The Tusk government goes into denial about spiritual lessons. Bishops express “disapproval” and announce legal steps

The ecclesiastical side expresses disapproval of the rejection of its proposal by the government organization and the deficiency of agreement – we read in the Communication of the ecclesiastical side of the gathering of the Committee of the Joint Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Conference of the Polish Episcopal Conference, held on 9 December in the Secretariat of the KEP in Warsaw.

Among the ecclesiastical side's proposals were the introduction of the rule of compulsory teaching of religion or ethics due to the request for axiological formation of students. As part of the search for a compromise, the church side besides proposed a gradual, timed, simplification of the teaching dimension of religion in secondary schools, while respecting the workers' rights of catechestes. In primary schools, the situation should stay unchanged.

The church side besides expressed its opposition to the government's proposed simplification of spiritual lessons to 1 hr a week. He besides considers it unjustified and discriminatory to adopt the rule that spiritual lessons are to be placed before or after another school activities.

The ecclesiastical side recalls that teaching religion at school is considered a standard in the vast majority of European countries and 1 of the symbols of freedom change in Poland after 1989. "The changes introduced, in the opinion of the church side, will consequence in the demolition of the strategy of teaching religion in Polish public schools" - says the announcement.

"The church side will take further legal steps in the face of violations of the existing rules", the Communication states.

Archbishop Józef Kupny commented on the substance in an interview with the Catholic Press Agency. – Despite the good atmosphere, government officials did not agree to the compromise proposals of the church side and no agreement was reached "He said after today's gathering of the Committee on Government and Episcopal Common Representatives. Archbishop Kupny is co-chair of the Joint Commission with Tomasz Siemoniak, Minister of Home Affairs.

The arguments did not aid – the archbishop added – that the limitation to 1 hr of spiritual lessons creates tremendous difficulties for spiritual teachers, whose number will should be reduced or forced to retraining. In consequence to that, mines. Nowacka assured that "she will make all effort to make this possible and work on it".

As Archbishop Kupny emphasized, Minister Nowacka was willing to accept only cosmetic changes, namely, that 2 hours of religion would be valid only from 1 to 3th grade of primary school, but that it would later be only 1 hour.

During the meeting, as Archbishop Kupny informs, the issue of the Church Fund was besides addressed. The government organization reiterated the proposals made at the erstwhile gathering of the Joint Commission to replace the Church Fund with another solutions. The Archbishop recalled that the church side is waiting to be established, according to the records of the Concordat, a government squad to talk to the church side. He added that the president of the Church Concordat Commission had already set up an appropriate negotiating squad in March, and that the government side was inactive holding back.

– I must honestly say that we are disappointed due to the fact that we stand still – summarized the deliberations of the Committee on Joint Government and Episcopal Archbishop Kupny.

Source: KAI

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