Boston Catholic schools will enroll children of same-sex parents

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The Archdiocese of Boston does not prohibit children of same sex parents from attending Catholic schools, and officials there have offered to help a child refused admittance to an elementary school because his parents are lesbian to enroll in another archdiocesan school, according to a statement released late this afternoon.

“We believe that every parent who wishes to send their child to a Catholic school should have the opportunity to pursue that dream,” said Mary Grassa O’Neill, secretary for education and superintendent of schools for the archdiocese. “Our schools welcome children based on their parent’s understanding that the teachings of the church are an important component of the curriculum and are part of the students’ educational experience.”
“The archdiocese does not prohibit children of same sex parents from attending Catholic schools,” her statement continued. “We will work in the coming weeks to develop a policy to eliminate any misunderstandings in the future.”

The statement is in response to a controversy that erupted when the Associated Press reported that an eight-year-old boy was denied admission to St. Paul School in Hingham, Mass., after the pastor, Fr. James Rafferty, learned that the child’s parents are lesbians.
 
I think that this is the correct decision, but the path is harrowing either way. Jesus said, “Let the children come unto me,” but the situation in which gays and lesbians are placing their legal wards is nothing less than cruel.

Religion teachers are now going to be placed in an almost impossible situation: who wants to tell a child that his or her parents are objectively disordered, and that everything about that family’s life as a family is a lie?

There is nothing we can do for the diocesean schools ourselves, though. They will need our prayers.
 
Religion teachers are now going to be placed in an almost impossible situation: who wants to tell a child that his or her parents are objectively disordered, and that everything about that family’s life as a family is a lie?
The parents themselves are not “objectively disordered”.

And it’s not the case that “everything” about their family is a lie.
 
The parents themselves are not “objectively disordered”.
I agree. They could be subjectively disordered, but it would take mental health professionals to test them and draw that conclusion.
And it’s not the case that “everything” about their family is a lie.
Quite so.
 
I find this very disturbing and one reason why I am not sending my children to Catholic school. In the words of Fulton Sheen, “If you want your children to lose the Catholic Faith, send them to Catholic school. If you want them to keep the faith, send them to public school.”

How in the world can a child who believes that he has two mommys, that they are both validly married not be affected when taught in religion class about human sexuality- and taught that homosexual acts are immoral, mortal sin, depraved and evil?

How is this child going to turn out by doing this? The child’s parents are not able to have the child “opt out” of religion class and you MUST pass religion class in order to get promoted to the next grade. At lease that is how it was back when I went to Catholic School. - No matter what religion you are you MUST attend and PASS religion class in order to get promoted to the next grade.

This is a clear shot by homosexuals to try and change Church teaching on marriage and homosexuality. It is not about discrimination.

However I seriously doubt that in todays Catholic schools the children are taught the evilness of the “sin of sodom”.

Do the students parents also have the ability to withold the child from days when the Church teaching on homosexual relationships is taught? Back in the day NO WAY. Is it different today?

I cannot fathom why a homosexual couple wants to send their adopted child to a school that teaches against the very relationship they are in. Then again do the Catholic schools teach against such relationships today?

Ken
 
The parents themselves are not “objectively disordered”.

And it’s not the case that “everything” about their family is a lie.
That’s your opinion and you are free to hold it. However, in a CATHOLIC school, the teacher must teach according to the Catechism and the teaching of the Church. That teaching is that homosexuality IS objectively disordered and that “families” headed by homosexual couples are not true families.
 
I find this very disturbing…

This is a clear shot by homosexuals to try and change Church teaching on marriage and homosexuality. It is not about discrimination.
I so thoroughly agree with you, and similarly find this transparent on the part of the “couple,” and foolishly confused and political on the part of the archdiocese. I say ‘political’ because I strongly feel that the Church is not recognizing that it is unconsciously seeking to Have It Both Ways. (Teach one thing; “accept” another thing.) There’s this fear of being ‘controversial,’ of being subjected to headlines (in the midst of far more scandalous, heinous headlines). IOW, this feels to me like a caving in to the secular culture for PR reasons. If you ask anyone in the hierarchy, no one’s going to say, “No, wait, we’ve changed our position on sexuality and homosexuality in particular.” But heaven forbid that as an institution the Church appear to be supposedly ‘intolerant.’

