Newspaper Page Text
Forced Catholic studies
anger Jews in Argentina
NEW YORK (JTA)—Re-
introduction of mandatory
Catholic religious education in
Argentina’s secondary schools is
deeply perturbing the Jewish
community there. This teaching is
being done in the guise of a "Moral
and Civic Education” course
established by Argentine
government decree last February.
This was reported by Jacob
Kovadloff, American Jewish
Committee director of South
American Affairs.
When contents of the new
course were published representa
tives of the Argentine Jewish
umbrella organization DAIA
(Delegacion de Asociaciones
Israelitas de Argentina) met with
Education Minister Juan Llerena
Amadeo to protest strongly.
Amadeo promised to meet again
with DIAS, but never has done so.
Subsequently, Kovadloff said,
in an address to an Argentine
advertising association, Amadeo
averred that it was not for a
majority to bow to the will of
minorities but the contrary. He
also was reported to have
declared—and never denied—that
he was “in favor of formation of
Christian concept among those
not professing this creed.”
“The only way for Jews to
safeguard freedom of conscience
and dignity would be to boycott
classes of Catholic indoctrina
tion,” advocated one Jewish
communal journal, “La Luz,”
which published a covet story
entitled “Yellow Badge” dealing
with the issue.
Kovadloff reported that leading
Argentine press organs such as “La
Prensa” and “La Nacion” openly
have attacked the measure. An
Argentine Bishops’ Conference
statement supporting religious
freedom and the right of parents to
choose their children’s education
has been interpreted as an indirect
slap at the decree. The leading
Catholic magazine “Criterio”
(formerly edited by Msgr Jorge
Mejia, now Secretary of the
Vatican Commission for Religious
Relations with Judaism) has come
out in criticism.
Amadeo and the decree are
getting strong support from right-
wing Catholic groups, many of
them inspired by the well-known
“Opus Dei” according to the
Argentine Jewish paper "Nueva
Presencia,” which has devoted
lengthy articles to this aspect.
“Moral and Civic Education” is
an obligatory course for first-year
high school students. The religious
education is introduced
essentially, in sections on Christian
Ideas about Man and Life; The
Family; and Man and His Cultural
Relations. Two other sections deal
with the economic achievements
and political fulfillment of man.
Kovadloff observed that
Argentina’s constitution, adopted
in 1853, declares that Roman
Catholicism is the official religion
of the country. The same
constitution also established
religious freedom. And the 1870
Education Law, Number 1420,
clearly called for lay education
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phone: (404) 873-1479.
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