Mass. Catholic school won't admit lesbians' son

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100512/ap_ ... ay_parents


BOSTON – A Roman Catholic school in Massachusetts has withdrawn its acceptance of an 8-year-old boy with lesbian parents, saying their relationship was "in discord" with church teachings, according to one of the boys' mothers.

It's at least the second time in recent months that students have not been allowed to attend a U.S. Catholic school because of their parents' sexual orientation, with the other instance occurring in Colorado.

The Massachusetts woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about the effect of publicity on her son, said she planned to send the boy to third grade at St. Paul Elementary School in Hingham in the fall. But she said she learned her son's acceptance was rescinded during a conference call Monday with Principal Cynthia Duggan and the parish priest, the Rev. James Rafferty.

"I'm accustomed to discrimination, I suppose, at my age and my experience as a gay woman," the mother said. "But I didn't expect it against my child."

Rafferty said her relationship "was in discord with the teachings of the Catholic Church," which holds marriage is only between a man and woman, the woman said.

She said Duggan told her teachers wouldn't be prepared to answer questions her son might have because the school's teachings about marriage conflict with what he sees in his family.

Rafferty and Duggan did not respond to requests for comment.

Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston Archdiocese, said it learned about the school's decision late Tuesday. He said the archdiocese is now in "consultation with the pastor and principal to gather more information."

Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage, in 2004, and the Catholic Church strongly opposed the decision. The woman, who is not married to her partner, said she didn't expect the church to approve of her relationship but didn't think it should affect her son's education.

The case mirrors a situation in Boulder, Colo., in which the Sacred Heart of Jesus school said two children of lesbian parents could not re-enroll because of their parents' sexual orientation. The Denver Archdiocese posted a statement in support of the school's decision.

Gay rights groups later took out full-page newspaper ads in protest.

The woman said she and her partner don't regularly attend church but are Christian and wanted their son to have a strong education that also emphasized Christian values, such as compassion and empathy. They also found the size of the small K-8 school appealing and saw it as entry into a strong Catholic schooling tradition that extends through college.

The church's stance against homosexual relationships was no shock, but the woman said she didn't think it was a deal-breaker, given the church's "many variations of tolerance," such as its inclusion of families of divorce, which the church doesn't recognize.

"There are many different non-traditional families that fall under the umbrella of the Catholic Church, and I guess we assumed we would fall under one of those," she said.

The woman and her partner filled out both their names during the application process — which asked for the names of "parents" rather than mother and father — and attended an open house together at the school in February.

"We weren't hiding," she said.

They paid their deposit and got uniform order forms, and last week the woman visited Rafferty to discuss their son's religious education. At that meeting, Rafferty started asking questions about her relationship with her partner, the woman said. A few days later, he and Duggan called with the decision.

Her son will likely be back in public school next year, since it may be too late to get into another private school, she said.

"I think overall, it's a missed opportunity," she said.

Losers. They can't stop progress.

In other late breaking news: church finally admits Galileo may have been correct, and apologizes. Didn't that happen last year?

Dear Dilbert,
You are THE most ignorant person I have ever met on this site. I mean, come on. Get your facts strait. Just because someone is catholic doesn’t mean were bad people. And by calling the church losers hurts me. So take the hate comments to 4chan if you really are that desperate. And secondly, the Catholic Church didn’t just admit Galileo was right last year, what you’re thinking of happened in the early 2000s. And that was a series of a long list of apologies, or confessions of the Catholic Church. We knew were wrong for all of those along time ago, that was just a formal apology.

What the hell is a lesbian doing trying to send her son to a Catholic school?

Sounds like she's looking for trouble to get in the news.

If they want to give their son a strong education, a Catholic School is the last place they want to send him to. It's not so much the Catholic aspect of it. The Catholic School system is financially corrupt and the students are left with very low quality materials to work with and lazy teachers who let kids get away with alot of sh*t. Dont be fooled by the whole nuns and rulers act. Kids in the Catholic School system are so ill-mannered. Imagine what would've happened if the boy had been enrolled and the other kids found out that his parents are a lesbian couple. They would have probably beaten him up to death. Literally.

As bad and typical as this kind of rejection is, in the case of this family, it might be for the best.

thats not entierly true. check your facts. some catholic schools are bad some are good. same with public school. my public school system in Rhode Island cant even aford paper anymore. however, the three top schools in the state are catholic. then a private, a publing, and 2 more catholics. so stop being prejudist. not that im calling you hatefull agensed catholics but its never a system, always individual.

Amazing...

First, I was born a catholic.

I realized, on my own, that that's nothing but a bunch of crap perpetuated by a collective delusion and social influence. A cult thinly veiled as a moral compass and a way to cheat death and to absolve oneself of having to make tough decisions and avoid responsibility for one's actions. All the while, those perpetuating the cult (church) are being made rich by it, and thus remain in power.

