MADISON, Wisconsin, June 15, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — Private schools in Dane County, Wisconsin, retain their right to remain fully open, despite the ban on in-person education placed on them by the Public Health Officer of Madison and Dane County.
The so-called emergency order, which closed all public and private schools for in-person learning due to COVID-19, was issued in August 2020 by Janel Heinrich — just in time before schools were scheduled to reopen. Three plaintiff groups — represented by the Thomas More Society, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, and Veterans Liberty Law — took legal action at the Wisconsin Supreme Court and requested the justices to prevent Dane County from enforcing the order. The court then issued a temporary injunction, which allowed schools to remain open on September 1. The case was consolidated by the plaintiff groups and filed for a December 8 hearing.
On June 11, 2021, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of the schools, citing Article 1, Section 18 of the Wisconsin Constitution. “We agree with the petitioners and hold: (1.) local health officers do not have the statutory power to close schools under the Wisconsin Statute 252.03 (2.) Heinrich’s Order infringes the Petitioners’ fundamental right to the free exercise of religion granted under Article 1, Section 18 of the Wisconsin Constitution.”
The Defendants presented their case based on the schools’ freedom to practice religion, guaranteed by the State and National Constitutions. According to Catholic World Report, Attorney Joseph Voiland, representing parent Sara James, said: “Virtual learning is not the practice of her faith or her children’s faith. It needs to be in person because she believes her children need to be in person with other children as part of the Body of Christ. That is her belief. Switching to virtual education doesn’t simply change the venue — it changes the entire education.”
In a press release on the case, Thomas More Society Special Counsel Erik Kaardal said: “This has been an overreach of major proportions by a local health official who ignored the fundamental constitutional right to the free exercise of religion for parents, students, and school personnel by ordering these institutions to shut down and prohibiting in-person education. It was a slap in the face to educational choice, an affront to families who believe that children should be in school, and a direct violation of parental rights.”
Those private schools in Dane County which chose to remain open throughout the entire 2020-2021 academic year, did not experience an onslaught of COVID cases. According to Catholic World Report, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools Michael Lancaster said: “Overall, school has been going remarkably well. The fact that there has been no transmission in schools suggests that all the mitigation factors are working. Parents have also been playing a critical role as they have been tracking symptoms and keeping children home if they show any sign of illness.”
Fr. Scott Jablonski, the pastor of St. Francis Xavier parish in Cross Plains said his school had seen “a few isolated cases with students and a couple of teachers who contracted Covid … on the whole, it has been a successful year … students have greatly benefited from the ability to be in person for the vast majority of the year.”
In celebrating the schools’ victory, attorney Misha Tseytlin, who represented St. Ambrose and other Dane County Catholic schools, said: “I am deeply grateful that the Supreme Court has now definitively held that Dane County acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally in attempting to close our schools last fall to in-person instruction, including religious instruction … The Wisconsin Constitution gives broad protections to the religious liberty of Wisconsinites, and the Supreme Court has now made clear that those protections apply in both good times and challenging times.”
The University of Notre Dame is promoting so-called homosexual 'pride' month on an official university webpage, complete with a guide on how to become an "ally" of LGBT activists.
But, such homosexual 'pride' events and "allying" should be avoided by Catholics as they seek to normalize both grave sin and disorder, as well as the destruction of the natural family and marriage between one man and one woman.
Please read the passages of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, below, where it very clearly states that:
"...'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.' They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved."
Then, please SIGN this urgent petition, asking the Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend (the diocese in which Notre Dame is located), Bishop Rhoades, to formally correct the University in this matter.
This petition is also CC'ed to the University asking them to stop promoting the homosexual 'pride' agenda.
If anyone has ever seen the some of degrading things done at so-called 'pride' events in the name of sexual license, you understand how dangerous these events can be to children's innocence and understanding of human nature, nevermind that of the adult participants!
Indeed, the danger to the Faith and morals are so serious that, two years ago, the Bishop of Rhode Island gave this stark warning to his flock: "A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ “Pride Month” events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children."
Please now SIGN and SHARE this petition which asks his brother bishop in Indiana, Bishops Rhoades, to formally admonish the University of Notre Dame from the promotion of these events which are contrary to the Faith and morals.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'University of Notre Dame embraces ‘pride month,’ touts Biden’s pro-LGBT statement' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/university-of-notre-dame-embraces-pride-month-touts-bidens-pro-lgbt-statement
What the Catechism of the Catholic Church says on homosexuality (quoted here):
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
**Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com
Executive Director of St. Ambrose Academy, Joan Carey, pointed to the religious significance of the crucial dates in the successful case hearing.
“Our plea for upholding the right to educate our children as we see fit was presented before the court on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and our victory was declared on the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” she said. “Our school strives daily to bring students to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We are here to guide them to form their hearts like those of Jesus and Mary. God’s timing for this court case couldn’t have been more perfect.”