A concerned parent with daughters who attend the Sacred Heart High School Hammersmith has forwarded me the following extract from a recent newsletter. These are, apparently, the exact words of the headteacher:
“…..In recognising Jesus as our teacher through the Gospels, the first impulse for us as a Catholic school must be to promote greater wholeness for transgender individuals by listening, caring, supporting and offering community. This means at a minimum, offering very basic gestures of welcoming respect, such as using the young person’s preferred pronoun and addressing them with their preferred name, recognizing their intent to live as the person they believe God created them to be, and refraining from any judgement.
This week our assembly theme was ‘Just be yourself, be proud of who you are’. At KS4 the following prayer was used:
….”
Updated: the parent has now sent me a copy of the school newsletter, which is linked to here: Transgender Awareness Sept 2017
This extract is concerning for a number of reasons.
Firstly we don’t only recognise Jesus as a mere ‘teacher’ through the Gospels. He is a lot more important than that, He is our Saviour, Our Sovereign Lord, the one who died to redeem us from sin and death.
Secondly should our first impulse, upon recognising Jesus as our teacher/Saviour, really be to promote greater wholeness (whatever that means) for transgender individuals by listening, caring, supporting and offering community?
No reasonable Christian would have any problem with either listening, caring, supporting or offering community for individuals suffering from gender dysphoria, indeed those elements ought to be vital in terms of offering care, but why would a first instinct for any Catholic individual or institution be to promote a greater wholeness for transgender individuals?
Presumably wholeness is about an individual reconciling their feelings about their gender identity with the physical reality? Is recognising the person’s confusion about their identity really best addressed by confirming the dissonance and playing along with the delusion that they really are of the opposite sex and using new pronouns and preferred names?
This may be the most courteous and respectful way of dealing with adults, but when official research tells us that over 80% of children who experience a form of gender dysphoria will eventually orientate back towards their natal sex; is confirming that Janet is now John, really the most helpful and compassionate approach?
John Whitehall, Professor of Paediatrics at Western Sydney University, notes that protestations by children that they belonged to the opposite sex used to be seen as one of the warning signs of childhood sexual abuse and cites research to claim that up to 90% of children who question their sexual identity will revert back to their natal sex by puberty. The best approach is one of watchful waiting.
The American College of Pediatricians has this to say:
Gender dysphoria (GD) in children is a term used to describe a psychological condition in which a child experiences marked incongruence between his or her experienced gender and the gender associated with the child’s biological sex. Twin studies demonstrate that GD is not an innate trait. Moreover, barring pre-pubertal affirmation and hormone intervention for GD, 80 percent to 95 percent of children with GD will accept the reality of their biological sex by late adolescence. The treatment of GD in childhood with hormones effectively amounts to mass experimentation on, and sterilization of, youth who are cognitively incapable of providing informed consent. There is a serious ethical problem with allowing irreversible, life-changing procedures to be performed on minors who are too young to give valid consent themselves; adolescents cannot understand the magnitude of such decisions.
There is then a serious and legitimate question to be asked about whether or not affirming a child in their feelings is the right ethical approach, especially as it could well set them down on a path of irreparable harm.
Should children be being told that the initial Christian impulse ought to be to validate people’s feelings of dysphoria? That it is the only kind, loving and Christian thing to do? What ever happened to telling the truth in love?
If we’re going to get theological here, then why not look directly at Scripture and see what that has to say about sex being fluid or malleable? God creating man and woman equal, but distinctly different. Of course the human dignity of individuals must be recognised and nobody with this distressing condition ought to be unfairly discriminated against, or subject to any kind of bullying, but not pandering to a delusion or taking the word of a child too young to get married, to drink alcohol, to smoke, to consent to sex or to get a tattoo, does not amount to treating them like the lepers or outcasts of the Gospel.
By allowing a child to use a different name or pronoun to signify a different sex to the one into which they were born, it sends an unhealthy and unhelpful message to children that sex or gender is simply all about outward appearances and is easy to change. It forces children to suspend their critical faculties for fear of being labelled bullies or bigots and turns them into liars. Sex is not determined by name or pronoun or uniform and even when people go the whole hog with gender reassignment surgery, they still have to take huge amounts of synthetic hormones for the rest of their lives in order to fight against the DNA coded into every single cell in their bodies. Even surgery will not render you the biological sex of your choice. But the consequences and grim realities of surgical gender reassignment or hormones or puberty blockers which will render you sterile for the rest of your life, or the lifelong neurosis about whether or not you can pass as the opposite sex are not laid out in this fluffy and compassionate description of Jesus teaching us to promote greater wholeness.
