Diocese on no moral high ground

By Carol Dunn | Reads Landing, Minn.

Well, what a mess.

A single Catholic school teacher signed a contract to be a moral example. She had sex. She got pregnant. She didn’t abort the child. Her bosses requested her resignation. She went to the media.

The teacher told her story using that New Testament term “forgiveness.” The principal and priest — part of a well-sued organization—made no comment.

Critics noted the church declaring “No abortions!” tripped over itself again.

The teacher broke contract: Protecting life and telling truth don’t trump “the big nasty.”

The bosses had no choice. The Winona Diocese requires this contract to insure children good moral examples.

What a pile of hypocrisy!

A priest is arrested for soliciting gay prostitutes; he’s moved to a new parish and school. A teacher has extra-marital sex; she must resign. For the priest, the official Diocesan spin is, “We must forgive.”

For the teacher, it’s, “We cannot comment.”

I’m sorry, dear teacher; you will lose your students, the rest of this year’s salary and more. Confronting the power-filled — especially Catholic — brings suffering. New Testament teachings notwithstanding, they’ve been guarding their stones for two millennia. It will be painful.

I’m sorry, dear women of child-bearing potential; no enforceable laws say you can’t be fired for being pregnant.

Legislators, are you awake?

Winona Diocesan leadership, your moral ambivalence is showing.

What an obscene mess.