Fr. William Breslin, a priest from Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Boulder has banned children from entering his elementary school because their mothers are lesbians.
NCR has more from reporter Thomas Fox including this snip:
I asked Breslin what moved him to ban the girls from entering the parish elementary school and he responded: “Let me tell you clearly. This whole matter is about having the freedom to uphold the teachings of our faith. It’s about preserving that freedom when a secular society doesn’t want us to have it. The same thing is happening in Washington, D.C., where government is dictating to the church.”
When Breslin looks out at the world he sees an increasingly secular society, one that has lost its moral compass, and, as it grows more secular, it is all the more important the Catholic faithful stand firm and speak their minds, defending the faith.
This is what Breslin thinks he has done, taking a stand against homosexuality.
The priest writes a blog on the parish web site. In it he has explained his seemingly unpopular decision.
Last week he allowed comments to be posted freely. When they became so overwhelmingly critical of him, he took them off the site.
On his blog, Breslin wrote, “The complaint [against me] goes more or less this way: Jesus would never have turned anyone away, no matter where they came from or who they were. Now let us set things right.“Actually Jesus did turn people away. In Mark 5 Jesus healed the demoniac, and after the healing the man wanted to become a disciple. Jesus said, No, go back to your own people and tell them all that the Lord in His mercy has done for you. And when the rich young man wanted to follow Jesus, He told him, Go first and sell what you have and give it to the poor and then come follow me. And in John 6, Jesus taught a very hard message so that most of those following Him turned away and would no longer walk in His company. He did not soften His message so as to win them back.
Um, no! Perhaps Fr. Breslin needs to go back to seminary and learn his scripture more carefully. Jesus doesn’t turn anyone away for their sins, but uses people for who they are. People turn away from Jesus on occasion in scripture, but the invitation from Jesus is always offered. The people Fr. Breslin cites in scripture are not denied by Jesus, but rather one is sent to evangelize others and the other goes away of his own free will.
Lastly, these children are being punished for nothing that they have done, but rather for the actions of their parents. Talk about a stupid decision. I guess if you want to proclaim the church’s teaching on homosexuality with vigor the best thing to do would be to restrict education to children who may or may not be gay. That makes sense.
Regardless, NCR has the complete story. The really interesting thing about this story is that the church is divided on generational lines with younger people supporting the children and their parents and the older crowd supporting the priest’s decision.
This is going to end badly for all involved I fear. I’ll wager that the school has to close for lack of enrollment. How about you? Opinions?
16 comments
Fran Rossi Szpylczyn says:
March 17, 2010 at 10:16 pm (UTC -5 )
I have been watching the entire event unfold with a broken heart. There is no scriptural or canonical precedent for what Breslin has done and for how Archbishop Chaput has supported this. I am reminded of the words of blogger Deacon Scott Dodge who often reminds me that he is a conscientious objector in the culture wars. This is a culture war – not a church war. The collateral damage is quite serious.
Jen says:
March 18, 2010 at 12:28 am (UTC -5 )
Are we talking the same Jesus, who associated with tax collectors, prostitutes and Samaritans?
GodGoogler says:
March 18, 2010 at 1:25 am (UTC -5 )
Apparently, Jen. But you’d never know it.
Ginny says:
March 18, 2010 at 1:52 am (UTC -5 )
As a teacher, my guess is that the priest was worried that teachers would end up having to explain homosexuality to their students (“Why does she have two mommies?” ). I am assuming he did not want to put the teachers into an awkward position.
That said, I understood that the student had already been enrolled in the school for a time, so I’m not sure why this was not an issue before. And I find this entire story very, very sad. Jesus invited everyone in … we should do no less. I can’t help but feel that this decision has cut off some great opportunities for grace.
Incidentally, I’ve been to this parish a few times when in Boulder. It always seemed like a very welcoming community. I’m sure this is dividing the parish.
I pray that this family is welcomed by another Catholic community in the area.
GodGoogler says:
March 18, 2010 at 9:26 am (UTC -5 )
Good point, Ginny. Could indeed be problematic for the teachers.
JMS says:
March 18, 2010 at 9:42 am (UTC -5 )
I do not envy the position that this priest has been put in, not only to turn away a child, but to be in a position where he has to defend himself so publically. I would venture to guess his decision did not come lightly and he would have been able to defend either stance equally as well.
I wonder if he took the opportunity to sit down and discuss with the mothers of this child not only why they were seeking a Catholic education for their child, but how they would suggest possible discussions about this child’s family structure might be handled in the school to be respectful of our fellow humans as sinners, but also to remember the teachings of the church.
