Catholic by Design > Joanna Manning and Catholic Teachers

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Joanna Manning and Catholic Teachers

Read the article / show / issue that provoked me to write a letter and my response below that or go straight to my response

Date Posted on this Site

June 19, 2006

Published Content

I happened to stumble across an agenda for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association Annual General Meeting while researching another story for work.

My Response Letter

To the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association:
Greg Pollock, General Secretary,
Aleda O'Connor, Communications Director,
Larry Trafford, Professional Development Department Head

I would like you to know that I believe Ontario's Catholic teachers area dedicated and distinguished group, and I am pleased that they are providing such a thorough and faithful education to my children.

With all due respect and charity, though, I fail to understand how your members, and subsequently, our children, will be best served by the appearance of Joanna Manning at your Annual General Meeting on Friday, March 10, 2006.

Joanna Manning is a dissident Catholic who is openly critical of the Holy Father and the papacy. Moreover, she espouses a number of heterdox views, including those related to abortion, birth control, divorce, and ordination. According to some reports, she is banned from church properties and forbidden to teach religion!

In light of these concerns, what does Joanna Manning provide to your members -- my children's educators -- that is of substantial value? And what else am I to gather but that OECTA supports and champions Joanna Manning's views? Your Statement of Principles lists as its #1 point: promote Catholic values. How can this be?

I am seriously concerned that this person's theories and philosophies, unsupported by Sacred Scripture, Tradition, or the Magisterium of the Church, will now infiltrate the classroom and take root with our children.

I think there are many parents and teachers who would like an explanation for this egregious choice of speaker and an apology (since this is a fait accompli) for allowing immorality to stain what I hope will be a productive gathering. I look forward to your response.

In Christ,
Jason Gennaro

CC:
Neil MacCarthy - Communications Director, Archdiocese of Toronto
Joe Sinasac - Publisher and Editor, Catholic Register
Michael Swan - Associate Editor, Catholic Register
Luke Petrykowski - President, Toronto Chapter, Catholic Civil Rights League

Did I get a response?

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