http://unam.netgate.net/jornada/cem.html
SABADO 8 DE JULIO DE 2000
* Debemos aprovechar el triunfo de Fox, advierte
---------------------------------------------------
Es tiempo de que haya más educación religiosa: CEM
* Existen en el país sólo 4 mil escuelas católicas: Edmundo Morales
Alma E. Muñoz * La Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano considera que es tiempo de aclarar el concepto de laicismo y de que en el país haya más educación religiosa, no sólo católica, luego del triunfo de Vicente Fox Quesada, "una persona que ha manifestado, incluso públicamente, sus convicciones religiosas".
De acuerdo con el secretario ejecutivo de la Comisión de Educación de la CEM, Edmundo Morales, gracias al reconocimiento público que el virtual presidente electo hizo sobre su creencia religiosa, en la curia hay confianza de conseguir "mayor apertura para dialogar sobre el tema".
Pero además, dijo, es tiempo de un verdadero análisis sobre la historia oficial de nuestro país. No se trata de quedarse sólo en el estudio de qué fue realmente la guerra cristera, sino "ir más atrás, a través de una reflexión, para revisar la personalidad de algunos héroes" -aquellos que utilizaron el catolicismo para cambiar etapas- y poder entender la nación.
Hay casi 4 mil escuelas católicas en México, todas de carácter privado, y representan 5 por ciento del alumnado nacional. "Es muy poco, por eso sentimos que debe haber más educación religiosa, y con Fox creemos que hay un ambiente propicio".
Para Edmundo Morales, la Iglesia "naturalmente quiere avanzar en su pensamiento de una enseñanza que responda a las necesidades del México nuevo. Con este nuevo gobierno sentimos que va a haber posibilidad para un cambio muy profundo que debe iniciar en la educación, todo con miras a una verdadera justicia social".
Es tiempo, agrega, de profundizar en los grandes problemas, "como la falta de una enseñanza integral en valores éticos y morales, no solamente cívicos y ciudadanos. El contexto ha ido cambiando, pero todavía se requiere más educación en valores que de veras lleguen a nuestros niños, adolescentes y jóvenes, no sólo a través de una escuela y maestros, que tendríamos que ser modelos, sino también por medio de la sociedad, para que, como dicen los obispos en su carta pastoral sobre el tema, puedan separar lo religioso de lo social".
En 1992, con las modificaciones al artículo 130 constitucional, se les otorgó personalidad jurídica a las Iglesias, y la católica agudizó sus esfuerzos por introducir la religión en la enseñanza nacional, y ahora, con la llegada del panista Fox Quesada a la Presidencia, al interior de la curia sienten que llegó el momento del debate pertinente para este logro.
El conflicto, según el padre Morales, es entender el concepto de laicismo, que en el diccionario se define como "doctrina que defiende la independencia del hombre o de la sociedad, y más particularmente del Estado, de toda influencia eclesiástica o religiosa". Pero para el clérigo este no debe ser interpretado como "antirreligioso y antiiglesia católica. Normalmente se maneja como separación total del Estado sobre cualquier creencia religiosa. En México no se ha usado correctamente. No se trata de Iglesia contra Estado o Estado contra Iglesia. Eso es lo que hay que superar y dejarnos de esas mentalidades oscurantistas que sienten que la Iglesia ahora va a aprovechar para mangonear y llegar al poder".
Con el nuevo gobierno aspiramos "a un diálogo abierto, de reflexión y de arrepentimiento de luchas internas por el bien de nuestra patria". Hay que aprovechar, señaló, que el mismo Vicente Fox "ha manifestado abiertamente sus convicciones religiosas, porque éste ha sido uno de nuestros males en México, actuar con dos caras en la política".
Junto con la Federación de Instituciones Privadas de Educación Superior, la organización de Instituciones de Inspiración Cristiana, apoyada por la Unión de Padres de Familia, según mencionó el prelado, "estamos pendientes de la fecha que nos pueda dar nuestro próximo presidente para exponer lo que estamos hablando. ______________________________________________________ *****
***** From: "Workers World, Chicago Bureau" <wwchi at enteract.com> To: <marxism at lists.panix.com> Subject: Re: Religion in the Classrooms in Mexico Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 00:44:25 -0500
This was an interesting enough article that I thought I might make an attempt to translate it. I apologize for the errors in translation and welcome corrections.
Lou Paulsen member, WWP, Chicago
With the triumph of Vicente Fox Quesada, "a person who has manifested his religious convictions in public," the Conference of Mexican Bishops (CEM) believes that it is time to clarify the concept of 'laicismo' and for there to be more religious education, Catholic and non-Catholic, in the country.
According to Edmundo Morales, executive secretary of the CEM, thanks to the public attention that the president-elect has given to his religious beliefs, there is confidence within the curia of obtaining "a greater openness to dialogue on this subject."
But besides that, he said, it is time for a real analysis of the official history of our country. It's not only a matter of studying the real nature of the Cristero War [a counterrevolutionary rebellion of the 1920's, which I gather that the Church wants to rehabilitate ideologically in the classrooms - LP], but "to go further back, through a process of reflection, to re-examine the personality of some heroes-" those who used Catholicism to change history - and to understand the nation.
There are almost 4,000 Catholic schools in Mexico, all private, representing 5% of the student body nationwide. "That's very few, so few that we feel that there has to be more religious education, and with Fox we believe that there's a favorable environment."
