The Background
I am a retired teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, (TCDSB). I have taught in three high schools as well as teaching students under the care of the Catholic Children's Aid Society. I never thought for a moment during my entire career that I would find myself in the position of having to defend the Catholic faith and religious freedom in Canada.
Currently, schools in the province of Ontario are in the process of implementing the Ministry of Education's Equity and Inclusive Policy.
The first consultation meeting for the TCDSB took place at St. Mary's School on April 18, 2011. On April 27, 2011 a second meeting took place with parents, students and board administrators at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. There was a pretense of giving those who attended a chance to voice their concerns and to suggest changes. However, both meetings were orchestrated to manufacture consent in favour of the policy. The trustees are scheduled to vote on this important issue on May 19, 2011.
Meanwhile, the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario Bishops and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association have already agreed to permit the province’s publicly funded Catholic schools to set up a network of clubs to deal with bullying as it relates to sexual orientation.
What is the Argument?
In the Toronto Catholic District School Board's guideline called, "The Catholic Vision of Equity and Inclusivity", under the section titled, "Laws and Interpreting Principles" we find this statement: "In fact in some areas, such as pastoral care of persons dealing with same-sex attractions, long before the government became involved, the bishops of Ontario led the way in setting out a holistic approach rooted in the Gospel, in the virtue of chastity which alone brings true freedom, and in a sensitive respect for the individual."
The problem is how can you ask students to practice chastity if you're going to let them set up “gay” alliances whose very existence says that what they are doing is normal, inclusive and equitable? As a teacher and parent, I believe the students are being morally misled. If we love our students, we need to tell them that homosexual acts are morally against the teaching of the Church. We need to share with them the Church's teaching about human love and the dignity of the human person. We need to have the moral courage to tell them that while in high school they are too young to be experimenting with sex. We need to humble ourselves and pray with them and for them for God's grace. How are school administrators going to protect students with various sexual orientations? An orientation is not like a person's gender that can easily be identified.
The Catholic Church
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, permanent representative of the Holy See to the United Nations, in his address at the 16th Session of the Human Rights Council on "Sexual Orientation" said this: "Human sexuality, like any voluntary activity, possesses a moral dimension: It is an activity which puts the individual will at the service of a finality; it is not an 'identity.' In other words, it comes from the action and not from the being, even though some tendencies or “sexual orientations” may have deep roots in the personality. Denying the moral dimension of sexuality leads to denying the freedom of the person in this matter, and ultimately undermines his/her ontological (state of existence) dignity." In every school, there should be respect for all students because we are all made in God's image.
In an Advent Mass Homily to the faculty and students of the Roman states universities, on Dec. 10, 2002, Blessed John Paul II makes this morally instructive statement: "I remember my own experience of the university. From daily contact with students and professors I learned that it is essential to provide an integral formation that will prepare young people for life: an education that educates them to assume their role in the family and in society with responsibility and with not just a professional, but also a human and spiritual competence."
Gay alliances
“Gay alliances” are another way of over-sexualizing and distorting sexual relations for young students. There is no need for this kind of sexual exploitation of the young and innocent. Discrimination based solely on sexuality or focusing on sexual orientation is to demean the human person and reduce students to an activity, a feeling or a thing.
Part four of the TCDSB guideline asks this question: "Is there an increase in harassment of this type (bullying or harassment of gay students) in Catholic schools?" The answer given in the document is: "we are not aware of an increase in harassment of this type, but any type of bullying or harassment in Catholic schools will not be tolerated." So why is the TCDSB and the trustees specifically addressing bullying related to sexual orientation if, by their own admission, they have not seen an increase in such behaviour? Their own evidence would seem to indicate that there is no need to start these support groups in schools. Why not combat all forms of bullying without distinctions? Through baptism, Christians are already called to love God and every neighbour.
The Conclusion
I want to conclude, since we are dealing with young students, by quoting from the recently published YOUCAT: Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church. This Catechism book will be given to every participant attending this year's World Youth Day to be held in Madrid. The text is structured in a Question and Answer format.
Question 65 states: "What about people who feel they are homosexual?" Here's the answer: "The Church believes that, in the order of creation, men and women are designed to need each other's complementary traits and to enter into a mutual relationship so as to give life to children. That is why homosexual practices cannot be approved by the Church. Christians owe all persons respect and love, regardless of their sexual orientation, because all people are respected and loved by God."
As Catholic teachers, administrators and parents we must pray for the moral responsibility and courage to teach this. No provincial government is qualified to do this. The state ought to protect not take away religious freedom from its citizens.
Personal example
Let me also share a personal example with you. When I taught students in the alternative program with the Catholic Children's Aid Society, I'll never forget the day a student came to class and announced out loud, saying he was "gay". After constant arguments and even a fight, it took several weeks to bring that class back to "normal".
The new student got a lot of attention and most of it was negative. Both myself and the youth worker encouraged the entire class to respect and to give everyone a safe learning space. At one point, the new student wanted to go out on a date. According to him, he had met this other gay person on the Internet. He believed what he had been told at face value. We needed to explain that the information on the Internet is not always true....lots of room for counselling here.
Both the youth worker and myself decided to try get this student to focus more on his education and less on his sexuality and dating. It was a difficult process, but within months and with much support, he began to be more interested in his school work and hardly talked about his sexuality. It soon was no longer the issue in our class. Six months later he returned to a regular school.
