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HONDURAS
Bible in schools
Congress passes new law requiring Scripture reading
Honduras’ Congress has passed a new law that requires teachers to read from the Bible before class each day, eliciting protests from teachers’ unions and the Catholic Church.
“In Honduras, education is secular, and we can’t just ignore the Constitution,” said Father Ovidio Rodriguez, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa. “It’s our task to announce the reign of Jesus Christ, but we can’t invade all areas because, in a pluralist society, respect for freedom of conscience prevails.” The country’s Constitution states that education must be secular.
“This is a step back in the advances in education that we have made,” said Arnaldo Pinto, president of the Federation of Honduran Teachers Association (FOMH). Coritza Diaz, another FOMH leader, said teachers would not comply with the new law.
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