International accolades for NZ bishop’s pioneering sexual diversity

Praise continues for New Zealand’s Catholic bishop’s pioneering document on sexual diversity.

The latest information comes from David Palmieri of Outreach, a US LGBTQ Catholic resource.

“Aloha and Diversity in Catholic Schools represents the love of Jesus Christ in our courage to call for ‘respect, compassion and compassion’ for LGBTQ children in Catholic schools and colleges,” he says.

He says Aroha deserves worldwide recognition and admiration for this unique initiative by Catholic leaders.

NZ Catholic Bishop Te Kupenga – The National Center for Religious Studies (NCRS), a branch of the formal education department of the Catholic Leadership Institute, spoke to Palmieri about their role in helping draft the new document.

NCRS is responsible for religious education curricula and resources at the primary and secondary school levels and provides early childhood curriculum.

of NCRS “Led by Colin MacLeod and blessed with the wisdom and experience of full-time and part-time curriculum and resource developers: Laurel Lanner, Sam Steele, Kate McHeyzer, Stephen Woodnutt (seconded in 2022) and Lyn Smith.”

“The bishops genuinely care about the young people at the school and want to support them,” the NCRS told Palmieri.

“Throughout the process, New Zealand bishops have compassionately recognized the need to support vulnerable youth.”

In September 2020, the New Zealand Ministry of Education released new guidelines for education on relationships and sexuality.

They included gender considerations for all grade levels.

The bishops’ new document acknowledges that there are some “ideological positions that run counter to Catholic teachings on human sexuality” in the culture.

As an example, the NCRS indicates that 48.2% of New Zealand’s population has no religion, according to 2018 Census data.

In addition, the Catholic Church successfully handles cultural differences among its members from official doctrine. These include prostitution, same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.

Bishops are also concerned about society’s hypersexualization, which targets young people and influences their principles and choices, according to the NCRS.

The bishops’ process of drafting the document states, “Being a follower of Jesus today is as complex as it was in his time, and the Church is equally creative, compassionate and compassionate in its messages of love and faith.” It emphasizes the reality of a strong need, as modeled by Jesus.”

According to NCRS, the creation of this document was a practice of equanimity and shared responsibility.

The bishops heard from the school principal, the guidance counselor, the director of religious studies, and the diocese’s advisor to religious education. The principals involved in the drafting process made it very clear that the document was urgently needed at the school.

They also asked ‘high school seniors and schools to know what they have to say and what advice they have to offer about positive and negative experiences at Catholic schools in New Zealand. I spoke to several groups who dropped out.”

Another positive aspect is that the bishops have chosen to use the “LGBTQ language”.

“We wanted to show inclusivity, so we used LGBTQIA+, which is also the term used in the Department of Education document on Relationships and Sexuality Education, and is the language commonly used by young people,” the NCRS said. say.

Aroha takes a very different approach to LGBTQI+ issues than in the US. “Each situation must be judged on its merits.

The document is unique in at least three ways, NCRS told Outreach.

As it is a pastoral guide, it presents the preferred alternatives to the principles of Catholic social education.

It features a pastoral approach to the catechism of human sexuality.

NZCBC prioritizes youth affirmation and buffering.

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