California diocese asks teachers to affirm Church teaching
February 28, 2013
The Diocese of Santa Rosa, California, is asking teachers at Catholic schools to affirm their support for Church teaching, explicitly including the teaching on controversial issues such as abortion, contraception, and same-sex marriage.
"I am simply fulfilling my duty and responsibility to make sure that the Catholic faith, as it is presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is clearly and consistently taught in the Catholic institutions of the diocese,” explained Bishop Robert Vasa of Santa Rosa. Responding to complaints from some teachers, the bishop said that his policy was designed to ensure that teachers in Catholic schools provide models of Catholic living for their students.
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Posted by: Bveritas2322 -
Mar. 01, 2013 1:47 PM ET USA
Now if we can only get priests and nuns to commit to the Catholic religion. It would be a novel experience for many of them.
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Posted by: jacquebquique5708 -
Mar. 01, 2013 12:03 PM ET USA
As a former Catholic school teacher, you have to understand that the problem does not lie with individual teacher. The problem comes from attempts to unionize the teachers in general and the Catholic Ediucation Association in particular. The CEA is below the radar with its own agenda. There is no doubt of groups of Catholic laity attempting to take over the governance of the Church due to the loss of large numbers of priests. One cannot be naive to the fact of infiltration with an agenda.
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Posted by: Minnesota Mary -
Feb. 28, 2013 6:40 PM ET USA
Three cheers for good Bishop Vasa!
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Posted by: Defender -
Feb. 28, 2013 6:04 PM ET USA
This shouldn't be limited to teachers only nad should include any Catholic colleges in the area, as well. I have taught in Catholic schools for well over a decade and I've seen and heard administrators and office staff who aren't Catholic and have degraded our Faith, with nothing being done against their studied insults to being Catholic. If you look at the referenced site, you'll notice that the high school students are not pleased - they obviously haven't been taught well, have they?
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Posted by: -
Feb. 28, 2013 5:20 PM ET USA
This is a very good idea for all dioceses accross America. If a Catholic teacher can not affirm their Catholicism then they don't qualify to teach at a Catholic school. For all new teachers, affirmation should also be a requirement.
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Posted by: unum -
Feb. 28, 2013 5:17 PM ET USA
The Bishop is fulfilling his responsibility to Christ and His Church, by requiring teachers to sign an agreement that they will "be a "model of Catholic living" and to adhere to Catholic teaching". He has teachers who don't know whether they will sign or not, so it seems the agreement is needed. Bishop Vasa is not "asking teachers at Catholic schools to affirm their support for Church teaching". Good for him.
