Catholic group petitions Boston Archdiocese

Catholics United calls for acceptance of children of same-sex couples.

Catholics United, a social justice group, delivered a petition bearing more than 5,000 signatures to the Boston Archdiocese Braintree offices May 27 asking that it allow the children of same-sex couples to be admitted to Catholic schools.

"We want Cardinal O'Malley to know that many Catholics believe all children are worthy of a Catholic education," said Catholics United member Joe Betz. "It's not right to deny a young person these benefits because the Church does not recognize his parents' relationship."

The petition was delivered following the exclusion of an 8-year-old boy from Hingham's St. Paul Elementary, a Roman Catholic Diocese school, after it was discovered that his parents are lesbians. He had previously been admitted, but one of his mothers was told during a conference call with parish priest Rev. James Rafferty and principal Cynthia Duggan that her son would not be allowed to matriculate because his parents' relationship is "in discord" with church teachings.

Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley on May 19 defended Rafferty's actions, saying in a blog post that the priest had "made a decision based on an assessment of what he felt would be in the best interest of the child. I have great admiration for Fr. Rafferty; he has my full confidence and support."

Members of Catholics United are hopeful that the petition will urge the Archdiocese to commit firmly to a policy of equality and inclusion. "Catholic schools have a longstanding tradition of accepting all children, including those of non-Christian parents and those whose parents' lifestyles conflict with Church teachings in other ways," said Phil George, who delivered the signatures along with Betz and Larry Kessler. "We fear that discrimination against children of same-sex couples creates the appearance that it's more important to score political points than allow equal access to a Catholic education."

Theologians have joined local LGBT advocacy groups in voicing their displeasure at the boy's exclusion. "I am astonished and disappointed that a Christian school would disallow the child of a lesbian couple to matriculate," said Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean of the Boston University School of Theology and Professor of Theology and Education. "When a child qualifies and is accepted in a school, only to be rejected because of the parents' sexual orientation, the action is a fierce show of exclusion and a contradiction to the Gospel of Christ to which the Church witnesses. It is also a damaging witness to the other children and parents in the school, reinforcing a judgmental culture, rather than a compassionate one."

Following the boy's exclusion, superintendent Mary Grassa O'Neill spoke with one of the parents and "offered to help enroll her child in another Catholic school in the archdiocese."

"We believe that every parent who wishes to send their child to a Catholic school should have the opportunity to pursue that dream," O'Neill said.