" I Have to Believe in the Teachings of the Church to Teach in the Church?"

Bishop Loverde of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia has required that all who teach the Catholic faith, (known as catechists), publicly profess their belief in the Catholic faith, including all of the Church teachings regarding faith and morals. In celebrating the Year of Faith announced by Pope Benedict, Bishop Loverde is desiring to see a renewal in the faith, especially in the young people of his diocese. As bishop his first job is to ensure the passing on of the faith without error or confusion. By asking the catechists to adhere to the teachings of the faith, the young people will have the Catholic faith taught in its fullness, accurately without distortion. The catechists throughout the diocese will publicly profess their faith and sign a document, part of which is below, promising to keep and uphold the teachings of the faith.

 "I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals. Moreover, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium even if they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act." 


 The Washington Post, of course, made a bee-line to 5 dissident Catholic Catechists out of 5000 who received the above letter to capture and publish their outrage at being expected to teach, of all things for God's sake, the Catholic religion! "What! You mean I have to actually believe in the Teachings of the Catholic Church to Teach in the Catholic Church? How dare they do this to me?" Yes Virginia, the Church that teaches us that God is one in three persons and that the second person of the Trinity  came to earth to die for your sins is also teaching you that marriage is only marriage if it is between a man and a woman, only men can become priests, homosexual activity is gravely disordered, abortion is murder and using contraception is a mortal sin. The Church asks you as a catechist to pass on the full faith, not just your edited version of it! The door to the cafeteria in Arlington has just closed.

Sadly some of these folks are resigning their positions. I believe the bishops goal is to ultimately hope that the dissidents would choose to come under correction rather than abandon the Barq of Peter. It is never good to see people leave the Catholic faith, but if the result of making a Catechist promise to teach the Catholic faith in its fullness leads more young people to the full truth and beauty of the Church, than perhaps that is how it may have to be. Cardinal Ratzinger said just before his election to the papacy, that the Church of the future may have to grow smaller and start from the beginning. This may be the start of it. I pray that more bishops in the US request their diocesan catechists to do the same as Bishop Loverde of Arlington has asked.