The city of San Francisco is demanding that Archbishop Cordileone give educators the right to dispute the morality of the Catholic church while they collect a paycheck from the very church they hope to undermine.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone included morality clauses in a new handbook and proposed changes to the labor contract of teachers at four Bay Area Catholic high schools, setting off a wave of opposition.
The archbishop has specified that teachers at four Bay Area Catholic high schools cannot publicly challenge the church’s teachings that homosexual acts are “contrary to natural law,” that contraception is “intrinsically evil” and that embryonic stem cell research is “a crime.” He also wants to designate teachers as part of the “ministry,” which could, under a 2012 Supreme Court ruling, strip them of protection under federal anti-discrimination laws.
There you go, the archbishop is challenging two central and foundational issues at the heart of San Francisco politics, the free exercise of immorality and the absolute rights of unions, especially teachers unions.
Archbishop Cardileone said he knew that not all teachers at the schools were Catholic, and he affirmed that a teacher’s private life would remain private. He said his concern was that teachers, in their public lives, “don’t do anything to compromise the mission of our schools.”
In other words, he is asking that if they work in a Catholic school they will teach Catholic doctrine because, well, it’s a Catholic school and that is what they are paid to do.
It turns out that the Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco actually believes in the teachings of his church, but that does not sit well with the city of San Francisco and they are demanding that he conform to their values.
“These actions really conflict with the values of San Francisco,” said Supervisor Mark Farrell, who introduced the resolution. “In San Francisco, we stand up for everyone. We stand up for our LGBT community and honor and embrace those who do the same.”
They do not stand up for everyone because that would include the Catholics of San Francisco not just the LGBT community, but I digress.
What is at issue is the training of children, teaching what it means to be moral and Catholic. The immoral leaders in San Francisco do not want even the Catholics to contradict their values as stated by Mr. Farrell.
The greater issue is the right of Americans to believe what their church teaches. The city of San Francisco is overstepping their authority given by the constitution, specifically the first amendment of the constitution.
The city does not have a right to demand anything of the church, they are powerless. That won’t stop them from taking the power they desire to have.
