Speaking from the Parish of The Sacred Heart in Morriston, he said: "We have advised the schools not to raise money for Comic Relief this year simply because in the past money raised has gone to agencies supporting abortion.

"And the organisation has not been able to satisfy us that no money raised by our schools would go towards acts of abortion, which is against the ethos of the Catholic Church.

"We have advised the schools not to take part in the Comic Relief fund-raising. The Catholic faith holds all life as sacred. We are anti-abortion.

"Some Catholic schools in the UK have won the assurance from Comic Relief that any money they contribute will not go to fund abortions and are supporting the cause.

"We have also asked that no money raised support abortions, but they could not give us that assurance.

"If people want to raise money we would suggest they send any money to organisations such as CAFOD instead.''

He added that not supporting comic relief had been the policy of the Diocese of Menevia for the last 15 years.

Three large schools in the Diocese will be effected. They are St Joseph's Catholic School in Port Talbot, Bishop Vaughan School in Swansea and the St John Lloyd School in Llanelli.

A spokesman for Comic Relief said: "In 2000 we opened dialogue with the Catholic bishops of England and Wales to help communicate the facts.

"They issued a statement confirming that after careful examination of our records, they were satisfied with Comic Relief's assurance that we do not fund and have never funded abortion services or the promotion of abortions.''

[Lief Erikson]

In view of the fact that Catholics believe abortion to be the mass slaughter of real, innocent human beings, their reactions to these reports make a great deal of sense.

[Fat middle]

Yeah, I agree with Lief. It's nothing but consistence with their (our) beliefs.

I'd only add, Chrys, that the title chosen by AOL makes more sense than that of the thread: is not charity what's being banned, but fund raising for abortion.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

clarification: by charity i meant the specific charity, Comic Relief, not charity in general

[Draken]

I'd imagine the abortion-supporting projects would be well down in Comic Relief's priorities in any case. Certainly further down the list than AIDS relief in Africa, which has been so hampered by a certain church's views on contraception. Been a lot of preventable deaths - but theologically consistent deaths, and that's the main thing....

[jerseydevil]

Originally Posted by Draken

I'd imagine the abortion-supporting projects would be well down in Comic Relief's priorities in any case. Certainly further down the list than AIDS relief in Africa, which has been so hampered by a certain church's views on contraception. Been a lot of preventable deaths - but theologically consistent deaths, and that's the main thing....

How does the church's view on contraception have anything to do with AIDs? The church is against sex out of wedlock. If someone is going to listen to the church on not using a condom - then they should listen to them about not having sex out of wedlock then you really wouldn't have an AIDs problem to begin with.

As for the story at hand, the church as a private organization has the right to donate or not donate to any organization they choose. Just like I won't support the communist or socialist party - I don't care if they give money to starving children in Africa. I will put my money toward an organization that supports what I believe in. There are millions of relief agencies there. The fact that the Catholic Church won't give to Comic Relief has more of an affect on Comic Relief than it does on the people who they help. The Catholic Church is just going to go to a different agency that more represents their views on abortion (although I don't understand in the article where it says that the Catholic Church has seen in the past that Comic Relief doesn't support abortion). It seems more to do with that Comic Relief can't give assurances that the money isn't going to fund abortions.

So the question is - what's the problem with the Catholic Church determining what charities IT'S money will go to support? Is it not their money to do with what they wish and to support those agency which they know will uphold the values of the Catholic Church?

[The Gaffer]

I read this story in today's paper and it seems that some schools had been given such an assurance (that specific funds wouldn't be used to support abortion) but in these cases the assurance hadn't been given.

I agree that people should be able to give to whatever charity they want, and I can see that it would be odd for a Catholic organisation to support a charity that does things which Catholics regard as morally wrong.

I think there's a bit of good old fashioned anti-Catholic sentiment being stirred up by these non-stories. Not saying that you're of that persuasion, LCoU, just that the media seem particularly keen to peddle this kind of trash these days, whether the target is immigrants, Muslims, Catholics or whoever.

Of course, other issues such as contraception, well, that's a whole different can of worms, as is the question of whether the British taxpayer should be funding religious schools in the first place.

[Embladyne]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

Of course, other issues such as contraception, well, that's a whole different can of worms, as is the question of whether the British taxpayer should be funding religious schools in the first place.

Is that the case? I don't know anything about the British system of education, but am aware of quite a few workings of the Us' because my mother is a public school teacher.

