Risking legal action and tax-exempt status, the Denver Archdiocese says that students of parents who are "living in open discord with Catholic teaching" would become "confused" in the Catholic school setting.
-- From "Lesbian couple not allowed to re-enroll child in Catholic church preschool" by Jon Bowman KDVR-TV Denver 3/8/10
A lesbian couple, who have attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boulder for years, has been denied the right to re-enroll their child in the church's preschool. That ruling was made by Fr. Bill Breslin last week. He told staff at the school, "It was the hardest decision I have ever made in my life."
Breslin's decision [click to read it] was made in accord with church policy and has upset both church members and members of Boulder's gay and lesbian community.
While churches are tax exempt, which means they don't have to pay property taxes, they could lose that status if they are found to promote or engage in things contrary to government policy. In this case, what could it mean for banning people over sexual orientation? That could be a question for the courts, if the couple decides challenge the decision by Fr. Breslin.
Property taxes do fund public schools, and in some cases some private schools get government funding, but even if they don't, they do enjoy tax exemptions. What some want the church to remember is that tax exemption is a privilege, not a right.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Denver Catholic school: Lesbian couple’s child may not re-enroll" posted at Catholic Culture 3/8/10
“Parents living in open discord with Catholic teaching in areas of faith and morals unfortunately choose by their actions to disqualify their children from enrollment,” the archdiocese said in a statement. “To allow children in these circumstances to continue in our school would be a cause of confusion for the student in that what they are being taught in school conflicts with what they experience in the home.”
“If a child of gay parents comes to our school, and we teach that gay marriage is against the will of God, then the child will think that we are saying their parents are bad,” explained Father Bill Breslin, the pastor who oversees the school. “We don't want to put any child in that tough position-- nor do we want to put the parents, or the teachers, at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Why would good parents want their children to learn something they don't believe in? It doesn't make sense. There are so many schools in Boulder that see the meaning of sexuality in an entirely different way than the Catholic Church does. Why not send their child there?”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