In any event, recognising an intent that a person wants to live as the way they believe that God created them to be, implies that God made some kind of mistake and gave them the wrong body. That somehow His will was thwarted?! A position which is, if nothing else, at odds with the Catholic faith.
To cite Section 155 from Pope Francis’ recent encyclical Laudato Si:
“The acceptance of our bodies as God’s gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home, whereas thinking that we enjoy absolute power over our own bodies turns, often subtly, into thinking that we enjoy absolute power over creation. Learning to accept our body, to care for it and to respect its fullest meaning, is an essential element of any genuine human ecology. Also, valuing one’s own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if I am going to be able to recognize myself in an encounter with someone who is different. In this way we can joyfully accept the specific gifts of another man or woman, the work of God the Creator, and find mutual enrichment. It is not a healthy attitude which would seek “to cancel out sexual difference because it no longer knows how to confront it”.
Finally the head concludes with the ‘refrain from judgement’ canard. This is crazy stuff. Of course we must make judgements about the best way to deal with any particular ethical situation that comes our way. Making a judgement on whether or not it is appropriate to affirm and validate feelings of gender confusion in children and adolescents is absolutely not the same as making judgements about the state of somebody’s soul – the only thing which Christians are commanded not to judge. Doctors have to make clinical judgements on how best to treat transgender patients all the time, which is why lobbyists are frantically campaigning to change this, claiming that their feelings must be paramount and a request for treatment must be immediately expedited.
So many Catholic schools seem to be taking this approach that it’s old news. There seems little point in besieging the school with complaints as would have happened in the early days of the blogs. No doubt the school and the powers that be in the CES will disregard any expressions of parental disquiet as being the transphobic witterings of the serf class from whose backward thinking and peasant attitudes they are determined to rescue their students.
But this is exactly the sort of situation engendered and encouraged by the CES document on LGBT bullying. How long before examples of transphobia are included in various lesson plans and pupils are asked to look for and challenge transphobic attitudes amongst their parents?
Have the Sacred Heart High School really thought this through? Are they now saying that they will accept transgender pupils in their school? Girls and transgender boys will be accepted but not biological ones? It’ll be interesting to see whether or not this will be challenged in court and the issue looks set to blow apart the concept of single-sex education.
Parents choose to send their children to Catholic schools in the hope and expectation that they will receive a solid grounding in the faith, that their own faith will be supported and that they will get to escape this nonsense. The betrayal is profoundly depressing.
The Catechesis of Caroline 
Jesus came to bring wholeness and fulness of life, to proclaim and demonstrate a fully human way of living. Following his lordship means living and loving in his way.
Now, whenever he came across exclusion, he sought to reintegrate the rejected by healing, forgiving and, crucially, casting out the demonic influences from their lives.
The gospel imperative is be fully human within the community of the redeemed for the sake of all God’s creation, God’s realm on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Today’s gender bending obsession militates against the sanity Jesus longs to bring to disordered people living in a disorded world. It is a symptom of sin and alienation, and not something to be embraced and affirmed.
Calling evil good is a sign of our self-obsessed society, rather the Christ-centered realm whose harbingers we are.
What the fuck is wrong with you get your wasteman self out of my school and my friends’ business. Since when did loving your neighbor include spitting hatred at them? I know that when my parents sent me to a catholic school it was to teach me to be tolerant and loving of others, to learn that god doesn’t make mistakes, to learn that Jesus, an outcast himself, would not look down on others even if they didn’t share his own beliefs. It was not so I could be indoctrinated into attacking people for being who they are. I am glad that they sent me to a school that moves with the times and isn’t stuck in toxic and antiquated beliefs. I feel sorry for you, whatever ‘christianity’ you received clearly taught you nothing x
Are you claiming to be a pupil of Sacred Heart High School? If so it’s a damning indictment.
Unlikely to be a pupil, uses American spelling. Probably a troll from one of the anti-Catholic groups in the U.S. Also, a girls school, and no women would subscribe to “transgenderism”, an ideology which denies that women exist.
