Lawyers have told the Roman Catholic Church that it cannot sack a Catholic headmaster who has entered a civil partnership with a male teacher.Would it not be more 'open and honest' for Mr Coyne to do the honourable thing and resign his post?
The Archdiocese of Liverpool has been unable to take action against Charles Coyne, the head of St Cecilia's primary school, who has registered a partnership with Richard Jones, who is believed to work at a nearby school.
Pope Benedict XVI has called civil partnerships "anarchic" and a danger to the family.
The couple, who live together, had a reception in a parish centre.
Local Catholics and family campaigners have urged the authorities to take action over the "scandal".
One churchgoer said: "Senior officials are aware of this yet they have done nothing. It's unacceptable."
Norman Wells, the director of the Family Education Trust, said: "It is not unreasonable for parents sending their children to a faith school to expect the headteacher to be living according to that faith."
The archdiocese - which is headed by Archbishop Patrick Kelly, the second most senior cleric in England and Wales - said it was powerless.
It said in a statement that Mr Coyne had run St Cecilia's for many years and "matters relating to his personal life have in no way interfered with his management of the school".
A spokesman for the archdiocese said senior officials, including Fr Michael O'Dowd, the episcopal vicar for schools and colleges, had discussed the case as issues of employment law were involved.
"Legal advice was sought," the spokesman said. "The Church was advised that in this case nothing could be done, despite the fact that the head was acting contrary to Church teaching."
One bishop, the Rt Rev John Jukes, said school governors should ask a head teacher to step down if he or she openly flouted the Church's moral code.
"I would ask heads to think about the example they are setting to their pupils and the local community," said Bishop Jukes, an auxiliary bishop emeritus in Southwark.
(snip)
The Rev Richard Kirker, the general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, predicted that Mr Coyne's "courageous" step would be followed by others in senior posts.
"This will be very helpful to everybody who expects the Catholic Church to be open and honest," he said.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Disturbing story from the UK
From the Telegraph:
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2 comments:
It sounds like the Archdiocese does not want to spend money on a lawyer to argue a religious liberty case....maybe Rome should then spend the money ....with its increase last year in the Peter's Pence collection.
One hates to see a person lose their job but this is a unique profession which impacts on children which issue is not simply a Vatican position like its current one on the death penalty..but it is a scriptural prohibition in God's word and clearly intriniscally evil in Romans chapter one with no loopholes.
It would be good if the archdiocese, if it is not going to plead its case in the courts, then let it offer the man a job in which he is not an example to children as for example, coordinating soup kitchens or the like.
Hrm. Perhaps this is a case in which Church courts would be helpful? One could accuse him of committing divine treason through his actions, or something similarly colorful....
Seriously, though...ick.
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