Cardinal O’Malley’s statement on the Hingham school situation

thebostonpilot.com ^ | 05/23/2010 | Sean Cardinal O'Malley

[massmike]

As a young bishop in the West Indies I once celebrated a memorial Mass for a local “madame” who ran a brothel near my Cathedral. It was said she smuggled women in from other islands in oil barrels for her business. Some women suffocated in the crossing. She herself was murdered by her lover.

At the Mass I met the woman’s daughter, a lovely little girl. I asked her what grade she was in. She replied that she didn’t go to school. I sent a stern glance to her grandmother, who said: “Her name is the same as that of the brothel. The other children were so cruel to her, she left the public school.” I told her grandmother, “Take her to the Catholic school tomorrow.”

Catholic schools exist for the good of the children and our admission standards must reflect that. We have never had categories of people who were excluded. We have often given preference to children from a parish where a school is located, siblings of children already enrolled at the school or Catholic children from nearby parishes. Sometimes we might not be able to accept children, because of behavioral problems or other circumstances that would be disruptive to a school community. While there are legitimate reasons that might lead to a decision not to admit a child, I believe all would agree that the good of the child must always be our primary concern.

[GeronL]

As a young bishop in the West Indies I once celebrated a memorial Mass for a local “madame” who ran a brothel near my Cathedral. It was said she smuggled women in from other islands in oil barrels for her business. Some women suffocated in the crossing

definitely worth celebrating. /sarc

[Luke21]

I love how the libs don’t like religion and politics. Oh they do?? That’s right. They don’t like our side mixing religion and politics.

[mommyq]

They don’t like religion until they want their own children to have a good education. Then they suddenly like Catholic schools.

[darkangel82]

Hypocrisy is a main component of liberalism.

[dangus]

I am sympathetic to the notion that the good of the child must be considered. However, this is hardly the situation that the child has no other opportunities for an education. The greater concern for the welfare of children is to establish God’s law in their heart.

[cothrige]

Sometimes we might not be able to accept children, because of behavioral problems or other circumstances that would be disruptive to a school community.

I belong to a parish with a school attached, and my children cannot attend not because of any of this but because we cannot afford the outrageous tuition. The Catholic Church here spends an exorbitant amount of time raising funds for the diocese, who then loans it back so that churches can build huge parish halls to rent out to raise more money, but never is anything done to ensure that Catholic children can go to Catholic school. At one time the Catholic Church reached out to the poor, but no more. Children of lesbian couples would be more than welcome as long as the fees get paid.

[golf lover]

Yada, yada, yada!