For Morales, the Church "naturally wants to advance in its ideas of a new education that responds to the needs of the new Mexico. With this new government, we feel that we will have a chance for a very profound change which must start in the schools, all with a view toward true social justice."
It's time, he adds, to go deeper into the big problems, "like the lack of an integral education in moral and ethical values, not only civic values. The context has been changing, but still we need more education in values for our children and adolescents, not only through the school and the teachers, who have to be role models, but also via society as a whole, so that, as the bishops say in their pastoral letter on this subject, they can distinguish what is social from what is religious."
In 1992, with the modifications to article 130 of the constitution, the Churches were given legal standing ["juridical personality" - I gather that this legitimized them and allowed them to function before the law as firms do? - LP], and the Catholic Church honed its forces for introducing religion into national education; and now, with the coming of the PANista Fox Quesada to the Presidency, within the curia it is believed that the moment for the debate pertinent to this step has arrived.
The conflict, according to Father Morales, is to understand the concept of 'laicismo', which is defined in the dictionary as 'the doctrine which maintains the independence of man or of society, especially the state, from all ecclesiastical or religious influence.' But, for the clergy, this must not be interpreted as "anti-religious and anti-Catholic. Normally it works as total separaction from whatever religious belief. In Mexico it hasn't been used correctly. It's not a matter of Church vs. State or State vs. Church. This is what we have to get beyond, and cast off these obscurantist fears that the church is going to go on and boss everyone around and come to power.
With the new government, we hope for "an open dialogue, of reflexion and abandonment of internal strife for the good of our country." It has to be positive, he noted, that Vicente Fox himself "has declared his religious convictions openly, because this has been one of our problems in Mexico, to be two-faced in politics." [I gather he means that other Catholic politicians have felt the need to hide or soft-pedal their beliefs, to appease the masses who are afraid of excessive church influence on government, whereas Fox comes out in the open - LP]
Together with the Federation of Private Institutions of Higher Education, the organization of Christian-inspired Institutions, supported by the Union of Fathers, according to the prelate, "we are awaiting an appointment with the next president to explain what we are saying."
Alma E. Muñoz *****
***** To: marxism at lists.panix.com Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 03:18:51 -0500 Subject: Fw: Re: Religion in the Classrooms in Mexico From: Erik C Toren <ultraburn1 at juno.com>
Hola Lou Paulsen y compas:
First off, thanks for the work in translation.
Second, to clarify one point, historically PAN has always been pro-privatization of public schools and introduction of Catholic dogma or vague-hidden Catholic dogma in public schools. If you know the basic Republican arguments, PAN are basically the same, but with a Catholic flavor to them. Though Mexico has a strong Catholic population, it's also a pueblo that is in large part nominally Catholic and also weary of what an unfettered Catholic church. It is for this reason that Mexico you have a strong Jacobin faction. A stance that goes way back since the war of independence between Conservatives and Liberals. A battle that continued all the way to the War of Cristeros during the 1920's under President Obregon. Returning back to present Mexico, Fox was pressed during the presidential campaign to make clear where he stood on the issue of religion. He made clear in commercials and in the two debates that he supported "Free and Secular Public Education from elementary to university." A phrase anathema to Panistas, but a bedrock of Liberal and Leftists politics. Now the questions is, how long his pledge last if he goes against PAN's natural contituency.
Third, just to clarify some points:
"[...] it is time to clarify the concept of 'laicismo' and for there to be more religious education, Catholic and non-Catholic, in the country."
Roughly "laicismo" translate to the concept of secularism.
"[...] but "to go further back, through a process of reflection, to re-examine the personality of some heroes-" those who used Catholicism to change history - and to understand the nation."
The rehabilitation got a big boost from the Pope recently beatified or made saints about 21 Cristeros that died during the War of Cristeros. As some of the Left intellectuals have said, we have nothing against Mexican Cristeros being santified, but when are other Catholics like Padre Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Maria Pavon (heroes of the Mexican Independence and Liberal Catholic priests) going to get santified. One of the objectives of all this, is get support from the Catholic community to re-write History books in nation and make the Catholic appear in a better light.
"[..]In 1992, with the modifications to article 130 of the constitution, the Churches were given legal standing ["juridical personality" - I gather that this legitimized them and allowed them to function before the law as firms do? - LP]"
Not being a Mexican legal scholar, previous to this change, churches could not hold public religious displays nor could the priests be seen in public wearing their "uniform". Now, I believe, this can be done as other changes that I do not recollect.
"[..][I gather he means that other Catholic politicians have felt the need to hide or soft-pedal their beliefs, to appease the masses who are afraid of excessive church influence on government, whereas Fox comes out in the open - LP]"
Yes! You interpreted correctly. In fact, for the past seventy years, it was a political fact that a candidate to presidency or for other higher up offices had declare himself openly a Mason (wich most Liberals like Benito Juarez were). Now, please, don't take this comment to mean that there was a Mason conspiracy. Rather, the Masonry bit was a political symbolism to show, as Lou Paulsen has stated, that the Church had no influence in the head of the State. You must study the long tortuous history of religion in Mexico between Conservative Catholics and Liberal Jacobin, the history of collusion betwen Porfirio Diaz and the Catholic church, and the Cristero War to understand the fear of a strong and unchecked Catholic church in Mexico.
Again, thanks Lou P.!
Por El Socialismo! Erik Toren *****