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1. How arrogant and outrageous is that?
   My daughter a devout Catholic was deserted by her husband and subsequently he divorced her. She is very much involved in her daughter's school, which includes assisting in class for a couple of hours a week. From the perspective of ill-informed Andre-Joseph, she is somehow contaminated!
   Implicit in his attack it would seem that somehow the divorce is the fault of the deserted wife!
   Furthermore, he might stop and think how thin on the ground are volunteers who are involved in their children's school. I just shake my head in wonder at the unreal world such clerics live in.

   Posted By: Margaret Atkinson

2. The New Covenant/the Gospel is not meant to be a continuation of the 'treat 'em like lepers' mentality found in parts of the Old Covenant. That kind of thinking was buried with the coming of Christ.
   It doesn't mean we accept divorce; it just means that so long as anyone in such a personal situation does his/her job they should be left alone.
   We need more 'leave me alone faction' Catholics. That is the faction I belong to as do most mainstream parishioners in the pews along with most PPs.
   Peoples' personal situations are best left between themselves, their PP and God.
   No Gladys Kravitz or Mrs Jessop faction Catholics including clergy should ever get involved in education if they are publicly behaving like gossips over the backfence.
   There is no call from Christ to get so involved in peoples' personal lives. The main obligation is for people in irregular situations to deal with issues with their PP/bishop and God. It stops there.

   Posted By: Michael Webb

3. The article heading is quite misleading. The Archbishop said 'For those who remarry after a divorce, it is preferable not to be a religious teacher or the head of a school'.
   He does not refer to divorcees! There is quite a difference.
   Divorce is associated with civil law and is not recognised by Church law. Providing someone like Margaret's daughter hasn't remarried (or if she has, has obtained an annulment) the Archbishop's comments do not refer to people like her.
   It applies to people who have remarried, not to divorcees. It is quite logical that someone who has married a number of times should not be teaching religious education, which includes the topic of the sanctity of marriage.

   Posted By: MJF

4. It is important to not take things out of context. The Archbishop is quoted as saying it's preferable for those who 'remarry' after a divorce (obviously without an annulment), which is contrary to the Catholic Faith, not to hold down two very specific roles within a Catholic school: Those who are responsible for educating in the faith and those responsible for setting the primary example for all staff and students, the Leader/s of the school.
   Faith is not simply an academic activity, it is a lived reality. Therefore, it is more than appropriate to ensure those responsible for passing on the faith in a Catholic School environment are also living the faith they are teaching.
   Margaret, your daughter would not be excluded in this understanding, but in fact could be a powerful witness and excellent educator in the lived expression of faith as she works through her painful circumstance unwavering from the faith she holds dear.

   Posted By: John

5. I dont see any issue in this statement if you read what he actually said is when they remarry and teach religion or are on the school exec.
   Fair is fair the standard of our teachers needs to be raised too many good Catholics can't seem to get teaching jobs in Catholic schools yet there are teachers in the schools who aren't practicing and adhering to all the teachings of the Church.

   Posted By: PM

6. The Cardinal is, it seems, speaking of those who are remarried (and presumably, without an annulment) being banned from teaching. Not divorcees as such. There's a big difference.

   Posted By: HH

7. He is not a cardinal [yet - anyway]! His predecessor, Cardinal Danneels, is still very much alive. Cd Danneels would not have made such a statement.

   Posted By: Rob Brian

8. Rob Brain: There is absolutely no reason why a bishop and his predecessor in the same diocese cannot be living cardinals at the same time. e.g. Cardinals Clancy and Pell.
   And you have no right to cast aspersions against the strength of Cd Danneels' faith based on what you think he hypothetically might or might not have said.

