A new booklet from the Roman Catholic Church warns that anyone entering into “non-chaste” relationships outside of Church-sanctioned marriage—which would include gay staff in civil marriages—could face demotion or removal from their posts.
Pink News reports:
The guidance, sanctioned by the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, says that teachers in Catholic schools should not marry divorcees, marry in registry offices or in other civil ceremonies (such as civil partnerships) that do not meet the Catholic Church’s approval.
The booklet, Christ at the Centre: Why the Church provides Catholic Schools, says that senior teachers in “a partnership of intimacy with another person, outside a form of marriage approved by the church…can be removed from office.”
“It is scandalous that the Catholic Church is able to use taxpayers’ money to practice this sort of crude discrimination,” said Keith Porteous Wood of the National Secular Society. “The way a person arranges their private life, so long as it is within the law, should be of no concern to an employer, not even the Catholic Church, particularly if no scandal is caused.”
A spokeswoman for the Catholic Church insisted “this isn’t about checking up on people,” but rather guidance for those applying for senior leadership positions.
“It is informing people called to leadership positions in Catholic schools that these are the expectations of someone in a senior role,” she told The Telegraph.
The European Commission is already considering if British laws governing faith schools conflict with European education laws.
“This is a matter for schools and their governors,” said said the Department for Education in regards to the booklet. “Faith schools can consider whether a person’s conduct is in line with their religious values when dismissing teachers. However schools must also comply with employment law.”
In 2007, the Archdiocese of London was advised that it could not dismiss a gay primary school headteacher who had entered into a civil union with another teacher from a nearby school.
2eo
HOW DARE YOU MARRY AN ADULT. YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN FUCKING CHILDREN.
GEEEETTTTT OOOUUUUTTTTTTT.
hyhybt
This may be a stupid question, but why is British taxpayer money going to church-run schools in the first place? Not their Established Church, even.
alexoloughlin
The Catholic cult in the UK also fires straight teachers who marry outside the church or who are “living in sin” with their partners, straight or gay. In any event, it’s illegal under employment laws. The Church of England has been fined for employment discrimination so the catholic cult has no case.
Dakotahgeo
UK: Catholic Church threatens…. Un huh! This relic of Christian fornication with children are a bastion of intellect and all are bending their ears to hear… NOT!!!
Cam
They’re setting themselves up for a massive suit. They take govt. money and yet still want to discriminate??
Sorry, but if they keep following the instructions of the bigot in Rome they will end up bankrupting themselves.
2eo
@Cam: I’m absolutely dying for them to push it and push it. It will go the European council who will obliterate the catholics.
We shouldn’t be funding faith schools, they are anti education, anti democracy and allows the thousands of religious paedophiles easy access to young children.
Sickening.
kayakriver
The European Commission is already considering if British laws governing faith schools conflict with European education laws. —- t’s so interesting/great that the European Union’s laws have such a higher standard in equality. Hopefully they will reign in the future. The smaller the government and the region the more bigotry it generates it seems.
Andrew
This coming from an organisation that use to scream “Kill the Jews because they killed Jesus” when in fact is was the Romans. And where is Vatican City located – in Rome!
So much for Love thy neighbour.
hyhybt
@Andrew: It amazes me how many Christians either don’t realize or else disregard that Jesus was himself a Jew.
Aidan8
Eliminate their tax-exemption. Now.
Ksb1978
Is that the actual couple in the pic above? Cause that’s hot.