In my town, a preschool child has been expelled from Sacred Heart School, not for behavior or because payment is remiss, but because the child's parents are lesbian. This turns out to be the gravest offense, according to the Denver Archdiocese and the pastor of the church, Father Bill. "Same-sex attraction" is not in line with the teachings of the Catholic church, and therefore Father Bill has chosen to be a "disciple of the church" over being loving and accepting of a child parented by a same-sex couple. He further defends the decision as a means "to protect the child and his or her parents from the necessary conflict that their relationship would bring to a clear-seeing and committed Catholic community."
What about divorce -- also against Catholic teachings -- asked some church members? Father Bill justifies the acceptance of children of divorced parents because, "People who are divorced do not say divorce is good. There are no pro-divorce parades. Divorce is a tragedy for everybody." He says "There's no comparing other issues to the issue of gay marriage." He does not mention that being gay is not a choice while most other decisions like divorce are a choice. And while I do not know or speak for the couple, I'm quite sure there were only asking to send their child to a well-respected preschool, not launch a covert operation to change church doctrine on gay marriage.
As I sit in the church pew with dropped jaw, Father Bill mentions that the lesbian couple have traditionally come to the 10 o'clock mass and he is not sure if they are there today. Clearly, it's been okay for them to come to mass, but it is not okay for their child to get a Catholic education, a choice the parents made for the child. I envision Jesus stepping forward and interrupting Father Bill with a gentle hand on his shoulder saying, "With all due respect, you've gone too far."
When the sermon is finished, I leave the church with my companion who recognizes this rationalization for discrimination; he witnessed it first-hand growing up African American. We rejoin the crowd of about forty self-organized citizens who have been standing adjacent to the church holding a sign that reads, "Teach Acceptance, Celebrate All God's Children."
Others from the congregation begin to come up to us and speak of their sadness regarding the Archdiocese's decision. One parent is hoping to encourage fellow Sacred Heart families to withhold their Sunday donation in protest by placing a voided check in the church collection. A kind man chooses to stand with us. He broke into tears during the sermon and had to leave early, recounting his sister and her partner choosing to raise a child in a loving home, a child that was sadly abused by a heterosexual couple. One woman who came to express her support half-jokingly said, "I'll probably be excommunicated."
Not everyone was opposed to the decision to expel the child from preschool. One man told me that as a former Catholic, my opinion did not count here and that I would not be accepted into God's kingdom -- I would not be going to heaven. My only response: "God bless you."
To read Father Bill's Sunday sermon, visit his blog.
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6. "Open discord" is different from private dissent or private immoral actions, while they are both morally wrong, only in the case of open discord can the bishop reasonably have it encumbent upon him to act. He can't act on what he doesn't know is going on. I think all people get this point.
7. Enough with the bigotry.
2. The archbishop acting for the church defines the primary purpose in his schools.
3. As the bishop has said catholic education requires the parents to be partners with the school in living an authentic catholic faith. Its not for the parents to use the Catholic school for an academic education.
3. The parent and her partner are living in "open discord" with 2 catholic teachings: human sexuality and marriage.
4. It is not "punishing the child" since the child is free and able to obtain an education in any number of schools. These include public, private and other religious institutions. Perhaps if this were the only school in Colorado one could say this does harm to the child.
However, an abandonment of principle that parents should partner with the school in living the faith in order to make an accomodation does harm to the child in question and serious harm to ALL THE OTHER CHILDREN and their parents who are trying to live the faith, ie "to do it right." This is morally unacceptable.
I despise this church, and in fact am incredulaous that in 2010 its pretensions and arrogance still run rampant. I would caution anyone who sends a child into these RC Parochial institutions that the teachings of this church are dangerous; there is an insidious kind of programming that takes place and it's sugar coated with sactimonious prayers, hymns and ritual.
I too went to Catholic schools for 16 years, however, I raised my kids outside this so-called church and never looked back. My grown children and their children know nothing of this institution these days- thankfully. I think the most sensible among us would admit, Religion cannot be inherited in the first place, and the dogmatic ones shoudl be avoided at all costs.. What possessed these women to send thier child to this church school is inexplicable to me...' Jesus' my foot, this institution would not recognize Christianity if it hit it square in the face.
“… must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity … Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm#2357
These are not MY words, they are the words of the Catholic Church's catechism. Until the Church repents of the harm it causes by refusing to conduct itself in a manner consistent with the ENTIRETY of its teachings, its moral authority will continue to erode.
Could you post a copy of this piece of paper where the lesbian couple promised to raise their child in a "moral" home? I'd definitely like to see that language explicitly stated in writing. The bottom line is the school has the right to ask the student not to return. I don't think anyone is really disputing that. The issue is why they're refusing to allow the child of a lesbian couple to return due to moral reasons, yet they're not doing the same thing to children of divorced parents that have remarried which, in the Catholic Church's eyes, is living in a perpetual state of adultery, also not a very moral environment for a child. It's selective enforcement of the rules.
I don't think Christ would have handled this problem in this manner.
http://www.fatherbillsblog.com/
He makes some good points. How would you feel if your kids came home and told you that "We heard in school today that you're a pair of sinners. Is that true?". Father Bill doesn't want these kids to be exposed to that. Should the school going to stop teaching Catholic philosophy just to protect these kids? Right or wrong, it's the what the Catholic Church teaches and everyone knows that coming in the door.
I for one will continue to send my kids to the Sacred Heart of Jesus School. I know the school and the Catholic church are not perfect, but it's a MUCH better alternative than sending my kids to public school where there are NO standards AT ALL about right and wrong.
Thanks again for engaging in this important conversation!
If the Archdiocese of Denver feels anyone not living up to the Catholic faith is worthy of having their child expelled, I await their decision to start expelling children of divorced parents. Anything else is only enforcing the rules part of the time and against one specific set of people: homosexuals.
Thanks again!
Motivations may not always be understood by others, but they are important. You did a great job of detailing what's going on with the church, and with those who oppose this decision, but you left out the most important players in this story, the child and her parents.
We should be TAXING religious predators.
It's astounding that any clergy in the Catholic Church would stick his neck out to condemn homosexuality. Especially in light of last week's revelation that one of the Pope's staff members was paying thousands of dollars to a pimp to bring him young men.
I saw that priest on TV last night saying basically that this is a "private" school and he doesn't need to answer questions. What hypocrisy.
As I said earlier, I attended Catholic schools for 12 years and this is the first I've ever heard of a student being expelled because the student's parents weren't living a "Catholic" life, and I even went to school with an atheist.