The Archdiocese of Southwark is facing an investigation by the Government after cancelling a visit by a gay children’s author to two Catholic schools.

Simon James Green, whose teenage fiction contains highly-sexualised content and sexual language, was invited to The John Fisher School in Purley, south London, and a Catholic primary in Gravesend, Kent.

But the archdiocese’s education commission recommended the cancellation of the visits and it also removed governors from The John Fisher School who had promoted it.

The author was due to talk about his novel Noah Can’t Even, which is told through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy who discovers he is gay after he kisses another boy at a party.

According to reports in the press, teachers at the school were said to be angry at the intervention by the archdiocese and the National Education Union has called for the governors to be reinstated and the visit rescheduled.

But Southwark education director Dr Simon Hughes said: “Our schools are required to deliver a programme of relationships and sex education that is compliant with the Equalities Act 2010 and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

“While we do not endorse any particular programme of study or textbook, we encourage schools to use materials to support pupils’ learning in this crucial aspect of human development that have been tried and tested against these two important frameworks.

“From time to time materials or events emerge for consideration that fall outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school, because they do not comply with all aspects of the tests cited above – for example the protected characteristic ‘religion’ (Part 2 of the Equalities Act 2010) and all that that encompasses in our context. In such circumstances, we have no alternative but to affirm our unequivocal and well-known theological and moral precepts and to act in accordance with them.

“The book-signing event scheduled … at The John Fisher School, Purley is one such event and we have recommended that the school’s leaders cancel it.”

According to the Daily Mail, the Government is now investigating the conduct of the archdiocese with a spokesman for the Department for Education saying it was “looking into” the role of the Church in the decision to disinvite Mr Green.

“Schools should teach students that everybody has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, with particular regard to their duties under the Equality Act,” the spokesman said.

The Catholic Education Service (CES), an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, defended the Church.

“Catholic schools welcome pupils from all backgrounds,” it said in a statement. “This isolated incident has given a false impression of the inclusive nature of Catholic schools.

“Catholic schools are places where all children can flourish and as such have a zero-tolerance approach to LGBT+ discrimination.

“Nationally the CES has worked closely with schools, dioceses, and charities to produce Catholic inclusivity guidance and resources for schools that have won acclaim from LGBT+ organisations.

“We would encourage Catholic schools to work closely with their diocese to ensure that all Catholic schools can be welcoming and inclusive centres of learning where everyone is respected as a human being made in the image and likeness of God.”

The incident raises questions about the ability of the Catholic Church to resist the promotion of secularist ideological propaganda of various kinds in the classroom.

The St Thomas More High School for Boys in Southend, Essex, in the Diocese of Brentwood, was criticised recently by Catholics after it marked “LGBTIQ+ History Month” by publishing a prayer affirming gender confusion and homosexuality for the school assembly. “Boys will sigh for boys, and girls for girls. Thank you, God,” the prayer read.

Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark, pictured, was unavailable for comment.

(Photo by Simon Caldwell)

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