Boston, Mass., Jan 14, 2011 / 00:41 am
The Archdiocese of Boston has created a new Catholic schools admission policy in the wake of a controversy over a homosexual couple who tried to register their child for a Catholic school and were denied. The policy says schools must not “discriminate or exclude any categories of students,” while acknowledging the autonomy of local parish and school officials.
The new policy does not define what is considered to be a category of students, The Boston Pilot reports.
Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley pledged to create a new policy after a May 2010 incident in which a Catholic school in Hingham rescinded the acceptance of the child of a lesbian couple.
St. Paul Elementary school principal Cynthia Duggen and parish priest Fr. James Rafferty told one of the child’s parents that the boy could not attend because the couple’s relationship was “in discord with the teachings of the Catholic Church” which state that marriage can only takes place between one man and one woman.