They should be resisting this evil ideology like Jewish schools are doing, but of course Jewish schools have got Godly Leaders ,not like Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop Peter Smith, Mrs Jane Day (St Anthony’s Primary Catholic school who have also introduced Gender-Neutral uniforms), Mrs Marian Doyle Archbishop Malcolm McMahon
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/private-jewish-school-lgbt-issues-fail-ofsted-inspection-vishnitz-girls-london-orthodox-sex-british-a7809221.html
Parents at both schools should take the both schools to court for NOT following “Catholic” teaching.
https://www.premierchristianradio.com/News/UK/Justin-Welby-criticises-legal-action-of-Christian-parents-in-trans-child-case
Thank you Caroline for the great work you are doing for exposing this evil creeping into our “Catholic” Schools.
You’ll see the Church holds that one’s biological sex as male or female is an essential aspect of who a person is and therefore cannot be dispensed with or altered at will. Rather, a person is a “unity of his body and soul” and “should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.” (Catechism 2332-2333)
I enclose a link below to a petition to support the parents opposing Gender Ideology in Schools, if readers would like to sign
http://www.citizengo.org/en-gb/fm/89782-support-parents-opposing-transgender-ideology-schools
Short video on Lesson from History: Transgender Mania is Sign of Cultural Collapse – Camille Paglia
The times we are living through now were prophesised in the 16th Century by Our Lady of Good Success, approved by the church, but little known apparition.
http://www.traditioninaction.org/OLGS/A001olgs%20fat.htm
I enclose clip to Lesson from History
Lesson from History: Transgender Mania is Sign of Cultural Collapse – Camille Paglia
Hi Caroline,
There is an online petition asking Cardinal Nichols to stop this Transgenderism at this “Catholic” school
http://citizengo.org/en/97811-stop-transgenderism-children-sacred-heart-high-school-hammersmithcatholic-school-your-diocese?m=5
Can you sign and promote
God Bless
The parent who complained is clearly transphobic, simple as, as are you! P.S if you continue with this attitude I fear you will burn in the depths of hell. So go away with your fuck off self. But if you continue with this atrosious behaviour, don’t worry if you get lost, just keep bullshitting the devil will come collect you himself. As far as I know god said love one another as I have loved you! Clearly your not a true Christian if you have this spite and hate in your heart. You should be ashamed of yourself as a grown women to think like that. Being transgender is not a trend or a choice. TO the mother if you are so adamant that these views are acceptable stop hiding behind your anonymity, the fact you aren’t saying your name proves you are ashamed in some sort of way so if you really mean and stand by what you say, show yourself (PUSSYHOLE). 🖕🏼😘
I’ve approved this so everyone can see the level of ‘debate’ and abuse chucked out by trans activists.
Like the other unpleasant comments on this thread, I have looked up your IP address and I note it is identical, to the poster above, along with your lack of grammar and spelling. I also note that you live in Hammersmith & Fulham and I can only surmise you are the pupil involved.
I shall pray for your anger. Sadly your posts reflect very badly both on you and on the school whom I will be contacting, together with the screenshots of your IP.
I hope you learn what constitutes decent online behaviour.
Well that’s lies and what about your behaviour I guess we are the same level only difference is I’m a third of your age and plz tell the school I’d LOVE to hear what they think about your behavior
Please stop abusing my comments box. As a Catholic parent, journalist and commentator, I am more than entitled to comment upon a Catholic school contravening Catholic teaching. I am aware of several parents who have indeed removed their children from the school as a result of what is happening.
I suggest you re-read my post, and attempt to engage with what is actually being said.
As a third of my age, you are clearly a pupil at the school. I suggest that you learn some mathematics and indeed spelling. As I said “God’s assistant” I have your IP address. You are extremely identifiable and really are showing yourself up. Any more abuse will be deleted.
Well that’s lies and what about your behaviour I guess we are at the same level only difference is I’m a third of your age and plz tell the school I’d LOVE to hear what they think about your behaviorxx In regards to you investigating my IP address, if that was suppose to be a threat or scare me I really don’t care and don’t regret anything I said. 2 since you stated your opinion why can’t I state mine 🗣🎤 I can admit I spoke out of anger because I found what you said to be outrageous however your views sadly reflect your ignorance and my gramma will improve with my age but your ignorance reflects your narrow mind. Attack my gramma all you want but again I’m young not a grown woman wasting her time writing ignorant nonsense. In my opinion the things you’re saying is on the same level as being racist. End of conversation. I ain’t got time for you.
