Posted on 11/01/2005 5:09:08 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
SACRAMENTO, November 1, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The uproar created when, on October 5, Bishop William K. Weigand directed a Catholic school to dismiss drama teacher Marie Bain after she was discovered to be an escort for a Planned Parenthood abortion center, has been used by the bishop as a teachable moment. The bishop issued a message to the faithful on October 26 in which he explained his actions in light of Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life.
The Bishop's October 5 letter to the school stated, "I am directing you, under the provisions of Code of Canon Law ... to dismiss Ms. Bain with all deliberate speed."
The move came thanks to the efforts of a 15-year-old student at the Loretto High School who says she owes her pro-life convictions to a project she did in her freshman year. Katelyn Sills, 15, has taken part in pro-life rallies outside the Sacramento-area Planned Parenthood abortuary with her family. And when at school she noted an uncanny resemblance between one of the escorts at the abortion center and a teacher, she mentioned it to her mother Wynette Sills.
Her mother took photos of Bain escorting women into the abortion center and sent them in an email to Bishop Weigand September 19. In the email, the elder Sills said, "If the identification is verified, clearly this individual cannot be a part of the Loretto staff."
After Bain was dismissed by the school on October 13, Katelyn noted on her blog that some at the school disagreed with the Bishop's directive. She defended the move saying of Bain, "A person that thinks that parents should not be notified about their minor daughter having an abortion and who volunteers at abortion clinics on days when the killing occurs is probably not the best candidate for a position at an all-girls Catholic high school."
In the letter to the faithful, Bishop Weigand explained, that the media hyped controversy "Transpiring during October, 'Respect Life' month," has "presented the people of our Diocese with an opportunity to reflect upon the centrality of the Gospel of Life to our Catholic faith and to recall the fundamental purpose and mission of the Catholic educational apostolate in the life of our Church."
"If we are to form faithful Catholic young people and provide suitable role models for such formation, teachers in our Catholic schools must themselves be witnesses to the Truth proclaimed in the Gospel, conducting themselves by word and deed in accordance with the Truths of our Faith," writes the Bishop. "Their witness does not end when the school bell rings at the end of the day or the school year concludes at the beginning of summer."
Bishop Weigand also notes that "persons who engage in activities fundamentally opposed to the teachings and beliefs of our Faith are disqualified from collaborating in the educational apostolate of the Church as principals, teachers, teacher's aides, or catechists. To this end, any person who has actively and publicly advocated or participated in activities contrary to the Gospel of Life, such as supporting or promoting abortion, lacks the threshold qualifications essential to minister to our young people in the Catholic educational apostolate."
The letter concludes, "There is no place for such persons in the Catholic educational system in the Diocese of Sacramento. This has been, and continues to be, the policy of the Diocese and, as such, is reflected in the employment materials and contracts received by all Diocesan Catholic school teachers."
See the Bishop's full letter online: http://www.diocese-sacramento.org/bishops/PDF%20Fi...
A teachable moment, indeed. Here's hoping the little darlings AND their parents are paying attention!
Wynette Sills and Bishop Weigand took a stand for life. Bravo!
Because society does not always agree with the teachings of the Church, we do not ignore the teachings of Jesus, but instead, seek to correct the fallibilities of society....Originally you were right, but you chose the VERY dangerous path of conformity with secularism which,for the most part, is always wrong
Oh, sorry. The blog linked at post 3 says that the expulsion came without warning, and that a lawyer is being secured. I do not know what exactly happened, so I guess I'm just making a conjecture.
"Sacramento Bishop: No Place in Catholic Schools for Abortion Supporters"
Los Angeles Cardinal Archbishop: Honored Place in Cathedral for Abortion Supporters
http://onelacatholic.blogspot.com/2005/10/la-cathedral-will-hold-funeral-mass.html
Two very different bishops.
Amen Bishop Weigand! And thank God for each and every soul that takes a stand on behalf of the faith.
I prefer going to a Protestant church with my boyfriend instead; Evangelicals are SO much nicer and less judgmental. And I'm getting the same spiritual guidance there that I'd get at a Catholic church.
Why did you let your opinions of that closed system turn you away from the Church? Catholic schools are no different from secular private schools in the snootiness of some of the folks attending. It has nothing to do with being Catholic, just the rarified environment in which the group works.
Our daughter had no desire to go to the local all girl's Catholic High school because she knew the girls from her elementary classes would be there, and she didn't like them before. She figured they wouldn't have improved with age. Our older sons attended the local boy's Catholic High school. Yes, it is regimented and some of the rules are kinda outdated, but it is a fabulous school, and the education they received was excellent. Neither had to work that hard in undergraduate school, and were only challenged when they attended Law school (#1 son) and Grad school in Computer Sci (#2). #3 son is at the school now, but he's hoping to attend a local magnet school for Math and Science for his Junior and Senior years of high school.
I can tell you do not believe in a church requiring certain beliefs to be a member. The Catholic church is not a leftist I-feel-your-**** clintonesque organization. It has canons - rules to be abided by. If you do not like them, you are free to leave. There is no middle of the road.
I think God cares more how you live your life than what church you attend. And frankly I don't consider spending eternity with Catholic School Clones a form of eternal reward... Sounds more like the other place to me.
I'm sorry your experience with Catholic education was so negative. Ours has been exactly the opposite: Our parish school provides an excellent education, well grounded in Catholic faith.
Pingout tomorrow, good news! Cheer up the pingees in the AM.
As you would be - and should be - if you go to a vegetarian meeting and promote meat.
Catholic schools are for CATHOLIC IDEOLOGY - if you don't cotton to that ideology why in the hell are you there?
The one based on which parents donate the most money to the school, spend the most time doing PTA and other events, and don't say anything when they think something is wrong... Correct?
Frankly, I found that Catholic schools are pretty cliquey, and they only remember the rules when it suits them. Like double standards for behaviors.. certain kids didn't get expelled for drug offenses even though it was in the handbook, got to skip school, etc. So it doesn't surprise me at all that the girl in question got expelled, she was probably on the outs to begin with and the TPTB used the teacher incident as an excuse to get rid of someone who wasn't a Stepford student.
Moral Absolutes Ping.
And finally, a little Good News! To cheer you up. There are some who stand up for the Truth with a capital T. May his courage inspire more of the same.
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
Good for the Bishop! Kudos!
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