The Archdiocese of Liverpool is sitting on its hands while a Catholic headmaster has entered a civil partnership with a male teacher and celebrated the “union” in a parish center, according to The Telegraph.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool has taken no action against Charles Coyne, the head of St Cecilia’s primary school.
Many local Catholics have urged the archdiocese to take action over the scandal. So Archbishop Patrick Kelly did what Jesus surely would have done; he called a lawyer who warned him against doing anything. A spokesman for the archdiocese said nothing could be done. “Legal advice was sought,” the spokesman said. “The Church was advised that in this case nothing could be done, despite the fact that the head was acting contrary to Church teaching.”
The archdiocese put out a statement saying that Mr Coyne had run St Cecilia’s for many years and “matters relating to his personal life have in no way interfered with his management of the school”. Yeah, except for the fact that he’s blatantly flouting the rules of the church before all of the children.
The Rev Richard Kirker, the general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, predicted that Mr Coyne’s “courageous” step would be followed by others in senior posts.
Let’s hope not. But with the church shrugging its shoulders in the face of brazenness like this what hope is there? One doesn’t have to think hard about why Europe is sinking down the secular toilet.
August 13, 2007 at 3:38 pm
The only hope, I guess, is that parents will pull their children out of the school?!? Thus make all suffer to the vanity of one. It’s happening all the time. Catholic Charities in Boston had to stop adoption services because it would otherwise have been forced to provide adoption services to homosexual couples.
I’m speculating that the headmaster, in twisted logic, (and pride and original sin), thinks that he’s being a pioneer, and trying to change the church from within. “We are the Church,” you know. Seeing that he choose the Parish Hall IMHO shows an “in your face” sort of attitude.
I am always aghast when I see laypeople (and yes, clergy) who gain succor from the church, whose views/opinions/attitudes are so anathema to church teachings. I guess I’m applying my own rules of internal consistency; whereas if I was in a similar situation, I would have the intellectual honesty to step down, and seek employment elsewhere.
August 13, 2007 at 4:56 pm
the saddening thing here is that many parents are going to pull their children from the school. another catholic school will close and the media will report it as showing the need to “liberalize” the church. When in fact, it is the exact opposite.
August 14, 2007 at 2:21 am
In most states in my country (Australia); anti-discrimination laws would not apply to this situation, and the Church could and would freely sack the guy.
But that’s not the case in the UK anymore; Many Catholic, or otherwise “socially conservative” parents will pull their kids out.
Some will stay, because the Catholic school system is seen as providing a superior education to that offered by the public system.
My bet is that Matthew is sadly right.