“behaviourxxx”. That should be spelled ‘behaviour’.
Yes, I have your IP address which you have left on my blog, indicating you live in the locality of Hammersmith.
The overall level of your spelling, grammar and tone of your post indicates you a re a pupil at the schoo.
You don’t regret screaming at me that I will go to hell and using swear words and expletives? That is known as verbal abuse.
Indeed you are the one setting yourself up as some kind of moral authority claiming that another person will go to hell. You do understand that is an un-Christian sentiment as we are specifically commanded NOT to judge the contents of hearts and souls – only God can do that.
My views are far from ignorant, they are in fact based upon truth. A man cannot become a woman and vice-versa. It is not narrow-minded to refuse to accept a distorted version of reality. My views are based upon accepted science and far from being ignorant or narrow-minded or the mainstream. Most people accept that some adults have a mental illness which leads them to want to live life as the opposite sex, but it does not mean that they ARE the sex.
Here’s an analogy you may understand. If I unwrap a Mars bar and put in the wrapping of a twix, it is still a Mars bar. You cannot change the chromosomes and DNA you are born with. If you are born one sex, you can never know what it is to be the other sex, all you are doing is changing your body and attempting to alter your behaviour in line with how you think that sex should be. I haven’t met one person who can tell me how to diagnose transgender children without reverting to stereotypes about behaviour.
I am angry too, because there is a generation of children being maimed and emotionally abused, rather than given the help they need.
Your “grammar”, not gramma, probably won’t improve until you start paying attention in your English lessons instead of being wrapped in self-absorption.
You have just admitted you are from the school and frankly, you have shown them up, which is a great shame.
Racism is an irrational prejudice, fear, hatred or contempt of people on account of their skin colour. Refusing to accept that men can turn into women, or women into men, not wanting this idea pushed upon children, leading them to accept scientific untruths, forcing them to lie, forcing girls to accept boys in their changing rooms, toilets or other intimate spaces, is common sense.
If you want people to believe that you are not ignorant, perhaps try engaging on an intellectual level and writing properly. “I haven’t got time”, rather than “I ain’t got time”. I haven’t got time for an ignorant angry self-obsessed teen spewing abuse on my blog, showing herself and her school up in the process. I am sorry that you have not been educated, nor indeed raised, to a higher standard. Do take care.
I see my last comment hit a nerve since you didn’t post it haha I see I’ve won
No you haven’t ‘won’. I don’t intend my comms box to turn into a sewer. I’ve also blocked you, so any more of your comments will go straight into the spam file where I don’t need to see them.
I seriously hope you find the peace that you are so desperately searching for and some decent, wholesome adult guidance. I will pray for you and indeed all those who come into contact with you.
I’ve deleted another slew of comments here – more from the pupil, again full of poorly spelled bile, invective and hatred and another from an adult, whom I suspect to be a teacher, berating me for being nasty to this poor child who needs guidance and explanations.
If you come on to my blog spewing expletive-ridden badly spelled hatred and abuse, don’t expect a polite response. If you are claiming a superior intellect, then a working knowledge of spelling, grammar and a basic understanding of Christian doctrine helps your cause. I don’t expect anyone who comes onto my blog using misogynistic expletives and screaming that I am going to hell, to be open to any kind of reason however, and they ought to be aware that there can be real-life consequences for online abuse.
It was very obvious that this commentator was a school pupil, a fact that they confirmed. It reflects extremely poorly on her schooling and upbringing.
In relation to the point about the tiny numbers of who are intersex, this is not actually a third sex, but a chromosomal deviation from the norm. The truth is that the vast majority of people with intersex conditions identify as male or female rather than transgender or transsexual. Thus, where all people who identify as transgender or transsexual experience problems with their gender identity, only a small portion of intersex people experience these problems.
However, if you want to play with the adults, behave in an adult fashion. I always grab the IP address of abusive commentators. If you don’t like it, then I suggest you moderate your tone accordingly.
All abusive comments have been screenshotted, and the IP grabbed and blocked, in order to ensure my own online and real-life safety and that of my family.
The teacher so appalled about my response to their pupil, ought to be far more appalled by their low-level of education and general lack of courtesy, good manners and self-control.