The bishop of the Diocese in Worcester, Massachusetts, issued a decree revoking the Nativity School of Worcester’s Catholic status after school administration refused to remove the LGBT Pride and Black Lives Matter flags on its premises.
“The flying of these flags in front of a Catholic school sends a mixed, confusing and scandalous message to the public about the Church’s stance on these important moral and social issues,” Bishop Robert McManus said in the decree published Thursday.
“It is my contention that the ‘Gay Pride’ flag represents support of gay marriage and actively living a LGBTQ+ lifestyle,” the bishop said, arguing that these things contradict church teachings. (RELATED: Archbishop Bans Pelosi From Receiving Holy Communion Due To Her Abortion Support)
The bishop also said in the decree that while the Catholic Church agrees with the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” the movement “has co-opted the phrase and promotes a platform that directly contradicts Catholic social teaching on the importance and role of the nuclear family and seeks to disrupt the family structure in clear opposition to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
The bishop prohibited the school from referring to itself as Catholic, administering Mass on its premises and advertising in the Diocesan Directory, according to the decree.
Bishop McManus’s Decree: “Mass, sacraments and sacramentals are no longer permitted to be celebrated on Nativity School premises or be sponsored by Nativity School in any church building or chapel within the Diocese of Worcester.” https://t.co/2edUgDzGQY
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) June 16, 2022
The Nativity School, upon request for comment, directed the Daily Caller to the statement it published Wednesday. In the statement, the school defended flying the BLM and Pride flags and noted it had been doing so since January 2021.
“As a multicultural school, the flags represent the inclusion and respect of all people. These flags simply state that all are welcome at Nativity and this value of inclusion is rooted in Catholic teaching,” the school said. “Flying our flags is not an endorsement of any organization or ideology, they fly in support of marginalized people.”
The school said it would continue to fly the flags, adding, “Please know that any decisions made by the Diocese will not change the mission, operations or impact of Nativity.” The Nativity School plans to appeal the decree, according to the school’s statement.
The bishop of the Diocese of Worcester did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment by publishing time.