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Secularism at school: when Mozart's Ave verum corpus is controversial

2022-06-22T14:47:59.916Z


On July 11, schoolchildren and college students from Lourdes have planned to sing this piece from the classical repertoire on the Esplanade du Rosaire. A teachers' union denounces an "attack on secularism".


While the Council of Elders of Secularism of National Education, and the National Committee for Secular Action (Cnal) * have echoed the multiplication, in recent months, of "Islamic outfits" in and around of schools, it is another controversy that has emerged in recent days, coming from Lourdes (Hautes-Pyrénées), a high place of Catholic pilgrimage.

Purpose of the case: the voluntary participation of students in CM1, CM2 and 6e from public and private schools and colleges under contract, in a concert scheduled for July 11 - during school holidays, therefore - on the esplanade of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.

In the final part of the "concert of friendship" directed by the famous Italian conductor Riccardo Muti, and given within the framework of

L'offrande musicale

, a humanist and solidarity festival (20% of the places are offered to people disabilities), they will perform

Mozart's

Ave verum corpus

.

A short piece of religious inspiration for choir, strings and organ written at the end of the 18th century for the feast of Corpus Christi.

She sets to music, in Latin, the following prayer:

Hail, true body born of the Virgin Mary, who truly suffered and was immolated on the cross for man.

»

A report to the secularism unit

Is this an attack on secularism?

This is denounced by Snuipp, the first primary school teacher union.

Its representatives from the Hautes-Pyrénées explain that they have sent a report to the secularism unit of National Education.

In a letter addressed to the rector of the academy of Toulouse and to the local services concerned, they believe "

to be faced with a serious attack on religious neutrality resulting from the Law of 1905, the grotto of Lourdes being considered by the Catholic clergy as a high place of Catholicism

”.

They evoke teachers of schools and music "

summoned by their hierarchical superiors in May

" to participate in the preparation of the concert.

"

Among them, some have found the text of the play and the place chosen for the limit concert.

They alerted us 15 days

ago,” reports David Castebrunet, from Snuipp 65. “

We have nothing against the Catholic Church.

We are not opposed to studying and learning works that are part of our cultural heritage.

But the text of this piece is very religious.

And the place very problematic.

Imagine what would have happened if the case had involved another religion

,” he adds.

The problem is not related to the work of Mozart.

Otherwise, we no longer do art history

, says Rémy Sirvent at the National Committee for Secular Action.

But we could have chosen another place, such as a municipal space, to avoid offending our consciences.

We could also have imagined a demanding cultural activity open to all

, he adds.

I thought there were three concordat departments in France.

Apparently there are four

.

"My arms fall away"

"

My arms are falling

to me," reacts pianist David Fray, creator and director of L'offrande musicale,

a humanist festival far removed from these quibbles

.

The idea of ​​Riccardo Muti, one of the greatest living conductors, was to give students the opportunity, as a gift, to sing this masterpiece by Mozart.

So I organized a meeting with the town hall of Lourdes

, he explains.

Works of art which for centuries have been commissioned by the Church have two facets.

One is religious, the other universal

,” he recalls.

The Toulouse academy did not refer the case to the Ministry as an "attack on secularism".

It is "

voluntarily

" and "

outside school time

" that students and teachers have been approached.

This is a work on a heritage work.

Contrary to what has been said, the concert will take place neither in the Church, nor in the sanctuary, nor in the cave, but on the esplanade

”, explains Thierry Aumage, the academic director of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

This concert is not organized by the National Education,

he further specifies.

The mayor of Lourdes asked me for the participation of a children's choir in this festival.

I asked that we relay this to school and music teachers.

I was not challenged by the teachers or the parents.

The alert came from a press release written by a union

.

* The Cnal brings together Unsa Education, the FCPE (first federation of parents of students marked on the left) and the Education League.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-06-22

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