The leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, has spoken out against the advance of gender ideology in schools saying that schoolchildren must accept the gender into which they were born if they are to be truly happy.

Entering the debate on the “ideology of gender” publicly for the first time, the Cardinal suggested that only through accepting their biological sex would people ultimately find their “greatest joy”.

At a meeting of Catholic head teachers he said that children were not “single, self-determining individuals” but members of a great family with “firm points of reference” determined by birth.

In his speech to school leaders of his archdiocese late last month, the Cardinal appealed to a “common sense of humanity” as an antidote to the rampant individualism that he blamed for driving emerging ideologies.

“At a time of great confusion about the rules of sexual behaviour, about exploitation and abuse in every part of society, some firm points of reference, that are already built into our humanity at its best, are of vital importance,” said Cardinal Nichols.

“In an age of fluidity, even in gender identity, and at a time when the response to ‘difference’ is to become closed in a self-selecting world of the like-minded and reject that which is different, such foundations are so important.

“They affirm that there are ‘givens’ which come with birth and with solid identities and which project across generations,” he said.

“They help up keep hold of the reality that we are not single, self-determining individuals but members of a great family, with all its trials, diversities and struggles, and within that family, not alone, will we find our greatest joy.”

He reminded his audience that “British values”, such as the rule of law, democracy and human rights, which the Government intends to enforce in UK schools ostensibly to counter radicalisation, were founded on Christianity.

He warned teachers that “government diktat or favour” alone would result only in the “barren expectations of tolerance”.

Cardinal Nichols is one of few Christian leaders who are now speaking out against transgender ideology in schools. We should show him our support and hopefully encourage him and others to continue in this fight.

Please sign this petition to Cardinal Nichols, thanking him for his stand against this ideology and letting him know that he has our support.

Gender and Sex Conference: http://bit.ly/2pi2dcU

http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/03/12/cardinal-nichols-tells-schools-not-to-encourage-children-to-change-sex/