I’ve made my opinions known, as several other CAF posters have, on the earlier but still recent thread about the Colorado incident. I agree with this poster here that this decision flies in the face of essential Catholic teaching, core teaching. It’s a decision ill-advised. I thank Corki also for again similarly registering her opinion on this thread, as she did on the other. Well said.
 
Good. These children should be let into Catholic schools. They’ve done nothing to deserve discrimination becuase of the actions of their parents.

Should we not let children into Catholic schools whose parents are divorced or don’t go to mass?

If I had same sex parents and I wasn’t allowed at a school because of that, that would be the last religion I would ever consider being a part of.

On a last note, why should we worry that the child would be offended in religion class? Non Catholics go to Catholic school, too. And everyone’s parents sin.

But apparently homosexuality is the one sin that it is okay to discriminate against (or even let the discrimination pass down to people’s children.)
 
I agree. They could be subjectively disordered, but it would take mental health professionals to test them and draw that conclusion.
When mental health professionals develop the competence to correctly identify moral and spiritual disorders, I will be sure to consult them before the texts of the Doctors of the Church and the words of Scripture. Heck, when that day comes, I’ll call 'em “Father,” because I’ll have no need of priests anymore!

It is an error in reasoning to equivocate “objectively disordered” and “suffering from an imbalance in brain chemistry.” Mental illness is a species of disorder, but “disorder” covers a broad range of personal problems, the vast majority of them far outside the competence of the mental health profession.

Unfortunately, the novelty of the shrink has, in the minds of many people, given them plenary authority in all personal matters. This is a modern problem.
 
Wowbagger, Did you mean “equivocate” [between] or “equate”[with] ?
🙂
 
That’s your opinion and you are free to hold it. However, in a CATHOLIC school, the teacher must teach according to the Catechism and the teaching of the Church. That teaching is that homosexuality IS objectively disordered and that “families” headed by homosexual couples are not true families.
Homosexuality may be objectively disordered, but a human person is not a “disorder”. Thus, the parents themselves are not “objectively disordered”.

Same-sex parents may not constitute a “true family”, but that is different from saying that such a relationship is a complete falsehood, or a complete lie.
 
How in the world can a child who believes that he has two mommys, that they are both validly married not be affected when taught in religion class about human sexuality- and taught that homosexual acts are immoral, mortal sin, depraved and evil?
Do Catholic schools say the same thing about masturbation?
I cannot fathom why a homosexual couple wants to send their adopted child to a school that teaches against the very relationship they are in.
Probably the same reason why parents who masturbate, use artificial birth control, live in common law, are divorced and re-married, are having affairs, who don’t go to confession, who never go to Mass, who married outside the Church, who look at pornography or who fantasy sexually, send their children to Catholic schools.

Odd that these schools and many posters only seem to get bent out of shape about the sins of the homosexuals.
 
Do Catholic schools say the same thing about masturbation?

Probably the same reason why parents who masturbate, use artificial birth control, live in common law, are divorced and re-married, are having affairs, who don’t go to confession, who never go to Mass, who married outside the Church, who look at pornography or who fantasy sexually, send their children to Catholic schools.

Odd that these schools and many posters only seem to get bent out of shape about the sins of the homosexuals
Simply because there is a difference in conduct. In those that you have mentioned, one gives the benefit for reform. Same-sex relationships do not and are indicative of unrepentant conduct.
 
Simply because there is a difference in conduct. In those that you have mentioned, one gives the benefit for reform. Same-sex relationships do not and are indicative of unrepentant conduct.
People living in same sex relationships are incapable of reform? How do you figure? Can man not overcome sin? Why can man overcome the sin of masturbation, or the sin of not going to Mass, but you suggest that man cannot overcome the sin of homosexual relations.

