Sydney's Catholic Oath of Fidelity
June 4th 2007 02:44
The Archdiocese of Sydney has released a proposal to require every teacher in its Catholic Schools to take an oath of fidelity to the magisterium (teaching office, ie Pope and bishops) of the Church.
Bishop Porteous was on the ABC this morning explaining that the sticking point was homosexuality, or perhaps more accurately, if he thought about it, homophobia.
It strikes me as odd that this has become the casus status vel cadendi of the Church's teaching. I'd have begun with the bodily resurrection and the Trinity, myself - if I had to pick an issue that would put one at emnity (or not) with God as revealed in the New Testament.
As someone who has taken the oath in clear conscience on a number of occasions, I don't see that declaring one's adherence to the basic charter of an organisation to which you adhere is such a big ask. I also recalling swearing out ceremonially a provision of the Australian Labor Party's rules concerning the socialisation of the means of production. If you don't like it then get out.
On the other hand, in a town like Sydney the opportunities for hypocrisy on this issue are endless. Sydney does good hypocrisy. IThis provision will give a stick with which to beat the closetted homosexuals in our midst, mostly by other closetted homosexuals with lots to hide. If that's what the oath is about then it is a very bad idea, and has little to do with traditional Christianity.
Bishop Porteous was on the ABC this morning explaining that the sticking point was homosexuality, or perhaps more accurately, if he thought about it, homophobia.
It strikes me as odd that this has become the casus status vel cadendi of the Church's teaching. I'd have begun with the bodily resurrection and the Trinity, myself - if I had to pick an issue that would put one at emnity (or not) with God as revealed in the New Testament.
As someone who has taken the oath in clear conscience on a number of occasions, I don't see that declaring one's adherence to the basic charter of an organisation to which you adhere is such a big ask. I also recalling swearing out ceremonially a provision of the Australian Labor Party's rules concerning the socialisation of the means of production. If you don't like it then get out.
On the other hand, in a town like Sydney the opportunities for hypocrisy on this issue are endless. Sydney does good hypocrisy. IThis provision will give a stick with which to beat the closetted homosexuals in our midst, mostly by other closetted homosexuals with lots to hide. If that's what the oath is about then it is a very bad idea, and has little to do with traditional Christianity.
| 34 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
