An Indiana high school has placed "Catholic identity" ahead of one of its own. In an open letter, Cathedral High School tried to explain the "agonizing" decision to fire a gay teacher to avoid removal from the Indianapolis Catholic Diocese, after Archbishop Charles Thompson made clear what the ramifications of continuing to employ "a teacher in a public, same-sex marriage" would be.
Cathedral's board Chairman Matt Cohoat and President Rob Bridges tried to explain in a letter on the school's website. "If this were to happen, Cathedral would lose the ability to celebrate the Sacraments as we have in the past 100 years with our students and community." Simply put, the school would lose its Catholic affiliation and tax-exempt status. Ultimately, the church relented and let the anonymous gay teacher go after 22 months of discussion with the archdiocese.
Archbishop Thompson is apparently taking Catholic identity quite seriously these days. Last week, he issued a decree prohibiting neighboring Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School from calling itself a Catholic institution after it refused to fire a gay teacher in its own ranks. The school labeled the Archbishop's instructions harmful to its teachers and staff. "Disheartened" by the strong-arm technique, it then concluded, "our identity as a Catholic Jesuit institution remains unchanged."
Faith Firings of Gay Teachers Nothing New
Catholic schools firing upstanding teachers simply for being gay is nothing new.
Last February, first-grade teacher Jocelyn Morffi was fired from her seven-year job at Miami's St. Peter and Paul Catholic School after she married her wife. In a letter notifying families of the popular teacher's students, the school principal insisted he'd made "a difficult and necessary decision" and asked for their "continued prayers."
Officials at Cathedral High School, meanwhile, have braced themselves for the public backlash to the firing of their own teacher, who's anonymous for now.
"In today's climate, we know that being Catholic can be challenging and we hope that this action does not dishearten you, and, most especially, dishearten Cathedral's young people," they wrote. "We know that some individuals do not agree with every teaching of the Catholic Church and so their conscience struggles between the teaching and what they believe is right. We want you to know that we respect an individual's conflict between teaching and their conscience."
Catholic Diocese Refused to Relent
The Indianapolis Catholic Diocese did not immediately comment on Cathedral's decision. However, it's hard to see how they can deny anything less than full responsibility for it.
And with the firing gaining media attention, many have condemned the school's decision as unacceptable. Indeed, a Change.org petition denouncing the firing and asking the school to recant has received 10,000 signatures in two days.
Fellow Cathedral educator Buffy Hoyt VanWienen stood in solidarity with the anonymous gay teacher. Hoyt VanWienen made a public Facebook post about how she divorced and remarried without an annulment. Remarriage without an annulment is also in violation of the morality clause. "As scary, heartbreaking, and life changing as this is for me to say, Archbishop Thompson: fire me too."
Ultimately, it seems, Cathedral High School was between a rock and a hard place. Given the nearly two years of negotiations with the Catholic Diocese, this was not a decision Cathedral wanted to make. And a refusal to remove the teacher would result in the school losing its status as an independent nonprofit tax-exempt organization. But letting the teacher go has unleashed a wave of community outrage that is unlikely to slow any time soon.
What do you think? Should the school have displayed more backbone and stood up to the Archbishop's decree? Or do Catholic schools have the right to discriminate against gay teachers in a bid to respect their religious beliefs?
43 comments
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Secretary3rd
Someone is going to realize that the Catholic Church is a foreign government in the US and should not have 501 (c) (3) status from the IRS. Maybe be that school tax status should be review. As they are treating an American citizen with less respect. If the citizens really want to frighten the Pope in Rome just talk about that school losing that status and maybe the Catholic Church in that town as well.
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Aron100
I'm certain Kim will help you with that when you get down there Lionheart.
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kimberly
Lion....Aron is just a kid. so cute though.
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Lionheart
I’m feeling the heat already Aron ?
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Aron100
That could be Gout darling, don’t lose hope yet ;)
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kimberly
I seriously doubt if anybody really cares that they fired it.
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Aron100
Kimberly and or Kim, no matter your choice of user name today. You are very old, I can tell. You will be gone soon and so will your disgusting view of the world. I take comfort in this fact.
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kimberly
Since I'm about ready to keel over to your wishes and great delight, I'll make one more observation.....one can almost always tell a gay man by his voice. Talks like he has a c* in his mouth. How's your voice Aron?
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Aron100
And I will be enjoying c* long after you are lowered into the ground in a wooden box ......sweetheart.
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kimberly
It isn't when we go into the grave my dear.....it's when we come out of it that counts.
