The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has decided to fight back in response to the misrepresentations of their new teachers’ contract being spread by the media and homosexual activists.
CNSNews.com is reporting that the diocese is defending itself against attacks by the media and LGBT activists who say the changes they made to the new contract for Catholic school teachers is “extreme” and “draconian” simply because it bars behaviors that violate Church teaching.
“There have been a lot of just flat-out misstatements by certain organizations,” said Dan Andriacco, communications director for the archdiocese, to CNSNews.com.
One example he cited was the idea “that said this contract means that you could be fired for going to your daughter’s gay wedding or for saying some words of comfort to a child who’d been bullied. This is absolute nonsense in both cases,” Andriacco said.
“There have also been headlines that say that the archdiocese will fire you for being gay. That’s absolutely ridiculous. The term ‘gay’ refers to somebody’s sexual orientation; there is nothing in the contract about sexual orientation. The contract speaks about activity – whether verbal statements or your lifestyle.”
The new contract simple asks teachers to agree “to exemplify Catholic principles and to refrain from any conduct or lifestyle which would reflect discredit on or cause scandal to the School or be in contradiction to Catholic doctrine or morals.”
Some behavior that will not be tolerated includes “the improper use of social media, engaging in or publicly supporting sexual activity out of wedlock, homosexual lifestyles, abortion, use of a surrogate mother, in-vitro fertilization or artificial insemination, and membership in any organization whose mission and message are incompatible with Catholic teaching,” CNS reports.
Andriacco said the Archdiocese does not want its teachers publicly undermining those teachings.
However, what they do in private is their own business.
“When you look at the contract you’ll see the term ‘public’ is used about eight times…we’re not talking about what somebody might say to his or her spouse in private over the breakfast table because we have no control over that and we have no desire to go peering into people’s private lives.”
All that matters to the Church is whether or not they are standing as a public sign of contradiction to the teaching of the Church.
Critics are also attacking the diocese for including a new title for teachers – “teacher-minister” – because it will make it easier for schools to fire offending teachers in the wake of the Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC case.
In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in which they said federal discrimination laws do not apply to a religious organizations’ selection of their leaders and ministers.
As CNS reports, Andriacco acknowledged that past lawsuits arising from teachers’ ignorance of Catholic teaching were “a factor” in drawing up the new contract.
He also said that the archdiocese is “working on a course for all of our teachers to get them better grounded in Catholic moral teaching.”
LGBT rights groups continued to attack the Archdiocese, however, erroneously claiming that the new contract cites any support of the homosexual lifestyle as grounds for dismissal.
Dr. Sharon Groves, director of the HRC Religion and Faith Program said, “At a time when Pope Francis is talking about support of civil unions, the Cincinnati Archdiocese, in a throwback to past times, is talking about firing gay and lesbian teachers and silencing their straight supporters. This isn’t in keeping with the olive branch Pope Francis has extended to LGBT people around the world, but even more importantly, it’s not in keeping with the living message of God’s love of all people.”
However, Andriacco was quick to correct the record, saying that the new contract is completely in accord with Pope Francis’ position. There is a clear distinction in Church teaching between homosexual orientation, “which is in no way sinful because it’s not something that’s sought,” and homosexual activity.
“We have at least one teacher, I believe he’s a high school teacher, who tells his students that he’s gay and that he accepts the teachings of the Catholic Church and he lives as a celibate gay,” Andriacco explained.
“There’s nothing wrong with that in any aspect of Catholic teaching.”
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
