[Archbishop] Chaput: Waldron right to fire gay teacher

Philly.com ^

[Phillyred]

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said the Mercy Sisters who run Waldron Mercy Academy showed "character and common sense" in firing a lesbian teacher who has been married since 2007 after parents of two students found out and complained. In his first direct comment since the firing became public last week, Chaput said, "Schools describing themselves as Catholic take on the responsibility of teaching and witnessing the Catholic faith in a manner true to Catholic belief. There's nothing complicated or controversial in this. It's a simple matter of honesty," he said in a statement issued Monday." "I'm very grateful to the Religious Sisters of Mercy and to the principal and board members of Waldron Mercy for taking the steps to ensure that the Catholic faith is presented in a way fully in accord with the teaching of the Church. They've shown character and common sense at a moment when both seem to be uncommon." The archiocese, through its spokesman, has insisted it had nothing to do with the dismissal of Margie Winters, the director of religious studies. She was fired June 22 after refusing to resign, even while school administrators had known she was married and had told her she could be open with faculty but to keep the information from parents, she maintains. After parents complained, school principal Neil Stetser wrote in an email to parents that in order to continue as a Catholic school it had to comply with Catholic teachings and the authority of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Some Waldron staff, and some nuns are supporting her vigorously. The Archdiocese has maintained that Waldron Mercy is a private Catholic school and does not require its guidance in personnel matters. As the same-sex marriage issue has rippled across the United States, same-sex married couples who work at Catholic...