   Posted By: Peter G

9. For years and in more than 7 parishes in recent years, I have seen them leave at communion time from the back of Churches - innocent parties of divorce settlements and yet they have remained loyal to attending Church faithfully each Sunday - sad lonely people.
   I cannot square the unconditional love revealed in the Jesus of the Gospels with this cruel punishment by the institutional church where power and control over the victims denies their access to the sacrament of love (when they need it most).
   It is a black hole for the church today and an embarrassing sign of the church's reprehensible treatment of women over the centuries.

   Posted By: Graham

10. I am pleased we do not have any such judgemental individuals among our hierarchy!

    Posted By: bill

11. Archbishop Leonard in this particular case certainly didn't mince his words but the headline writer certainly stripped them of their nuance.
    Where he may have erred - and I don't know the full text - is that there is no mention of divorcees who after an annulment re-marry.
    As it is he is reported as saying 'For those who remarry after a divorce it is preferable not to be a religious teacher or head of a school.'
    I presume we would think it preferable that a person who doesn't believe in the laws of thermo-dynamics and tries to live his life accordingly not be a teacher of Physics.

    Posted By: Joe

12. I wonder just what these bishops think happens in the real world?
    Women's rights, divorce, contraception, same-sex attracted people etc, are issues knocking on the door of catholic conservatism.
    Don't they realise that, at the community level, many of the above are non-issues and accepted by the community and by the priests. Recently, a discussion on whether divorced people should receive Holy Communion generated quite a debate, with the conservative bishops in one camp (including, it seems, the Pope) and liberal-minded bishops in the other.
    It appears that the conservatives actually think that people are denied the sacrament because they say so, when in fact, at the practical everyday level, that is not the case. Communities across the world simply ignore the directives.
    That is what happens when unreasonable conditions are imposed from on high, when, for all sorts of reasons, good and devout Catholics find themselves on the fringe of Church's laws and others, inside the tent, can see that they are not being treated fairly. It appears that neoconservatives must always judge, view issues in a very blinked manner and proclaim their righteousness, which in the end, means they loose.
    

    Posted By: Jeff KETTERING TAS 7155

13. The Cardinal is only underlining the very important relationship between the conduct of one's life as a witness to the gospel vis-a-vis passing on the values of the same gospel to the next generation.
    It would be hypocrisy for Catholic Schools to employ staff in a religious or leadership positions who knowingly flouted the tenets of the position or body that they are supposed to represent.
    The Cardinal was making a distinction between applicants who did not respect the Church divorce procedures and those who went through the rigors of the annulment path.
    In these situations, Church authorities must also exhibit the charity and compassion that Jesus showed to men and women who found themselves in similar situations by illuminating for them the truths of the gospel and the rejection of sin.

    Posted By: Gerry McIvor

14. Extraordinary to find some of today's respondents talking about sin as though every divorcee is the guilty party.
    Do you think divorced teachers would be in a Catholic school if they deliberately went against Church teaching on marriage and divorce??? What planet is this thinking coming from?
    The fact is that many divorcees (50%?) constitute the innocent party.
    Then the distinction needs to be made about whether they teach RE in a Catholic School or a secular subject. Being divorced and married would not impact on their teaching effectiveness and hopefully, authorities would not base their criteria on whether or not people were divorced and remarried. They would have enough sense to base their decisions about hiring staff on teaching competence, integrity and compassion rather than the letter of the law.
    Teaching communities in catholic schools reflect the current attitudes and behaviour and circumstances of the general community without being judgemental.

    Posted By: Graham

15. Graham: You seem very confused about the Church's rules. There is no reason whatsoever for innocent parties of divorce settlements to refrain from receiving Communion and certainly no reason to leave Mass early. In fact the Church says that they sin if they do not attend the whole Mass every Sunday and receive Communion at least once a year.
    And what do you mean by 'an embarrassing sign of the church's reprehensible treatment of women'? The Church applies, and has always applied, exactly the same rules to men as to women regarding marriage and divorce.
    And which respondents here are 'talking about sin as though every divorcee is the guilty party'? I have never seen or heard anybody anywhere say that.

    Posted By: Peter G

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