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ONTARIO CATHOLIC TEACHERS UNION TO INTERVENE ON SIDE OF OSHAWA GAY STUDENT

Union Action Could Endanger Continued Existence of Ontario Catholic Schools

OSHAWA, Ontario, May 6, 2002 (LSN.ca) -­ The National Post on Saturday confirmed rumours heard earlier by LifeSite that the Ontario Catholic Teachers Union (OECTA) would intervene in the lawsuit by the 17 year old Oshawa student who wants to take a male date to his Catholic high school's prom.

The Post reports that OECTA President Cathy McVean says that the union is not supporting either side but will instead address fundamental questions raised by the case. The association's lawyer, Paul Cavalluzzo, made it plainer that the union is unconvincingly a neutral intervenor in the case in which a faithful Catholic teacher's union could only intervene on behalf of the board. The Post quotes Cavalluzzo stating "there is a very serious question to be tried in this case because there appears to be a conflict between an individual Charter right to equality and the constitutional denominational rights of Catholic school boards". The board emphasizes that there is no such conflict.

McVean further muddied the water by stating that there is not "uniformity of opinion within the Catholic Church in terms of the kind of activity prohibited within Church teachings....There are a range of interpretations as expressed by Catholic theologians." What McVean's newspeak fails to mention is that authentic church teaching is precise on the issue but that dissident theologians, teachers and others have rebelled against the teachings on homosexuality and just about every other Catholic moral principle. This has greatly contributed to the scandels of sexual abuse and perverse teaching on sexuality by persons within Catholic institutions. The dissidence has been interpreted by many as a green light to violate sexual norms in favour of "self discovery", "sexual liberation" and freedom from "oppressive" rules. Phil Horgan, vide-presidentof the Catholic Civil Rights League, responded that OECTA's "argument is that dating, going to the prom, doesn't constitute sexual behaviour...It's the behaviour that orients one to sin, an occasion of sin, and should be avoided."

The Catholic union's leadership has for many years been dissident on many items of Catholic religious and moral teachings. It has given honours and praise to some of the most dissident teachers and has been known to have a strong, unstated policy to not allow an issue to be made of teachers and principals who are known to be living an active homosexual lifestyle or are living in any other manner directly contrary to moral teachings of the church. Curiously, the union seems intent on eliminating core distinctions of Catholic education and therefore eliminating compelling reasons to maintain a separate Catholic education system and a Catholic union. If the union should achive its goal in the Marc Hall case the continued existence of the Catholic education system in Ontario would be in serious question.

A source within the teacher's union has indicated to LifeSite that more than half the teachers at Marc Hall's school support his action. As well, it was stated that there are many homosexual teachers and principals within the Catholic system but that thankfully, so far, most are quiet about their lifestyle and students are not aware of it. Most of the teachers, says the source, have received very poor formation in Catholic doctrine. They poorly understand the church's position which is one of compassion towards those who inevitably suffer from acting, for whatever reasons, contrary to natural law and Christian moral norms. As well, there has been a dramatic increase in acceptance of homosexuality among the Ontario Catholic student population, again as a result of generally very poor and even harmful Catholic religious and moral instruction in the schools for the past 40 years.

See
National Post article
http://www.nationalpost.com/search/story.html?f=/stories/20020504/121190.html&qs...
POPE CALL ON BISHOPS TO PUBLICLY REPRIMAND DISSENTERS FROM CHURCH'S MORAL TEACHINGS
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/apr/02042601.html
OP-ED SUBMISSION FROM CATHOLIC CIVIL RIGHTS LEAGUE PRESIDENT
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/apr/020408a.html

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