Puzzling Comments by Archdiocesan Spokeswoman Lack Clear Moral Direction
OSHAWA, ON, March 20, 2002 (LSN.ca) - The media in Canada has created a firestorm over an Oshawa Catholic high school’s denial of a 17-year-old student’s request to have his 21-year-old homosexual “boyfriend” as his prom date, which is in clear violation of Catholic teaching. The story was covered by most Canadian media outlets including the country’s largest circulation Toronto Star, the Sun chain of papers and one of the national papers, the Globe and Mail.
Michael Powers, principal of Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School, told student Marc Hall that allowing a homosexual date for the prom would contravene Church teaching and school policy. The Durham Region Catholic School Board upheld the decision. Paul Prulla, the board superintendent said, “By allowing (Hall) to bring (a male date) to the prom we would be condoning a lifestyle that is incongruent with the teachings we are expected to uphold.”
While homosexual activist groups condemned the school for discrimination, the Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL) commended the school’s actions. However, comments by the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Toronto seemed noncommittal.
Suzanne Scorsone, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Toronto was quoted in the media as saying: “Essentially the Catholic Church teaches that for a romantic sexual relationship to be acted out, it belongs in a marriage and the only recognized marriage is between a man and a woman. How this is interpreted in an educational environment is up to the school board to decide. It is up to school officials to decide if attendance at a prom amounts to courting behaviour of a sexual nature.”
In comments to LifeSite, CCRL President Dr. Thomas Langan, said, “The CCRL congratulates the Durham Catholic school board for being what it is supposed to be, an upholder of basic morality.” Dr. Langan noted that “The great monotheistic religions have always opposed sexual relations outside of the bond of marriage which supplies stability for children conceived from sexual relations within the marriage relationship. It is crystal clear that the Catholic Church has no reason to deviate from this clear understanding of the primary purpose of the sexual act. Consequently, genuinely Catholic institutions cannot condone acts which contradict this ancient, widely understood moral principle.”
Commenting on the fact that various students at the school were supporting Hall’s campaign to have a homosexual date at the prom, Dr. Langan said, “We simply wish that more of the students educated in the Catholic school system understood the truly loving and caring teachings that the Church offers individuals with homosexual inclinations.”
See the coverage in the Star, the Globe and the Sun: http://www.torontostar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout /Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1016579096409 http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/printarticle/gam/20020320/UGAYYM http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-03-20-0015.html