A ROMAN Catholic school in Massachusetts has withdrawn its acceptance of an eight-year-old boy with lesbian parents, saying their relationship was “in discord” with church teachings, according to one of the boy’s mothers.
It’s at least the second time in recent months that students have not been allowed to attend a US Catholic school because of their parents’ sexual orientation, with the other instance in Colorado. The Massachusetts woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about the effect of publicity on her son, said she planned to send the boy to St Paul Elementary School in Hingham in the (northern)autumn.
But she said she learned her son’s acceptance was rescinded during a conference call on Tuesday with principal Cynthia Duggan and the parish priest, Father James Rafferty. “I’m accustomed to discrimination, I suppose, at my age and my experience as a gay woman,” the mother said. “But I didn’t expect it against my child.”
Father Rafferty said her relationship “was in discord with the teachings of the Catholic Church”, which holds marriage is only between a man and woman, the woman said. Father Rafferty and Ms Duggan did not respond to requests for comment. Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston Archdiocese, said it learned about the school’s decision yesterday.
He said the archdiocese is now in “consultation with the pastor and principal to gather more information”. Mr Donilon said the archdiocese does not have a policy prohibiting the children of same-sex couples from
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