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Lionheart
Damn! I’m screwed then being as I’m going to be cremated. That’s going to be quite the trick putting me all back together again just to send me down to hell to be burned yet again.
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kimberly
Lion...…….your training in "heaven and hell" is flawed.
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Lionheart
Do I now have to explain humor to you Kim?
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kimberly
Not at all Lion. However, you place a little too much emphasis on your "humor" to not take it more seriously than you let on!
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Aron100
Your powers of observation are surpassed only by your charm and elegance Kim. I am indeed a gay man, but don't let that fact fool you into thinking I don't know an old c*t when I come across one my dear.
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bri
rename the school Cathedral Church of England High School. We have no problem with gays so long as they don't do it in the street and frighten the horses
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Guairdean
Allow me to quote everything that Christ said about homosexuality: "" That's it, the entire text. The school placed dogma before faith. Not an unusual stance for a church. If they argued about it for 22 months, the teacher must have been an excellent educator that they didn't want to lose. If that's the case it'll be interesting to see if the parents vote with their dollars and take their children somewhere that places educational quality over religious dogma.
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flugo
'gardenia': You'd do well to NOT display your lack of scholarship. Christ DID denounce homosexuality . . . by advocating heterosexuality!
Jesus in Matthew 19: 4,&5 underscored the man and wife/male and female marriage arrangement. This concept echos His Father's original design stated early in Genesis.
Christ's statement in Matthew clearly demonstrates His stand on heterosexuality, which is antithetical to homosexuality (like much of the LBGTQxyz-er' lifestyles).
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Carl Elfstrom
So, fluko it looks like you're saying you don't think Jesus Mae was gay, eh? What do you think his twelve merry would say about that? You know they left their wives to be with him. And after one night with her they never wanted a woman again. They were'nt even in the closet. Do they have to explain everything in writing to you simple minded Christians. They couldn't accommodate everyone. They expected that anyone with average intelligence would catch on. It was so obvious. Jesus only expected men and was omen to get together to copulate, and then return to their own kind. That makes me even more glad that I'm not a Christian, so I don't have to be gay, just to follow in Jesus' footsteps. Now that you've been enlightened, give it up girl! I can tell that you'd make an 5m bottom
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Carl Elfstrom
This computerized system has changed some of my words. I think it must be possessed by an illiterate discarnate entity who is a practical joker with a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor. The next to the last word in my last comment I typed the word "excellent", but it was changed to 5m, and earlier it put men and was omen instead of men and women. However I did I tentionally change flugo to fluko, for obvious reasons.
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Lionheart
Ahhhh men!
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Pat Palazzolo
And I denounced orange juice by advocating for Apple juice.
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Stephanie Willey
Just one more example of the morally corrupt church. Can't have a gay teacher but must, at any cost protect pedophile and sexual predator priests.
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Carl Elfstrom
It all boils down to one thing. Sister Charlie Thomas is trying to go back in the closet. By firing other gay men she thinks nobody will suspect her of living the same lifestyle, and will even be trusted to take showers with altarboys. Once you're out, you're out, Miss Thing!!!
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Carl Elfstrom
The difference is the pedophile priests try to keep a low profile and deceive everyone, but the openly gay teachers wear it on their sleeves for all to see. Even though there isn't anything perverted about being openly gay the church would rather be deceptive, so everyone will think they are totally straight laced, brim and proper. I think it has something to do with vanity, and arrogant ostentation. Colloquially speaking, saving face. Unfortunately, they want the wrong kind of people to think highly of them.
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Rev. Nobody
That's the reason why I believe religions are just another reason to for people discriminate and then justify it. If they want to be pure why don't they prosecute any and all priest that molest children. I believe in God and I believe that if being gay is wrong let God worry about it he's the ultimate judge not them. These same people that claim they are Christians are the same ones hooking up in public restrooms and then stand up and say being gay is a sin against God. Judge not least you be judged. Let them lay there sins out for the whole world to see and so that they can be judged by all that they see. All humans on this earth have sins. So stop the hate already. We all leave this life the same way so waste this precious time hating. Face it we're all going to die one day whether we have sins or not and no matter what religion we claim to be. Being a Christian means to be Christ like. It's not an excuse to hate nor is it a religion. So stop claiming that you're practicing hate in the name of Christ. You don't have to agree with what people do to show them love, and compassion. If you befriend a LGBT person it will not make you LGBT. It just makes you human. It's not contagious it's just what they are not you.
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Lionheart
That’s religion for you!
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kimberly
Religious organizations should not be forced into acceptance or affiliation with those who openly oppose their teachings. Especially when children are involved.