Sorry, Chrys, if this is too off-topic.
The article is confusing when it says that Comic Relief had guarunteed that certain funds would not go to abortions, but could not guaruntee that for other schools. I assume this is because the organization is a just a collection agency for other programs.

[The Gaffer]

Originally Posted by Embladyne

Is that the case? I don't know anything about the British system of education, but am aware of quite a few workings of the Us' because my mother is a public school teacher.

Yes. There are state-funded Catholic schools; here in England many of the state schools are Church of England schools (presumably they were run by the Church already and just got absorbed within the state system when it was set up). More so at primary (years 1 to 6) than secondary (7-13).

And what's more, they pray!

[Embladyne]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

Yes. There are state-funded Catholic schools; here in England many of the state schools are Church of England schools (presumably they were run by the Church already and just got absorbed within the state system when it was set up). More so at primary (years 1 to 6) than secondary (7-13).

And what's more, they pray!

Err...yeah. ok. They are Catholic schools... I'm assuming you said that with a sense of humour.

[sun-star]

There are also Jewish and Islamic state schools.

It seems to me that this story is only a big deal because it's about Comic Relief. It's not exactly a secret that Catholics don't like funding abortion, nor is it particularly surprising that people are selective about the charities they give to. But because it's Comic Relief somehow it's shocking if they don't take part? Never mind how much fund-raising you do all the rest of the year - when celebrities ask you to give money, how dare you refuse?

[jerseydevil]

Originally Posted by sun-star

There are also Jewish and Islamic state schools.

We don't have state sponsored religious schools at all here. And if vouchers were allowed to go to private school (religious or otherwis, which I support) they would still not be state sponsored, but merely give parents the right to choose. (off topic)

It seems to me that this story is only a big deal because it's about Comic Relief. It's not exactly a secret that Catholics don't like funding abortion, nor is it particularly surprising that people are selective about the charities they give to. But because it's Comic Relief somehow it's shocking if they don't take part? Never mind how much fund-raising you do all the rest of the year - when celebrities ask you to give money, how dare you refuse?

Which is my point exactly. it seems to be more about "how dare they not give to Comic Relief" than anything else. I se nothing wrong with the Catholic Chruch sayiing "you don't support our beliefs, therefore we will donate to someone else" Everyone does that - so why is this even a news item?

[jerseydevil]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

Yes. There are state-funded Catholic schools; here in England many of the state schools are Church of England schools (presumably they were run by the Church already and just got absorbed within the state system when it was set up). More so at primary (years 1 to 6) than secondary (7-13).

And what's more, they pray!

Are all state schools associated with the Church of England - or are there purley secular state schools? Since the Church of England is the state religion - you're seperation between Chruch and State is not the same as it is in the US. We don't have a state religion, so all our public schools are purely secular. (this is going off topic - but I'm interested anyway)

[sun-star]

Originally Posted by jerseydevil

Are all state schools associated with the Church of England - or are there purley secular state schools?

The majority of state schools are non-religious. Only 35 per cent of primary and 17 per cent of secondary schools are faith schools.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

although a lot of the reliogious schools are CofE VC
i went to a c of e vc school, and had to have a letter from my mother to get out of the weekly assembly, where you had to sing the hymns and pray, and get out of RE/BVT, because all they teach at that age is christianity

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by Last Child of Ungoliant

although a lot of the reliogious schools are CofE VC
i went to a c of e vc school, and had to have a letter from my mother to get out of the weekly assembly, where you had to sing the hymns and pray, and get out of RE/BVT, because all they teach at that age is christianity

clarification: so you went to a state supported church school? Did you have a choice...as in could you've gone to a state supported secular school instead?


My older brother (22) doesn't buy things from HP (hewlett packard) because they have connections/support abortion organizations...or something along those lines.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

erm in this country you usually go to the nearest state school with places available, unless you can afford to go to a public school

[Rían]

Originally Posted by sun-star

Never mind how much fund-raising you do all the rest of the year - when celebrities ask you to give money, how dare you refuse?

LOL! How true ...

FM or another admin, I think you should change the title of the thread. It's misleading and unfair, as you pointed out.

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

FM or another admin, I think you should change the title of the thread. It's misleading and unfair, as you pointed out.

Okay, but since there's not big problem with it because it has been clarified and everybody seems to agree in the main point, I'll let to Chrys to ask for the title changing.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Okay, but since there's not big problem with it because it has been clarified and everybody seems to agree in the main point, I'll let to Chrys to ask for the title changing.

well, if you want to, swap charity for Comic Relief, then