A cult of denunciation

We've talked previously about the efforts of Roman Catholic institutions to purge themselves of Teh Gay, notably in firing teachers who are outed in some way--either for a news story about their marriage, or a mention of a same sex partner in an obituary.

And in nearly every case, we find reference to "letters from concerned parents" and sometimes even anonymous letters, exposing the teacher as gay, even if they were deeply closeted at school.

It happened in Minnesota, where the headmaster of a Catholic highschool was recently exposed and forced to resign.  (They deny that he was forced, of course, but they also made it clear he couldn't remain.) He hadn't mentioned for 18 years that he had a partner and children.

Hudson revealed the relationship during a conversation with Mark Motzel and Mary Wilcox, co-presidents of the school’s corporate board, whom he met with periodically in his CEO-like role at the Fridley school, Motzel said Tuesday. Before the most recent get-together, Motzel and Wilcox had become aware of information that Motzel described only as “inconclusive,” and the conversation took a personal turn. ...

What was that information?  Well, we learn  of a second teacher who has recently left the same school, fired for admitting she's gay.  She tells an interviewer,

Bill Hudson’s resignation was prompted by anonymous information provided to the chairpersons of the Totino-Grace corporate board. Bill’s departure under such disquieting circumstances was difficult for everyone in our school community, particularly for those of us who are gay or lesbian. Unfortunately, what we all feared only loosely – that we would be fired or asked to resign if we were “outed” – became too real to ignore.

So, that being the case, why did she tell them? Because she has a sense of honor:

Every year, Totino-Grace has adopted a school theme based on Catholic school teaching or the lives of our founders. This year’s theme, “Make Your Mark,” is based on St. John Baptist de la Salle’s prayer “Lord, the work is Yours” and his hope that we all do well the work to which God calls us....

I was struck by the dissonance between the meaning of our themes and the events that had recently taken place. I found myself trying to buy time while I tried to figure out how I could encourage others to “make their mark” if I was willing to be part of a community where I was required to hide and compromise and deny who I am. How could I ask others to give themselves entirely to the work God calls them to when I couldn’t do this myself?

This teacher refused to resign, and was terminated.

Honestly, this pattern of letters or anonymous information that is outing teachers and leading to their termination,  them is the worst sort of purity cult, crossed by the culture of denunciation.  Straight out of the East German Stasi. 

If the goal is to eliminate teachers and others who do not live by the Church's doctrinal rules, one must wonder;  what about the divorced/remarried?  What about those with no children?  Will the whispers and secret letters be sent around demanding them to be removed, as well?