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REV. JOnathan Lee Mead
They were right in their judgement as is Pope Francis. God created man and woman to be joined as one in the sanctity of marriage.
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Lionheart
You are too funny, not to mention delusional!
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kimberly
the Catholic church is finally cracking down on perversion in the ranks. good to see.
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kimberly
first they accuse the church of not protecting the kids from perverts then they accuse the church of protecting the kids from perverts.
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Alicia
Gay men and women are NOT perverts. They do not go after children. They do not force those who are straight to engage in any intimacy with someone of the same sex. They are men and women, most of whom have high morals, but are brought down by the few who don't.
Kimberly, you are truly an intolerant twit who can't see because your head is so far up your ass you can probably see through your mouth.
The Catholic church needs to take care of their own perverts/priests, who DO go after young boys, before they fire a decent teacher simply because he doesn't have a "wife".
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kimberly
Alica sweetheart...I applaud your naivete. Its clear you know nothing of the "gay lifestyle". It is some of the most disgusting ways to have sex that you can imagine and it includes those forced into celibacy by a ridiculous church edict. If you did know, you wouldn't claim a homo teacher to be anything but a perv. and a potential danger to children. That one was fired doesn't negate the continued deviancy inherent within the catholic hierarchy. Pointing to that and trying to say a gay teacher is "better" is circular logic.
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flugo
'all lice': You evidently know VERY little about the 'gay' scene. They DO groom and recruit. They have LITTLE morals about sexuality and relationships and the spreading of HIV. Their lifestyle is abnormal, sinful and repugnant.
But, like ALL of us errant and sinful people, God is merciful to accept,forgive, renew the penitent through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
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Rev. Brien
I stand with Lionheart on this. You, Rev. Mead and you as well Kimberly are straight up ignorant and delusional. The only good thing is it is people like yourselves in the leadership of the catholic religion that are the cause of its' decline.
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flugo
The Meads and Kimberleys are like hers in that they minimize the Scriptures. The Bible is the eternal, holy Word of God. It's as an anvil that has withstood the attacks of time, and has littered around it countless broken, ruined hammers Lionheart has spoken the truth on this issue. Both Jesus and His Father are in agreement on this issue..
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kimberly
The bible is a translation of at least two languages written by many authors from many different cultures. Words are not eternal. God is. And how dare you to say you know what God or Jesus thinks.
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Lionheart
Yes how dare we say that we know what something that doesn’t exist thinks? Mythical gods are indeed eternal. They are as eternal as the human mind wants them to be.
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kimberly
Lion...……...mythical gods weren't eternal. These "gods" were worshipped by several ancient civilizations (Roman, Greek, Babylonian, etc.). By today's standards they might not have been eternal but they were nearly immortal. Their origin is fascinating actually. Prior to the flood, such "gods" were men who had been born and/or created at the dawn of humanity and in that age such men were incredibly long-lived. Some probably lived from the origin of mankind at the Genesis event to the flood. An indeterminant age but probably many thousands of years. During that pre-diluvian age, these men from the origin of humanity bred with hundreds of generations of their own progeny in a practice of eugenics designed to breed great men of war. All manner of genetic abnormalities developed. Many with some very strange abilities. Some not so much (Neanderthal). It was these descendants and those who bred them who became the "mythological gods" when tales of their exploits and abilities carried through the flood on the ark. So, a man named "Odin" or "Zeus" most probably existed to become a "god". Fortunately God stepped in and wiped out that ancient age to preserve humanity because such eugenics threatened mankind with extinction from genetic damage. Noah was chosen because he was a man "perfect in his generations" or genetically intact. And, it was why God shortened the lifespan of mankind after that. This is in the Bible if one wishes to research it. It isn't some form of abstract religiosity like we see today and it shows just how much more there is to what first appears to be a simple book put together by shepherds.
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flugo
'uckim': I have no issue with you . . . . . but, God has!
In His Word in Psalm 119, verses 89, 152, 160 are a few that describe the 'eternality' of His Word(s).
And, in I Corinthians 2:16 and Philemon 1:2 speak to one having the mind of Christ.
You'd do well to do your homework before embarrassing yourself and misleading others.
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kimberly
Flugo...Those passages mean God cannot lie. Not the words (plural) are eternal. The concept of eternity means infinite past as well as infinite future. HEB 7 is quite clear that the law concerning the levites was disannulled. Yet it was written to be forever. But forever does not mean eternity. The two concepts are different.
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Don't you know it is ONLY acceptable when the male is UNDER 18!!!