Such needless harm, I told myself, after reading about the controversy at St. Agatha Catholic School, (“Portland Catholic school revokes admission for same-sex couple’s children,” July 26). How did the youngsters deserve this? And, while I don’t wish more harm, I did wonder if the school is similarly disenrolling children of divorced and single parents.
One of the parents of the excluded family met with the parish priest, who reportedly expressed concern about the school’s other children finding out “our kids have two parents of the same sex.” Perhaps the priest is worried it would lead to acceptance: countless Catholics have trod that path, embracing their LGBT brethren with a Christian love that church leaders often seem unable to fathom or to match.
I was raised Catholic in a parish school. My husband and I taught for many years at a school affiliated with a more hospitable denomination. I know what it is to ask bread of the Catholic Church and be given stone. Some Catholic institutions fire people in same-sex marriages such as mine. Now the children of such couples are also unwelcome, at least at St. Agatha…