O'Malley Supports Pastor In Gay Parents School Dispute

By Ankita Rao
Religion News Service

(RNS) Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley said the pastor who turned a boy away from Catholic school because he has two lesbian mothers has "my full confidence and support."

In his first public comments on the controversy, O'Malley said Catholic schools exist for the "good of the children," and confirmed his support for the Rev. James Rafferty, who denied admission to the 8-year-old boy at St. Paul School in Hingham, Mass.

"I can attest personally that Father Rafferty would never exclude a child to sanction the child's parents," he wrote on his personal blog.

The archdiocese's schools office had earlier offered to help the boy find a new school to attend. "We believe that every parent who wishes to send their child to a Catholic school should have the opportunity to pursue that dream," said Superintendent of Catholic Schools Mary Grassa O'Neill.

But gay rights groups chided O'Malley for his defense of the pastor's decision.

"If this blog was intended to be pastoral, it has failed on a number of accounts and further muddies the waters," said Harry Knox, the director of the religion and faith program at the country's largest gay rights group, the Human Rights Campaign.

Knox said that Rafferty was no longer invested in the best interest of the child when the priest singled the boy out because of his parents' sexuality. He said O'Malley's opening paragraph--an anecdote about a brothel owner's child who attended Catholic school--was insulting the gay community by likening prostitution to homosexuality.

O'Malley also referenced a similar dispute in the Archdiocese of Denver and said the Denver policy that frowns on the admission of children from gay families should be considered as Boston develops long-term policies.

"But we recognize that, regardless of the circumstances involved, we maintain our responsibility to teach the truths of our faith, including those concerning sexual morality and marriage," O'Malley wrote.

Comments

[DevonTexas]

01:04 PM on 05/23/2010

the kid probably makes a bad candidate for molestation since his parents are too candid about sexuality.

[kareemachan]

10:40 AM on 05/23/2010

So.... for the good of the children, he denied a child?

[mainemomma]

08:27 AM on 05/22/2010

Just another reason for me to celebrate not being involved with the church any longer. To do this to a child, is just plain wrong.

[NHBill]

12:13 PM on 05/24/2010

ahuh

[Gwiwer]

03:17 AM on 05/22/2010

35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Mark 9:35-37

13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16

[DevonTexas]

01:05 PM on 05/23/2010

ow! that's gotta hurt!

[Joan McKniff]

02:02 AM on 05/22/2010

Makes one long for the Inquisition but this time by the people of the clergy !

[Poetikpariah]

11:21 PM on 05/21/2010

Very unfortunate...

I can speak on this as one of those who when asked about religion can jokingly reply, "raised Catholic." I can understand the need for consistency and unity in the church; however, not adapting is going to be the death of the church. It may have been ok to stone homosexuals, kill Muslims/Jews/Protestants, and be blatantly racist centuries ago, but those are obviously not acceptable by today's standards because of the development of basic human rights.

What's sad is that instead of preaching love and the more central messages of the faith, those in charge must focus on the more negative messages. What's even worse is that if they wanted their child to attend Catholic school, odds are they were practicing Catholics. What kind of message does that send to people who may be considering joining the Catholic faith?

[Weirdo]

10:29 PM on 05/21/2010

The Catholic Church: On the wrong side of history for 2,000 years.

[bluguy8]

07:45 PM on 05/21/2010

the church that keeps on hating

[robwriter]

07:44 PM on 05/21/2010

They're taking notes from Rand Paul.

[Hysterian68]

06:29 PM on 05/21/2010

Cardinal O'Malley's decision is another nail in the Church's coffin. Another reason for gay and straight Catholics to take over the administration and the government of the entire Church.

Using archbishop Chaput's decision as a model for archdiocesan future policy is a very big mistake. A sign the hierarchical old guard are joining forces to man the battlements.

These pointey-hatted, purple clad, ermine and lace dressed high priests trying to resusitate 16th century ultramontanism are going to fail. They're going to lose in more ways than they ever imagined.

[fcsakes]

05:40 PM on 05/21/2010

Got married, got divorced, one child who, when I wanted to have him baptized, the priest told me I had to declare him an illegitimate child because of the divorce before he could be baptized.

We left - never returned.

I hate them.

[Hysterian68]

06:31 PM on 05/21/2010

All you had to do was baptize the child yourself using the secret words. That's all. No priest needed.

[DavidGW]

08:39 PM on 05/21/2010

You REALLY don't get it!! It's not about the baptism. The priest in essence told fscaskes, 'Deny that you were married, Deny that you were divorced. Deny that your child has a father. Claim that you are an irresponsible little wh%^$ and WE will deem you worthy of our acceptance. Deny who you are and god will love you and your child. Stop being who you are and start being who we order you to be' You missed these not so subtle morally deviant messages and values the priest un-conciously told fcsakes. The baptism is irrelevant.

[DavidGW]

08:45 PM on 05/21/2010

@Hysterian68; I forgot one other message the priest was giving fcsakes - and this one was OVERT. The clear message was, 'Don't tell me the truth. Lie to me!'. In the past decades it has become pattently obvious that a major characteristic of the Catholic church is its uncontrollable, unrepentant, compulsive lying. So, the priest was telling fcsakes - 'If you and your child want to join the Catholic church you MUST become a liar just like us... starting right now!'

[DavidGW]

08:31 PM on 05/21/2010

Hooray for you!

[AynoftheAges]

05:24 PM on 05/21/2010

I couldn't stomach the catechism of the catholic church for these reasons.

[Hysterian68]

06:35 PM on 05/21/2010

I never did trust religion by committee. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a con job on the average Catholic if there ever was one.

A log written by the captain of a sinking Peter's Barque. Only this time, that ship is more like H.M.S. Bounty. Poor "Captain Bligh" Ratzinger has a mutiny on his hands the likes of which no captain has ever had to face.

[Kevin Atlanta]

05:12 PM on 05/21/2010

Great lesson for the child from the Catholic Cults of Jesus Inc.
How's that "Faith Based Funding" from George W Bush doing for you boys in dresses?
Hate much these days?

[exxman]

04:49 PM on 05/21/2010

The church needed very badly to keep that child away from the other children lest they find out that the boys family was a happy, healthy, well adjusted family just like their own. It would have made their bigoted nonsense pretty hard to swallow for even a minimally intelligent child

[JoVaEs]

04:16 PM on 05/21/2010

Although I completely disagree with the decision and the handling of this matter by the Catholic Church, I feel the need to remind people that Catholic schools are private educational entities, and as such they are allowed to make as many and whatever bigoted decisions they choose in regards to their pupils.

[Hysterian68]

06:38 PM on 05/21/2010

Thank you, but the legal standing of the parish, school, and the archdiocese really isn't the issue here. If legal action is necessary, I'm sure the couple and this child will know where to turn in Boston to receive competent counsel.

[Joan McKniff]

02:07 AM on 05/22/2010

but they accept state and federal funds in some cases and are supported by the tax payers in all cases as they are tax exempt.