Sunday, July 25, 2010

Why go to a Catholic school?

The National Catholic Register reported in it's June 6-19, 2010 issue that a Catholic school in Boston, Mass. denied admittance of a student whose parents are lesbians.

We might be tempted, at first, to think that the school is being uncharitable. Even Jesus ate with those who rejected his teachings, so why should a Catholic school deny a student based on the sins of his parents?

The thoughtful article "When a Student Has '2 Mommies'" which had additional information about the unfortunate response of the superintendent of Catholic schools (she "insisted there had been a mistake") and the threat by the Catholic Schools Foundation to withhold subsidies "from any school that discriminated against such students", made one final point which erases any doubt about the Pastor's denial.

The Register states:

"James Flynn, vice chancellor of the Denver Archdiocese and a canon lawyer, said that two canonical principles shaped Archbishop Chaput's response: 'The pastor is the administrator of the parish and, with some exceptions, it is his prerogative to decide these issues. Second, the parents are the child's primary educators, and the school is their partner."

Flynn went on to say that "if that partnership isn't going to work out because the two aren't aligned on human sexuality, human dignity or doctrinal teachings, that partnership can't continue."

The response of Archbishop Chaput as reported in the Reigster from a published statement in March, was that the "main purpose of Catholic schools is religious; in other words, to form students in the Catholic faith, Catholic morality and Catholic social values."

Although Catholic schools may seem to some to simply be a quality alternative to other public or private education choices, clearly, it is much more than that. Choosing a Catholic school for one's child is only reasonable if the Catholic doctrine taught there is not opposed within the student's home.

God bless,
Janet

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