Scrutiny of religious teaching mounted by vigilantes

by Christopher Howse A QUESTIONNAIRE on the way religion is being taught in Catholic schools is provoking some disquiet among teachers.
The questionnaire is being distributed among parents by the Westminster council of the association Pro Fide, a sort of watchdog committee on Catholic doctrine.
The questionnaire is being distributed among by the Westminster council of the association Pro Fide, a sort of watch-dog committee on Catholic doctrine.
The questionnaire includes 13 questions, to see children arc being taught matters ranging from: "That Adam and Eve alone were the parents of the human race" to "That Jesus Christ rose physically from the dead on the third day."
But Pro Fide is anxious to avoid the mistake made by organisers of a ballot on the Latin Mass last year of attending only to responses that Fit their aims. "It is intended that the questionnaire's results should be presented to the proper authorities if the response can be taken as representative, that is to say numerically so, not if they merely prove what is suspected.Westminster Pro Fide said this week.
Mrs Monica King. Secretary of the Pro Fide branch said that they had had several thousand questionnaire forms printed, but it was too early to see what the replies were.
"A lot of teachers wouldn't he too happy and might consider it interfering." Mrs King said. "It is mostly parents who seem to be anxious. The Westminster Religious Education Committee doesn't seem to be concerned. We are up against that sort of thing all the time."
Mrs King said that she hoped to present the findings to the Pope on the occasion of his visit to Britain. "A good number of people would like to see this go higher than the Cardinal and the English bishops,she added. It is planned to send any conclusions via the Apostolic Delegacy to Rome, possibly including the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
In giving its reasons for the survey. Pro Fide said: "There is a broad band of religious knowledge which is not practical but abstract and metaphysical. This is the side of religious education which is being largely ignored. For instance. the Liverpool 'Living and Believing' syllabus states specifically that the word "Grace" should not be used with or explained to juniors. despite the fact that probably every day they pray, 'Hail Mary, full of grace'.
Canon Peter Bourne, director of Westminster Religious Education Religious Education Committee, commented on Pro Fide's plans: "Are they concerned to implement the teaching of the Council of Trent? That's where we part company.
He said the Veritas syllabus used in primary schools was commissioned and approved by the Irish Hierarchy. "Anyone who wishes to state that the Veritas syllabus does not constitute Catholic teaching has got a problem because they are saying a national group of bishops is outside the Church.