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This is the guy who is too Catholic for Charlotte Catholic?
Huh?
Charlotte Catholic is fortunate to have such a fine priest as their chaplain.
What is wrong with those people?
Prayers for Fr. Kauth and Sr. Jane Dominic and faithful Catholic educators like them.
I apologize in advance for the very lengthy quotes here, but I think it is important to try to understand what happened. I really do wish we had a transcript of Sister Jane's talk so we could make our own judgments.
ReplyDeleteHere is part of an article from The Catholic News Herald:
"His intention, Father Kauth explained, was to bring back a popular speaker to give a different voice on the topic of sexuality to students. Sister Jane's talk last fall at Charlotte Catholic was so well received, he said, that he invited her back to deliver a presentation to the entire school.
He defended Sister Jane's presentation on same-sex attraction as it related to Church teaching, but he distanced himself from the social science data she quoted as being appropriate for the forum of the student assembly.
"I was stunned as anyone," he said, when asked why he didn’t stop her talk. "I didn’t know she had inserted this other piece. That piece (on homosexuality) is something that I wouldn’t have presented" in that forum. He said later that he takes responsibility for not making that clear.
Father Kauth repeatedly told the crowd of parents that Sister Jane should not be blamed, and that any fault should be pointed towards him.
"I take my responsibility very seriously," he said. "No one here has a monopoly on love. Everyone in this room wants what is best for these children."
Parents were given three minutes each to express their concerns and ask questions, but as moderator Hains frequently had to remind speakers to control their emotions.
One parent told Father Kauth, "You have divided parents, you have divided students, and we’ve lost respect for you."
A parent who said she was representing homosexual and bisexual students at Charlotte Catholic said Sister Jane "pounded home the message" that if these students are questioning their sexual identity, they had better stay in the closet. She also said she felt the presentation created nothing but an unsafe environment for these students at the school.
Several parents questioned why Father Kauth did not stop the presentation once it went awry.
"I wasn’t sure where (Sister Jane) was going," he responded. "I assumed her goodwill. She didn’t say anything that was contradicting to our faith."
Some parents tried coming to Father Kauth’s defense but were shouted down by other people. Several parents thanked Father Kauth profusely for the positive impacts his ministry has had on their children, who are students at the school.
"I trust the administration here and it has brought very good and energetic talk into our household," one parent said, but they were booed.
Another parent told Father Kauth, "You don’t know best for our children. What are you planning on doing for the healing? We want our children to remain Catholic, but we are being pushed away by the climate of what is going on here."
In an effort to express his displeasure with the discussion by Sister Jane, one parent said he suggested to his child that they should have just gotten up and left the assembly.
"We all need to recognize that there are gay and lesbian students at Charlotte Catholic High School," said the parent. The parent further explained that gay and lesbian students need to be embraced with love, not hatred. He said the discussion was "over the top" and never should have been allowed in the first place."
It is obvious something went very wrong in this talk. Perception is everything, Terry. Sister Jane offended a lot of people. Maybe she is right and they are wrong, but the fact is that these people felt they were being attacked, and even Father Kauth distanced himself from Sister's most controversial remarks. People are not going to listen when they feel they are being attacked and judged.
You can read the entire article here:
http://catholicnewsherald.com/42-news/rokstories/5264-charlotte-catholic-speaker-sparks-student-petition?tmpl=component&print=1&page=
I agree that it would be helpful to have a transcript. However, I am lead to wonder if these same "hurt" parents would demand a meeting and profess such outrage if, say, Father Kauth brought in a speaker who advocated for allowing gay couples to marry in the Church, or if he invited a "nun" who advocated for women's ordination. Something tells me these "good Catholics" who claim they are being hurt and driven out of the Church would have applauded such a speaker.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I haven't seen a transcript but the only thing that needs to be taught about masturbation is that it is a sin offensive to God and treats the human
body as an object devoid of dignity. Anything else is just conjecture and damages credibility. It's just like pro-lifers who carry signs reading "abortion causes breast cancer" outside Planned Parenthood". The real truth is gruesome enough without resorting to tactics that do not rely on sound and evidence-based research.
Should have read "research-based evidence"
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree somewhat with your comments, Brooklyn. Sister may have been imprudent, but there are plenty of times people respond like this when they are NOT being attacked. I'm a long-time sidewalk counselor who expresses love and concern for women seeking abortion. I have been verbally abused and attacked just for being on the sidewalk showing disapproval of their "choice." I know parents who love their children unconditionally who have been rejected for daring to disagree with their life choices. Just look at the life of Jesus. Can anyone believe He EVER did anything without love? And what was the reaction? These kids have been molded and formed in a homosexual worldview. Mike Voris pointed it out at this years March for Life when many of the Catholic teens interviewed expressed approval for both contraception and same-sex marriage. Sadly, we are in a war of values that is even dividing those in the Church. Homosexual behavior is absolutely immoral. Does anyone really think these kids are choosing chastity? If they are, they are doing a lot better than their opposite-sex-attracted peers.
ReplyDeleteMary Ann, I also pray and counsel outside of abortion clinics, and I have heard it all. I've been told I should have been aborted, that "we don't want your kind here." I had someone give me the finger as he drove by and others yell profanities. It goes on and on. (I also have people walk by and say, "God bless you.") But does saying words of judgment help those who disagree with me? Are they going to listen to that? Hardly. Nor do I confront the women going into the clinic. I reach out to them and try to show them that there are alternatives, that it is not necessary to have the abortion, to help them see that they will regret what they are doing. But never, never do I say any words of judgment or condemnation.
DeleteFrom reports I've heard, Sister Jane's talk was about the causes of homosexuality, and it seems that people interpreted what she was saying - rightly or wrongly - that it's their fault if they or their kids are homosexual. Maybe I've missed it, but I haven't seen any reports where people are saying that Church teaching is wrong. And from my first comment where I posted from an article, even the priest who invited Sister to speak thinks she went too far.
We live in a world where sin is no longer considered sin. People no longer have a sense of right and wrong. People are spiritually and morally lost, including many inside the Church. Maybe it's their fault they are lost and maybe it isn't. But that is for God to judge. Our job is to point them to God's mercy with love and compassion. That is what I try to do outside abortion clinics, and I try to make it a rule in my life generally. I think Sister Jane, with all her good intentions, only succeeded in turning people away from the truth. We need to learn from this and try to do it differently.
I know a woman convert who sent all of her kids to Catholic school, is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and supports abortion, Planned Parenthood, and SSM. This is what we are dealing with- people who claim the Catholic label and yet actively dissent from Church teaching. And they get very angry if anyone contradicts their positions. I suspect many of those parents are like this. What I don't know is how the Church can deal with this phenomenon effectively.
ReplyDeleteYup, Thomas, there were lots of folks like that at my oldest kids high school. Very few of my daughter's friends still practice the faith (graduates of now-defunct St. Mary's in Alexandria). And Bishop Ireton where my boys went was less Catholic than St. Mary's. Sad, sad, sad! No, that's not the word. It's scandal, scandal, scandal.
ReplyDeleteMy niece and others I know who have had full Catholic educations are like that - in fact they are now parents just like those in Charlotte. I've often mentioned on my blog families at my parish who are pro-choice, pro-same sex marriage. I get tired of pointing these things out.
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