For the second time in about a week, Regina Brett, the Plain Dealer's outstanding columnist, has written about the contract Catholic school teachers are being forced to sign (sign it or else--no job).
Click for Regina Brett's article
In the column Brett asks, "What happens if you're a teacher whose child was conceived by in vitro fertilization? Are you allowed to share the miracle story of the birth?" Then she talks about her cousin whose child was born via in vitro, and says, "His sons are children of God as holy as all the others created in God's image and likeness."
Brett has heard from hundreds of teachers. Many said they would reluctantly sign the contract (otherwise no job); some said they would not sign the contract and would leave their jobs. These teachers thought that this would be quite a loss for the children they teach.
One teacher asked that this addendum be appended to the contract: "Role as Catholic/Christian: the Teacher-Minister, in signing this Agreement, represents that s/he has read and understands the Gospel of Jesus and will attempt every day to love as Jesus loves . . . ." [click on the article above for the entire proposed addendum].
Brett isn't hopeful pastors will "stand up for their teachers and stand up to the bishop and against his morality squad." She fears that this will happen: "Many good teachers will leave with broken hearts. Many good teachers will stay with broken hearts. And the church will be more broken."
In the end, Brett concludes, "This 'morality' contract violates the spirit of Christian and Catholic love." And she proclaims, "The Catholic church needs the people who love it enough to embrace it 100 percent as is, and people like me, who love it enough to challenge it relentlessly to be a more loving church."
I couldn't have said this better. I myself love the Church and will not leave it. And like Regina Brett, I will continue to challenge it and pray that it becomes a Church in the Spirit and image of Jesus.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment