Ontario Catholic schools will obey rule requiring gay-straight alliances
June 07, 2012
After protesting against legislation that will require Catholic schools to recognize “gay-straight alliance” groups, the Catholic bishops of Ontario have announced that they will obey the new law.
After Ontario’s legislature approved the bill over the objections of Church leaders, Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto said that parochial schools would comply. The cardinal, along with the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, had said that the law was an affront to religious freedom.
While noting once again that the bishop had “expressed serious concerns” about the legislation, Cardinal Collins promised, in a mildly worded statement, that “Catholic partners will seek, as we have always done, in a way that is in accord with our faith, to foster safe and welcoming school communities.”
The Catholic bishops and Catholic-school administrators had protested that the bill, which specifically requires schools to allow the formation of groups called "gay-straight alliances," deprives school officials of the authority to approve or disapprove the names of student organizations.
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Further information:
- Catholic schools will follow Ontario's gay-straight club requirement (CNA)
- Ontario Catholic schools oppose requirement for gay-straight alliances (CWN, 5/28)
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Posted by: claire5327 -
Jun. 08, 2012 11:16 PM ET USA
If it is a"Catholic School" that is "rendering to God what belongs to God." if it a public than it is "rendering to Caesar what belongs to Caesar." let us be truthful with our Titles!
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Posted by: Lucius49 -
Jun. 08, 2012 11:44 AM ET USA
Rome should intervene here. The Canadian Bishops cannot conform to this command to recognize immoral organizations. This is a violation of freedom of religion. Ditto re the remark about the Cristeros. We need some backbone here.
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Posted by: Justin8110 -
Jun. 07, 2012 9:33 PM ET USA
The bishops of Canada should not obey this rule at all. The problem is that the false religion of pluralism has so infected their minds (as it has infected the minds of practically everyone in the USA as well) that they see no need to fight this, as to fight it would be to be "divisive" with "divisive" ultimately being defined arbitrarily by the very people who want to put the Church in her coffin. There are no gentlemans agreements with the devil folks. Wake up.
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Posted by: FredC -
Jun. 07, 2012 8:52 PM ET USA
I hope they will be gay-straightening alliances.
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Posted by: Gerry H -
Jun. 07, 2012 8:26 PM ET USA
This may not be as difficult as it sounds. There is the Courage Apostolate, a well-named group, composed of people with same sex attraction disorders who are seeking to bring their lives, and therefore their sexual behaviour, under God's ordinances (quite unlike "Dignity".) Would not their presence, and the presence of Encourage, their supporters, in the schools, promote the sought after welcoming and safety?
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Posted by: sarsok8679 -
Jun. 07, 2012 7:20 PM ET USA
Maybe the bishops should import some Cristeros?! Rather than caving in!
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Jun. 07, 2012 7:19 PM ET USA
The solution is to assign a faculty advisor who is trained by Courage, and who insists on chaste behavior as a requirement for membership. Then anyone who belongs must pledge to support chastity among the other members.
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Posted by: lauriem5377 -
Jun. 07, 2012 7:08 PM ET USA
I am really confused...I try very hard to follow the teaching's of our Church (of our Lord)so now what do I say to my grandchildren?
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Posted by: Defender -
Jun. 07, 2012 4:20 PM ET USA
While there isn't a law (yet) for the same thing, there has been accomodations in the U.S. that amount to the same thing. Dante once said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality. Giving up on the tenets and underpinnings of our Faith amounts to the same thing.