How did we ever get from a superstitious religions where God is anything and everything unknown (like where lightning comes from) to the modern religions I'll never know. The former made sense at the time. A burning bush and a virgin birth are just fictional stories written by who knows who, and then bound in leather.

The only difference between Christianity or Judaism or Islam, and Scientology, is centuries of history. That's *it*. Both are dangerous cults which should not be allowed to exist.

But somehow, the formers are socially acceptable and the latter is mostly not.

You are calling me ignorant??? W-O-W. Hell, this debate we are having isn't even a difference of opinion between you and me. It is reason and logic and inevitable progress, vs the unreasonable and dark and ancient and sad and horrible.

Typical bigotry from Roman Catholics.

They don't seem to mind paedophile priests though.

I think we have to make a judgment here ---

Catholics do not accept homosexuality. In other places, homosexuality is allowed but just not in some religious institutions, as far as I understand (to keep its student body in toe with the teachings of the Church, no matter how unjust they are) because different religions do have different thoughts. Another analogy: What do you think, too, about the Jehoviah Witnesses not serving in the military? What do you think of the Old Order Amish withdrawing from school at 8th grade, no matter how smart they had been? They are unjust but they have their religious beliefs, don't they? And aren't we living in a free society where we are equal before God?

So why not just accept the situation and let the lesbians find another school, where they could accept their child(ren)?

Well I just hope they got their money back.

If this catholic school isn't going to have them, that is their decision. Personally I don't really think they go by the book, would the same be said to adulterers, single parents, liars and so on? Just doesn't seem christ-like but anyway it's their institution. I do think however it was very selfish to put such a burden on the 8 year old son. "Sorry kid, it's nothing personal but we can't accept the fact that well...your parents are the way they are and this is why we can't admit you." Pretty pathetic.

Another child spared the indignity of "learning" from the church. Now he'll have a chance at getting a real education, at a school that teaches science, not magic.

Well as they say, one door closes and another one opens. Perhaps it was pure destiny after all.

I hope so too. I mean the couple was kinda "playing with fire" in the first place going to a church-funded institution (given their sexual orientation). But if the Catholic School is going to kick the kid out and not refund the family, that to me is stealing and could call for a lawsuit. Of course, the gay community would love this because to them and their supporters, it's gonna be more about gay discrimination more than it is about the Catholic School ripping them off.

How did this school accepted this kid and not know that the parents were lesbians? I thought the principal or headmaster or whatever would personally meet with the families who wanted to apply before signing any papers.

I would be interested to know if the school only refuses admittance in the case of parents living as homosexuals. Do they also close the door on the children of parents who are heterosexual, but unmarried? If not the latter then the former is hypocritical, since the Catholic Church is supposed to be against both kinds of union.

If they do also shut the door on the children of unwed parents then I don't see that the couple have a case. While theoretically it's up to the school who they admit, they should at least apply their own rules with consistency. I suspect, like many Christian institutions, they have a heirarchy of sin, in which homosexuality is seen as somehow worse than heterosexual promiscuity or fornication. Whichever the case is, it's not fair to discriminate against a child.

On the other hand, I went to Catholic schools, and was beaten by nuns from the age of five, and rejoice in the distinction of being expelled for "thinking" wrong thoughts at eleven. (I expressed the opinion that I felt sorry for Judas, and wouldn't rescind.) I was never a Christian growing up, the RC school system effectively made me distrust it on every level. It was only in my thirties that I discovered Christianity is very different from what I grew up with. Most Catholics are NOT paedophile priests, or evil... but I do think the institution is fundamentally untrustworthy. This couple should be glad their son isn't going there. They have no idea the bullying he would have had to endure from teachers who would see him as tainted with original sin.

I don't know why they wanted to send him there in the first place. They don't regularly attend Catholic church which in a lot of cases (at least in the UK) is a requirement for admittance. They want him to be taught Christian values and homosexuality goes against Catholic values so what did they expect?
I went to a Catholic primary school and I hated it because my mum changed religion which made me completely stand out and confused at many points. I mean I had to stand up and fake singing church songs and one time I even accidentally took holy communion!
I don't agree with many beliefs of the Catholic church however I think it's fair enough they didn't accept him however they do need to reimburse the people involved of the expense.

What religion did your Mum change to?

I remember once I fainted on the way to communion, and afterwards all these well meaning folk were sitting me upright, trying to persuade me to go up and take it. All that happened was I fainted again... in total three times. The third time the priest came in and brought the host to me, and made me take it, and I conked out again!

Of course, after that they all thought I had the devil in me... in retrospect, it could have been any number of things. Panic and stress spring to mind. I seem to remember I was convinced at the time that I shouldn't take the host because I was an evil sinner. I kept saying "no", but couldn't explain to them why... one of the more horrible things I remember. Haven't thought about it in years... urgh.

But yes, if someone is semi conscious on the floor, begging not to be made to take communion, you would think someone would call a Doctor, rather than force it down their throat.