The archbishop of Denver, Colorado defended a decision by a Boulder Catholic school not to re-enroll two children because their parents are lesbians, reports CNN.
"The Church does not claim that people with a homosexual orientation are 'bad,' or that their children are less loved by God," wrote Archbishop Charles J. Chaput in an article to be published in Thursday's edition of the Denver Catholic Register.
"Quite the opposite. But what the Church does teach is that sexual intimacy by anyone outside marriage is wrong; that marriage is a sacramental covenant; and that marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. These beliefs are central to a Catholic understanding of human nature, family and happiness, and the organization of society. The Church cannot change these teachings because, in the faith of Catholics, they are the teachings of Jesus Christ."
He added people with a different understanding of marriage and family life "have other, excellent options for education and should see in them the better course for their children."
The staff members of Sacred Heart of Jesus were told the child would not be allowed to re-enroll because of his or her parents' sexual orientation. The staff members were also told not to talk to the media.
"These actions by the Denver Archdiocese harm the student by taking the child away from friends, teachers and community," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "It's deeply troubling to see any school remove a child from their educational program simply as the means of rejecting that child's parents."
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