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The Santa Rosa Diocese’s contract addendum by which teachers at Catholic schools will affirm their acceptance of Catholic teaching is reportedly still on track for implementation.“There is no intention not to do this [and] it will happen at some point,” said the communications director for the Santa Rosa diocese, Brian O’Neel, according to Petaluma 360.

Last year, diocesan Bishop Robert Vasa announced plans to have all parochial elementary and high school teachers within the diocese sign an agreement in their revised contracts to “bear witness” and affirm Church teaching. The moral addendum will reportedly include acknowledgement that contraception, abortion, homosexual marriage, and euthanasia are “modern errors” and grave offenses to human dignity.

The Cardinal Newman Society reported on Bishop Vasa’s statement saying that the plan was postponed in order to provide “an opportunity to teach [by] prepar[ing] presentations for principals and teachers on ‘matters of faith and morals.’”

“[BishopVasa] quickly understood that he had to do a little preparatory work first, so that is still where we stand,” O’Neel reportedly stated. “He is continuing to speak with educators and administrators so that the groundwork is laid.”

Bishop Vasa reportedly told Santa Rosa teachers that Catholic teachings cannot “be left up to a person’s own discretion.”

Despite some pushback, other dioceses across the country are following suit and implementing similar language in their teacher contracts. The Diocese of Columbus in Ohio, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the Diocese of Oakland, and the Diocese of Honolulu have all made efforts to revise contract language in order to strengthen the Catholic identity of their respective schools.

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O’Neel reportedly speculated that the implementation of new contracts in other dioceses shows that bishops recognize “where culture and society are heading” and are striving to make necessary changes. “They understand that steps need to be taken in order to safeguard the integrity of how the faith is presented and passed on in our parochial schools.”

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Reprinted with permission from the Cardinal Newman Society.