My guess is that most kids have seen or known gay couples nowadays and wouldn’t really give it too much thought. Most kids of gay parents are uniquely able to tolerate questions and criticism about their living situation. I just don’t get it, though. Are these women regular members of the church? Are they raising their child Catholic? I don’t feel like the media is sharing the whole story (what else is new?) and I’m certain that knowing more of the situation would explain not only the decision the priest made, but also why this has gotten so much public attention.
God Googler says:
March 20, 2010 at 2:21 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook from: Mary Anne Reese
Does Fr. Breslin also turn away chidren of noncanonically married straight people, children of people practicing birth control, people who cohabited before marriage, people who support women’s ordination, etc?
And,even from his perspective, if you’re serious about promulgating what you see as authentic church teaching, aren’t the kids who you think aren’t getting that at home precisely the ones you want to reach out to? At least, that was Jesus’ approach.
God Googler says:
March 20, 2010 at 2:21 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook: From Scott Dodge
DUUUDE! I mean, Father, do we read a different Bible?
God Googler says:
March 20, 2010 at 2:22 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook From Matthew Harvey Sanders Unfortunate.
God Googler says:
March 20, 2010 at 2:22 am (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook: From Brandon Kaetzel
This guy is a jerk
God Googler says:
March 20, 2010 at 2:23 am (UTC -5 )
Mary Ann–
Great point as always.
God Googler says:
March 20, 2010 at 2:24 am (UTC -5 )
Duuuuuude might be an appropriate way to address this guy soon.
GodGoogler says:
March 20, 2010 at 1:04 pm (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook:
From Hortense Noble
the hypocrite…..as if….
show me one priest who is not gay…..
GodGoogler says:
March 20, 2010 at 1:04 pm (UTC -5 )
Well..I can show you several non-gay priests. But the hypocrite comment is on the mark.
GodGoogler says:
March 20, 2010 at 4:31 pm (UTC -5 )
Via Facebook: From Connie Lane Neuman
“http://www.facebook.com/l/a6bc2;www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/3560 – Archbishop Chaput’s comments. An excerpt:
…Now to the human side of a painful situation. The Church never looks for reasons to turn anyone away from a Catholic education. But the Church can’t change her moral beliefs without undermining her mission and failing to serve the many families who believe in that mission. If Catholics take their faith seriously, they naturally follow the teachings of the Church in matters of faith and morals; otherwise they take themselves outside the believing community.
The Church does not claim that people with a homosexual orientation are “bad,” or that their children are less loved by God. Quite the opposite. But what the Church does teach is that sexual intimacy by anyone outside marriage is wrong; that marriage is a sacramental covenant; and that marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. These beliefs are central to a Catholic understanding of human nature, family and happiness, and the organization of society. The Church cannot change these teachings because, in the faith of Catholics, they are the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The policies of our Catholic school system exist to protect all parties involved, including the children of homosexual couples and the couples themselves. Our schools are meant to be “partners in faith” with parents. If parents don’t respect the beliefs of the Church, or live in a manner that openly rejects those beliefs, then partnering with those parents becomes very difficult, if not impossible. It also places unfair stress on the children, who find themselves caught in the middle, and on their teachers, who have an obligation to teach the authentic faith of the Church.
Most parents who send their children to Catholic schools want an environment where the Catholic faith is fully taught and practiced. That simply can’t be done if teachers need to worry about wounding the feelings of their students or about alienating students from their parents. That isn’t fair to anyone—including the wider school community. Persons who have an understanding of marriage and family life sharply different from Catholic belief are often people of sincerity and good will. They have other, excellent options for education and should see in them the better course for their children.
Michael says:
November 1, 2010 at 1:18 am (UTC -5 )
I don’t know the details in this case. Such details can make a huge difference.
While I’m sensitive to the plea of not turning the children away because of their mother’s sin, the concern of that ongoing sin raises legitimate concerns.
I assume the women are in a stable lesbian relationship and would expect to be treated as the ‘parents’ of the students. By accepting such openly sinful behavior, the school and parish seem to extend their tacit approval of it.
What if there were a polygamous family?
A polyamorous one?
Nudists?
Where do we draw the line?
The parish and school have not only the right, but the duty to make hard decisions for the integrity of the parish and the moral training of all the students.
Yes, Jesus reached out to the sinners. What is conveniently glossed over is that he always charged them to “Go and sin no more.” I do not believe we have any examples in the Gospels of recidivist sinners insisting on continuing to follow Jesus…much less insisting on bringing along their prostitution clients or lesbian/gay ‘partners’.