Bishop sets things right for teachers

Two years ago, Bishop Robert Vasa sparked uproar and criticism throughout the county and here in Petaluma after issuing a controversial edict that would have forced teachers at St. Vincent de Paul High and elementary schools to sign a mandatory pledge, affirming that “modern errors” such as contraception, abortion and homosexual marriage, “gravely offend human dignity and the common good.” Teachers who did not embrace such archaic beliefs, and refused to be pressured into signing the agreement, would be terminated at the end of the school year.

The bishop’s demand was, to put it mildly, unreasonable and counterproductive.

Capable and dedicated teachers at St. Vincent’s understandably felt they were being coerced to lie in order to preserve their jobs, or lose their jobs by refusing to embrace such rigid and anachronistic dogma. Students and their families feared they could lose teachers that had devoted themselves to providing a high-quality Christian education.

Worst of all, St. Vincent’s well-earned reputation for inclusiveness and tolerance was suddenly, and unnecessarily, put at risk.

The bishop’s motivation in mandating these pledges from teachers, some of whom had spent decades successfully teaching youngsters in Petaluma, appeared aimed at weeding out teachers who did not profess strict adherence to all Catholic doctrines which includes opposing many practices and lifestyles that are very widely accepted in Petaluma and the rest of the North Bay.

After getting an earful from Catholic school teachers and parents in Petaluma and Santa Rosa, Vasa eventually withdrew his draconian edict, promising he would offer something comparable in two years.

True to his word, Vasa earlier this month issued a “revised code of conduct” that appears to be more acceptable to teachers by requiring adherence to the church’s general teachings, while not specifically mentioning the hot-button issues contained in the earlier decree.

Ironically, Vasa’s earlier edict came out the same month that the church had just selected Pope Francis as its spiritual leader. In the two years since, Pope Francis has been highly critical of the Catholic Church’s emphasis on divisive social issues like abortion and gay marriage.

The pope’s position appears to fly in the face of those espoused by bishops like Vasa who for years have vigorously preached against same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception.

Pope Francis has taken a more compassionate and pragmatic approach to discussing such issues. Responding to a question about homosexuality, he said, “Who am I to judge a gay man?”

Rather than focus on dogma, Francis has continually stressed that preaching God’s mercy should be the top priority for the church. He focuses less on arcane church rules and doctrine that have given many people reason to feel consistently at odds with the Catholic Church. He even said, “I believe in God, not in a Catholic God. There is no Catholic God, there is a God.”

Pope Francis wisely realizes that it is time to chart a new, less doctrinaire course for the Catholic Church. Thank goodness, it appears that Bishop Vasa has been paying attention.

Preaching ideological intransigence and close-mindedness towards people with different viewpoints has, after all, harmed the church. Here in Petaluma, these are not qualities that the local Catholic schools or the Petaluma community espouse. Even large numbers of parishioners at local Catholic churches do not agree with such extreme policies. And Pope Frances clearly does not believe that the church is made more relevant when its leaders continually harp on such things as the perceived evils of using a condom.

Many teachers at St. Vincent’s are models of Christian educational values, highly skilled in teaching college prep curriculum as well as the ideals of compassion, love, brotherhood and respect for others. The schools are valuable community institutions with effective and committed teachers and administrators dedicated to the goals of educating students to develop their spiritual, academic and social potential so graduates become compassionate, responsible and active members of the community.

Achieving those noble goals was made more difficult by the bishop’s earlier decree. They should be made easier to achieve with his more recent statements.

“We do not want to be perceived as narrow-minded,” said St. Vincent’s principal, Dr. John Walker. “We want the community to understand St. Vincent’s High School as an open and welcoming community, dedicated to the Christian values of compassion and understanding in the spirit of Pope Francis.”

Amen to that.