The St Ann Catholic School Kindergarten in Prairie Village, Kansas are being petitioned by approximately 1,000 people after rejecting admission to the child of a same-sex couple.
Rev Craig Maxim is reported to have written to families of the kindergarten in February stating that after seeking guidance from the Archdiocese of Kansas City, he was advised not to admit the child to the pre-school as the parents could not “model behaviours and attitudes consistent with the Church’s teachings,” sparking a petition to be formed in support of the child’s parents. He further stated that he is “distressed over the division this sensitive and complex issue has caused within our school and church.”
Of the people who signed the petition to Archbishop Joseph Naumann, around half are actually members of the St Ann Catholic School, which would hopefully make a strong case for the acceptance of the child in question.
Enroll your child today for the 2019/2020 school year. pic.twitter.com/XaCoaRdEMK
— St. Ann Catholic School PV (@StAnnTigers) February 18, 2019
This is just the latest in a long history of anti-LGBT+ decisions within the Catholic church, who state that homosexuality has an inherent tendency towards sin, whilst also now stating that LGBT+ people “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity,” and that “every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”
These attitudes seem to be somewhat misaligned, and from the decision made in this instance it would be easy to think that the Catholic Church is still upholding antiquated views on morality with relation to homosexuality. If the petition is successful and makes a change for this family, hopefully it, alongside the recent summit on sex abuse, could precipitate a positive change within the Catholic Church on how they make decisions regarding LGBT+ members of their faith, and the LGBT+ community in general.
Whilst the support of many of the school’s parents must be very welcome, for now, the family can only wait and see if the petition is successful.
© 2019 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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