How do you teach chastity?

The bishops want that answered, and put into school curriculum. It’s a dire need.

The USCCB announced at the end of their annual meeting in Baltimore this week the introduction of a new chastity education program for helping Catholic schools and other institutions develop curricula. The program, titled, “Catechetical Formation in Chaste Living: Guidelines for Curriculum and Publication Design,” will form the basis of curricula for high school teaching on chastity.
 
The USCCB says the guidelines addresse education in “morality and virtue” focusing on formation for young people in faith and morals and the virtues required for chaste living.

The document acknowledges “the primary role of parents in instructing children on matters of human sexuality”.

The 14-page document says, “Education for chastity is more than a call to abstinence.” Msgr. Daniel Kutys, deputy secretary for catechesis in the USCCB Department of Education, told Catholic News Service that the guidelines stress that catechetical instruction should deal with questions of “faith, virtue and moral life” and not issues of biology.

Learning what comprises chastity is the first step in teaching it. An International Congress is about to be held in the Philippines on ‘Education in Love, Sex and Life’ to focus positive attention on programs that extend way beyond ‘abstinence only’ messages.

Hundreds of delegates from family organisations around the world will meet in Manila on November 20 to share experience of educating young people about chastity and love, listen to wisdom and research on the subject, listen to young people themselves, and advance what the organisers are calling a “real love revolution.”…

People coming to Manila also want to talk about more than abstinence. A lot more. They want to talk about love, respect, strength of character, emotional intelligence, empowerment, responsibility and life goals, including marriage. You can’t get more comprehensive than that.