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Catholic education board urges teachers to not support pride

The York Catholic District School Board became the first Ontario Catholic school board to make a public statement against the decision by the Ontario English Catholic Teacher’s Association to attend the World Pride Parade in Toronto in June.
The board announced Tuesday it would ask the teachers’ union not to march in the parade because it would send the wrong message to students about what the Catholic Church teaches on marriage and family.
A motion proposed by Trustee Cathy Ferlisi and seconded by Trustee Teresa Ciaravella asked that a letter to be written to the association asking their membership not to participate in the parade “as members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association.”
According to the statement, being in the parade would not be in keeping with their role as Catholic teachers, which is to provide young people with “a vision of human life, marriage, family, and sexuality grounded in Catholic values.”
All Trustees present approved the motion except for Trustee Carol Cotton. Trustee Dino Giuliani was absent.
Parents As First Educators president Teresa Pierre witnessed the vote.
She said her organization, a Catholic parents’ group, supported the York board’s statement.
“Parents As First Educators put up our petition asking boards to object to the motion in hopes that trustees will unite behind Cardinal Thomas Collins’ statement that OECTA’s decision was wrong,” she said. “We hope many more boards will speak out as the York board did here tonight.”
Ms Pierre said thousands of Ontarians have told her the association’s move is demoralizing for them as Catholic parents, teachers and clergy.
“We need the union to realize taking a Catholic teachers’ delegation to the Pride Parade goes too far,” she said. “It’s a violation of the teachers’ contractual obligations to be true to Catholic teachings.”
She added that she only regretted that the board expedited the motion instead of providing notice to voters so that they could offer feedback.
Asked why she thought it was important for the York Catholic board to go on record against the union’s decision, Trustee Ferlisi said, “Because if we don’t stand behind our faith, who will? This is a confusing issue for students and it’s important that the schools give them the right information to help them understand it.”
According to Ms Pierre, Parents As First Educators supporters are saying they view the union’s actions as disrespectful to past generations of teachers.
“The stance of this teacher association in supporting the Pride Parade is a betrayal of the school system and the thousands of teacher professionals who sacrificed so much in the past to preserve the special privilege and honour of Catholic education,” one commentator at the online petition wrote.
The York board’s motion supports a statement from Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto, who said in remarks to the Catholic Register on April 17 that the union’s decision demonstrates an “inadequate and mistaken” understanding of the faith.
Parents As First Educators holds Ontario Catholic Trustees accountable to taxpayers through grassroots activism. The group informs and mobilizes more than 15,000 supporters throughout Ontario. It monitors and intervenes to ensure board officials keep their activities transparent to the public.
“We hold them responsible for their actions and expect them to promote the teachings of the Catholic Church,” the group’s web site reads.

http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/4492273-york-board-disagrees-with-teachers-support-of-pride-parade/
Good on the union for going. Catholics may be beginning to realise that they are going to ostracise their younger audience and slowly wither if they continue to support bigotry, and the union is taking steps to reverse that. It's a shame the school board thinks differently.
Reply 2
Religion. An 'excuse' for bigotry.
Original post by Jkizer
Religion. An 'excuse' for bigotry.


And that's its only purpose?

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Original post by Merlotonous
And that's its only purpose?

Posted from TSR Mobile


No, it's also used to kill, torture, and oppress others whilst amassing as much profit and power as possible.
That all?

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