Please explain.
 
This is a sad day truly. I do not think that the children should be penalized for the sins of their parents, but this is going to be a tough situation as many posters have already said. It is sad that homosexual “partnerships” are becoming more commonplace. A great deal of this phenomenon is due to the blending of gender identities in society. I mean, when a man gets pedicures and spends an hour on his hair, his masculinity shoud be in question. However, the secular worlds blending of gender has caused a great confusion amomgst people. This type of thinking is rooted in Marxist/Ingells ideals which are thoroughly opposed to God and any notion of traditional values. Its very existence is dependent on a radical departure from the natural order of things, May God have mercy!
 
People living in same sex relationships are incapable of reform? How do you figure? Can man not overcome sin? Why can man overcome the sin of masturbation, or the sin of not going to Mass, but you suggest that man cannot overcome the sin of homosexual relations.

Please explain.
A homosexual can overcome the sin of homosexuality if that person resolves to abandon it. Where there is a failure of making restitution or resolve towards avoiding proximate voluntary occasion of sin, then there is a persistence in obstinacy which opposes the readiness to repent.

The Catholic Church teaches that engaging in homosexual acts is a sin…as well as those that you have mentioned above. The Church also teaches that everyone can receive absolution for sins committed. However, while a penitent can be forgiven, there is also an obligation on the person to correct his mistake and seriously promise not to commit the same. In our act of contrition, we say “I firmly resolve… to amend my life” and one of the means to reform is not to expose oneself to circumstances where it could lead to occasion of sin.
 
Good. These children should be let into Catholic schools. They’ve done nothing to deserve discrimination becuase of the actions of their parents.

Should we not let children into Catholic schools whose parents are divorced or don’t go to mass?

If I had same sex parents and I wasn’t allowed at a school because of that, that would be the last religion I would ever consider being a part of.

On a last note, why should we worry that the child would be offended in religion class? Non Catholics go to Catholic school, too. And everyone’s parents sin.

But apparently homosexuality is the one sin that it is okay to discriminate against (or even let the discrimination pass down to people’s children.)
These children should NOT be let into Catholic Schools because as i said, for one specific reason: They will be taught that homosexual acts are immoral, depraved, disordered, mortally sinful and cry out to God for vengance. They will be taught that marriage is between a man and a woman ONLY, that two persons of the same sex cannot marry…then let’s say the student asks a question, "But I have two mommys, aren’t they married? They sleep together in the same bed also, are they doing wrong?

JUST LOOK at the can of worms being opened up here, look at the damage to be done already to the twisted mind of the child. The school is not allowed to teach contraary to Catholic teaching in regards to homosexuality.

True, non-Catholics attend Catholic schools. I had a Hindu classmate but she was also taught like we were that the Catholic Church is the church established by Jesus Christ, there is only one God, homosexual actions are evil and cry to God for vengance, etc. This girl had to pass religion class in order to get promoted to eighth grade…she did and possibly knew more about the seven Sacraments than the Catholic students in that class but that is beside the point.

The child of the homosexuals wil lbe taught that their mommy’s are not married, that they are not a true family, that homosexual actions are depraved, evil and cry to heaven for vengence. Now you tell me WHY in the world the homosexuals want to have their adopted child sent to the Catholic school? Not because they care about the child that is for sure! Just to attempt to change society and Church teaching! To accept them for their depravity, degenerate relationship, immoral actions that cry to heaven for vengence!
 
The child of the homosexuals wil lbe taught that their mommy’s are not married, that they are not a true family, that homosexual actions are depraved, evil and cry to heaven for vengence. Now you tell me WHY in the world the homosexuals want to have their adopted child sent to the Catholic school? Not because they care about the child that is for sure! Just to attempt to change society and Church teaching! To accept them for their depravity, degenerate relationship, immoral actions that cry to heaven for vengence!
Therin lies the question, as they say. WILL they be taught that or will the teachers be intimidated (possibly ordered by the administrators) into watering down the teaching so as not to offend the “parents” of this child?
 
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