I'm not saying that this is the answer in all cases, but I do want to say that educators, parents and students need to primarily focus on education and not sexuality. Once students know that you care for them, they will trust that you truly have their well being at heart and they will respond with the appropriate behaviour.
Another consideration
The denominational nature of the Catholic School System is never to be considered an issue of discrimination of any kind. This denominational right is protected in law by the British North America Act (Constitution Act 1867) section 93 and also in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (April 17, 1982) section 29.
Why have Catholic boards and trustees across the province been so reluctant to defend this right? It is the Catholic community that has been lied to and bullied into implementing the policy. There is no moral, but also no legal reason for accepting the Equity and Inclusivity policy.
Lastly, whether we call them equity groups or gay alliances the message will certainly be confusing to the average student. Who will protect the majority of students? This is why as a Catholic teacher and parent I feel compelled to speak up for Catholic education. I hope and pray that on May 19, 2011 our Toronto Catholic school trustees vote to amend the Equity policy to truly reflect Catholic teaching.
Even better, they have a constitutional right to reject this policy completely. Our students, our children, need our prayers and our guidance for their sake and the sake of Catholic education in Ontario.
Currently, schools in the province of Ontario are in the process of implementing the Ministry of Education's Equity and Inclusive Policy.
The first consultation meeting for the TCDSB took place at St. Mary's School on April 18, 2011. On April 27, 2011 a second meeting took place with parents, students and board administrators at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. There was a pretense of giving those who attended a chance to voice their concerns and to suggest changes. However, both meetings were orchestrated to manufacture consent in favour of the policy. The trustees are scheduled to vote on this important issue on May 19, 2011.
Meanwhile, the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario Bishops and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association have already agreed to permit the province’s publicly funded Catholic schools to set up a network of clubs to deal with bullying as it relates to sexual orientation.
What is the Argument?
The problem is how can you ask students to practice chastity if you're going to let them set up “gay” alliances whose very existence says that what they are doing is normal, inclusive and equitable? As a teacher and parent, I believe the students are being morally misled. If we love our students, we need to tell them that homosexual acts are morally against the teaching of the Church. We need to share with them the Church's teaching about human love and the dignity of the human person. We need to have the moral courage to tell them that while in high school they are too young to be experimenting with sex. We need to humble ourselves and pray with them and for them for God's grace. How are school administrators going to protect students with various sexual orientations? An orientation is not like a person's gender that can easily be identified.
The Catholic Church
In an Advent Mass Homily to the faculty and students of the Roman states universities, on Dec. 10, 2002, Blessed John Paul II makes this morally instructive statement: "I remember my own experience of the university. From daily contact with students and professors I learned that it is essential to provide an integral formation that will prepare young people for life: an education that educates them to assume their role in the family and in society with responsibility and with not just a professional, but also a human and spiritual competence."
Gay alliances
Part four of the TCDSB guideline asks this question: "Is there an increase in harassment of this type (bullying or harassment of gay students) in Catholic schools?" The answer given in the document is: "we are not aware of an increase in harassment of this type, but any type of bullying or harassment in Catholic schools will not be tolerated." So why is the TCDSB and the trustees specifically addressing bullying related to sexual orientation if, by their own admission, they have not seen an increase in such behaviour? Their own evidence would seem to indicate that there is no need to start these support groups in schools. Why not combat all forms of bullying without distinctions? Through baptism, Christians are already called to love God and every neighbour.
The Conclusion
Question 65 states: "What about people who feel they are homosexual?" Here's the answer: "The Church believes that, in the order of creation, men and women are designed to need each other's complementary traits and to enter into a mutual relationship so as to give life to children. That is why homosexual practices cannot be approved by the Church. Christians owe all persons respect and love, regardless of their sexual orientation, because all people are respected and loved by God."
As Catholic teachers, administrators and parents we must pray for the moral responsibility and courage to teach this. No provincial government is qualified to do this. The state ought to protect not take away religious freedom from its citizens.
Personal example
The new student got a lot of attention and most of it was negative. Both myself and the youth worker encouraged the entire class to respect and to give everyone a safe learning space. At one point, the new student wanted to go out on a date. According to him, he had met this other gay person on the Internet. He believed what he had been told at face value. We needed to explain that the information on the Internet is not always true....lots of room for counselling here.
Both the youth worker and myself decided to try get this student to focus more on his education and less on his sexuality and dating. It was a difficult process, but within months and with much support, he began to be more interested in his school work and hardly talked about his sexuality. It soon was no longer the issue in our class. Six months later he returned to a regular school.
I'm not saying that this is the answer in all cases, but I do want to say that educators, parents and students need to primarily focus on education and not sexuality. Once students know that you care for them, they will trust that you truly have their well being at heart and they will respond with the appropriate behaviour.
Another consideration
Why have Catholic boards and trustees across the province been so reluctant to defend this right? It is the Catholic community that has been lied to and bullied into implementing the policy. There is no moral, but also no legal reason for accepting the Equity and Inclusivity policy.
Even better, they have a constitutional right to reject this policy completely. Our students, our children, need our prayers and our guidance for their sake and the sake of Catholic education in Ontario.
