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Q: Do children in Catholic high schools have to take the 'World Religions' course? I have worked hard to teach my children the Catholic faith, and I am worried their faith will be weakened by a course that could lead them to believe that all religions are the same. (Daphne)
Dear Daphne:
As you can see, it has been necessary to paraphrase and shorten your question. Be assured that the serious concerns you expressed at greater length in your original email are fully understood, and are shared by others.
Under Ontario Ministry of Education rules, high school students must successfully complete thirty credits, eighteen compulsory and twelve optional, in order to obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Catholic high schools, in response to the wishes of the Ontario Catholic bishops, require students to complete an additional four compulsory courses in religion, one in each year. The program descriptions for these religion courses have been produced by the Institute for Catholic Education (ICE) working on behalf of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops, who also approve all the course content. Some of the resources used in these courses are produced by the National Office of Religious Education under the auspices of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Until now, Ontario Catholic schools have used World Religions courses produced by other jurisdictions, but the ICE is currently writing a grade 11 program, with the working title: World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective, which they hope to publish within two years.
It is important to understand, then, that the religion courses being presented in your son's Catholic high school have either been produced by, or have received the approval of, the highest Church authorities in Canada, namely, our bishops.
The bishops' policy outline for World Religions makes it quite clear that this course must be taught from a Catholic point of view, and should lead students to a deeper understanding of their own Catholic faith. Witness the number of references to Catholicism in the bishops' policy document below (the italics are ours):
This course will fulfill the expectations of the Church in its desire that students in Catholic schools develop an objective and respectful understanding of other religious traditions from the perspective of the Catholic Church. To that end student learning will include an understanding of the Church's teachings on world religions traditions and those principles which inform ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, together with an historical overview of the Church relationship with various religions, particularly Judaism and Islam. For all students, this course will help break down prejudice about other religions, and for some may lead to a deeper understanding and more authentic adherence to the teachings of the Church concerning spiritual and moral truth. Other religious traditions are encountered through the unique perspective of the Catholic Church (Ontario Catholic Secondary Curriculum Policy Document, p33)
A school World Religions program that successfully fulfills the expectations of the Church as outlined by the bishops depends heavily on the Catholic faith commitment of the school administration, the school religion department, and of course, the teacher responsible for the course.
It is not an easy task, however, for even the most committed Catholic schools and teachers. As you seem only too aware, so many students come to school with only the flimsiest knowledge of their faith, and deeply influenced by a culture that often mocks religion and seeks to undermine their faith and morals. Moreover, although you are clearly a dedicated and faithful Catholic parent, too many students in our Catholic schools come from homes where neither they nor their parents attend Mass or the Sacraments, and where the Catholic faith is regarded as little more than a cultural accessory.
As a concerned parent, you need to find out more about the World Religions program being taught in your son's school in order to satisfy yourself that it follows the bishops' guidelines. Most Catholic high schools publish their religion course outlines on their school website. A course outline is no way to judge a religion program, but we can sometimes find reassurance in the way something is worded. The World Religions outline published by one Toronto high school, for example, contains this encouraging sentence: "At no time will Christianity be presented as 'one among many' searches for meaning available to students," a remark that seems specifically addressed to parents who share your concerns, and all four religion course outlines in that school contained several reference to Catholicism.
In the case of your son's high school, the grade 11 World Religions course outline as viewed on the school website appears to make no direct reference either to Christianity in general, or Catholicism in particular, but states that students will "appreciate their own unique heritage", which we must assume is a reference to Catholicism, or at least to Christianity.
You need to request an interview with the head of the Religion Department in your son's school, and if need be, the school principal. Express to him or her your concerns about why the outline appears to make little reference to Catholicism. What do the words "appreciate their own unique heritage" mean exactly? How much of your son's Catholic and Christian heritage will be taught in the program? Will his Catholic faith be presented as just "one among many", or will the teacher present it as the greatest gift we have received? As has been said, a brief course outline is no way to judge a program, and the religion head of department will likely be able to put your fears to rest by providing other documents illustrating how his teachers teach the World Religions course "from the perspective of the Catholic Church", as mandated by our bishops.
As for your question about the legality of removing your son from the course, it seems there is no overall Ontario policy in this regard, and that different school boards take different positions.
God bless,
Father Norbert