Trustees get sermon from archbishop on transgender discord
Smith sees some ‘constructive’ ideas in provincial transgender guidelines
Edmonton’s archbishop has harshly criticized some Edmonton Catholic school trustees for betraying the trust of Catholics by failing to speak with a strong voice on policies to protect LGBTQ students.
Following scathing letters from two Alberta bishops — each calling for the rejection of new transgender guidelines from the education ministry — Archbishop Richard Smith said in a letter released Thursday many of the guidelines are “constructive, thoughtful and reasonable suggestions.” Many Catholic schools already follow them, Smith said.
Some guidelines aren’t “congruent with Catholic teachings” by creating “an artificial genderneutral atmosphere in schools” and don’t protect the “rights and protections previously upheld for boys and girls and their mothers and fathers,” he wrote.
Smith said a Catholic school can’t be expected to “deny its faith-base” and quoted Pope Francis: “(V)aluing one’s own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if I am going to be able to recognize myself in an encounter with someone who is different.”
Even so, Smith harshly criticized the Catholic board for its handling of the issue, at a time when some are calling for the board’s dissolution.
“There, for too long now, we have witnessed the inability of trustees to function in a cohesive way or speak with a unified voice,” Smith wrote.
“The words and actions of some trustees, rather than defending and upholding all that is good in Catholic education, have caused harm and hostility. In doing so, they have betrayed the trust placed in them by Catholic electors.”
Last week, board members — without input from chair Marilyn Bergstra — decided to send parents a link to a letter from Calgary Bishop Fred Henry, who wrote the approach and directive of the provincial guidelines “smack of the madness of relativism and the forceful imposition of a particular narrow-minded anti-Catholic ideology.”
Bergstra said she would not have advised them to send the link, which was later removed from the board’s website. Trustee Patricia Grell wrote an apology to those hurt and offended by the letter.
Earlier in the discussions, trustee Larry Kowalczyk told a media outlet he believed transgender students have a “mental disorder.”
Smith didn’t name names in his letter, but urged the board members to review their code of conduct and “reflect seriously on their commitment to the vocation of Catholic school trustee.”
Education Minister David Eggen called the archbishop’s letter constructive. Eggen met with consultant Don Cummings on Wednesday, and together with the education department, they will to come up with a plan of action for the school board “sooner rather than later.”
“Edmonton Catholic school board’s issues are around governance, how they interact with each other and how they follow proper board policy. They have a lot of work to do in that regard, for sure,” Eggen said.
“The archbishop’s letter sent some pretty clear words to the board and I have done so, too. We’re moving down a path here that is very unfortunate and it has serious implications.
“I know the board is looking hard at reflection together and individually to come up with something that is functioning and something that we can stand proud about to the 40,000 students to which they are responsible.”