Brighton, Howell Catholic churches 'disassociate' from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts over diversity, legal issues

A pair of Catholic churches in Howell and Brighton, both of which operate elementary schools, have decided to formally disassociate from the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts due to legal issues and policies that contradict church beliefs.

St. Patrick Catholic parish priest, the Rev. Mathias Thelen, released a letter dated Jan. 22 on the parish's website citing guidance from Bishop Earl Boyea, who leads the Diocese of Lansing. Thelen wrote that the parish is ending its relationship with the Boy Scouts of America due to "their legal trouble and the problematic positions they have taken which are incompatible with the Catholic faith."

"The Boy Scouts of 20 years ago is not the same as it is today," Thelen wrote. "It’s not the church who has changed; it’s the Boy Scouts who have changed.

"This kind of clear, moral guidance from the diocese, while difficult for us to hear, is actually a gift," he wrote. "As a result, I made the decision a couple of weeks ago to formally disassociate our parish and school from Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. I know this might be difficult for some people, but I believe it to be the right choice for us and for our children."

In addition to the Catholic parish, St. Patrick operates a kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school. The school website says there are about 425 students.

The St. Joseph Catholic parish in Howell, which also operates a K-8 school, has also decided to end its relationship with the Boy Scouts, the Rev. Gary Koenigsknecht, the church's priest, said. The troop they were partners with was very small, he said.

Since deciding to not continue its relationship with the Boy Scouts, Koenigsknecht said they've been in communication with the troop to find a new place for meetings. He said the church is going to help youth in the church find other scouting options, but they are still allowed to participate in Boy Scouts if they choose to.

David Kerr, director of communications for the Diocese of Lansing, said in a statement that the diocese supports the decision.

“(They are) but the latest in a rapidly growing number of Catholic parishes dissociating from the Boy Scouts of America due the organization’s embrace of values contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church," Kerr wrote.

An emailed statement, the Boy Scouts of America said, "We remain committed to serving youth and communities Michigan without interruption. We have nothing but admiration and respect for our Chartered Partners and hope to continue our meaningful relationship in the future.

"The partnership between the Boy Scouts of America and its many chartered partners, including religious and civic organizations, has been critical to delivering the scouting program to millions of youth in our country for generations. Several of the BSA’s chartered partners have been sponsoring local units for more than 75 years. Throughout its ongoing financial restructuring process, the BSA has been focused on ensuring that chartered partners are fairly represented and that they can continue to support Scouting," the statement said.

Each parish renews its charter with the Boys Scouts of America in December of each year, Kerr explained: "Hence, the advisory from the Diocese of Lansing that went to all parishes on Dec. 21."

In the guidance from the diocese, church officials note the "Citizenship in Society" merit badge, which explores diversity, equity and inclusion topics, is in conflict with Catholic teachings because it explores "individuality" and different "identities." Both topics contradict Catholic teachings on human sexuality, according to the diocese's guidance statement.

"In recent years, the Boy Scouts of America have made several changes to their governing documents. In particular, the bylaws no longer explicitly protect a church’s right to withhold membership from youth members whose personal beliefs are in conflict with the chartered organization’s religious principles," the diocese guidance states.

The new Citizenship in Society badge was available to Scouts starting July 1, 2022, and is among the required badges to become an Eagle Scout. According to BSA information, scouts must "Realize the benefits of diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical leadership with the Citizenship in Society Merit Badge. Scouts will research any individual who has demonstrated positive leadership while making an ethical decision, explain what options the leader had when faced with a problem, why they believe they chose their final course of action, and the outcome of the leader’s decision."

Another cited reason for discontinuing the relationship is because the Boy Scouts of America is still resolving its bankruptcy issues after numerous allegations of sexual abuse.

The Boy Scouts of America organization filed for bankruptcy in February 2020, according to a USA Today article.

"Given these legal issues concerning liability protection following the Boy Scouts’ bankruptcy and the shifting moral values of the Boy Scouts of America, the Diocese of Lansing now recommends that parishes disassociate with the Boy Scouts," the diocese guidance states.

"Pastors and their parishes who wish to continue chartering with the Boy Scouts do so at their own risk," the guidance says.

Under the guidance, Thelen said, the parish also decided to disassociate from Girl Scouts of the USA. The Lansing Diocese recommended considering relationships with Girl Scouts as well because they have, "also begun promoting ideologies contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church."

The Rev. John Rocus, the priest at Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Brighton, said the parish hasn't made a decision on the matter of Boy Scout troops because none currently meet at the church. Other Livingston County Catholic parishes did not respond to requests for comment Thursday morning.

The diocese guidance suggested a pair of groups for families to consider instead of the Boy Scouts or girl Scouts: For boys, the Troops of St. George, Trail Life and Blue Knights Boys Club. And for girls, the American Heritage Girls, Frontier Girls and Little Flowers Girls Club.

“Scouting remains a wonderful pursuit for boys and girls but there are many other and, indeed, better ways that parishes can pursue scouting than through the Boys Scouts of America, as many of our parishes have already discovered," Kerr wrote.

To read the full letter by St. Patrick Catholic Parish, visit StPatrickCatholicParish.org.

Sophia Lada is a reporter for the Livingston Daily. Contact her at slada@gannett.com or 517-377-1065. Follow her on Twitter @sophia_lada.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton, Howell Catholic churches disassociate from Boy, Girl Scouts