Vatican pauses decree revoking school's Catholic status for refusing to fire a gay teacher
INDIANAPOLIS – The decree rescinding Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School’s status as a Catholic institution was suspended by the Vatican.
Indianapolis Archbishop Charles Thompson revoked the private high school's Catholic status in June after it refused to fire a gay teacher in a same-sex marriage.
Brebeuf, sponsored by an order of priests called the Midwest Jesuits, appealed the archbishop's decision to the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome. That body has suspended Thompson's decree while Brebeuf's appeal is pending.
Bill Verbryke, Brebeuf's president, said he hopes the dispute will be resolved soon.
Brebeuf loses Catholic status: Indianapolis Archdiocese cuts ties with Jesuit school over refusal to fire gay teacher
“Ultimately, our desire is to remain in full communion with the Catholic Church, without restrictions on our celebration of the Eucharist, and that our identity as a Catholic school be fully recognized and supported by the archdiocese, as had been the case for our first 57 years,” Verbryke said.
The Archdiocese of Indianapolis said the suspension is common practice and does not affect the outcome of the appeal.
"The Archdiocese of Indianapolis awaits a final determination by the Congregation for Catholic Education," the archdiocese said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
It's unclear when a final decision will be made.
Thompson had told the school it could not hold all-school Mass, which culminates in the sacrament. Because the decree was suspended, Verbryke said, the archbishop will allow Brebeuf to resume its normal sacramental celebration.
“Most happily, this means that we will be able to celebrate the Mass for the Feast Day of St. Jean de Brebeuf on Oct. 24,” Verbryke said.
At the start of the school year, Brebeuf held an all-school prayer service in place of the Mass it had traditionally held.
The rift between Brebeuf and the archdiocese stems from a dispute over the employment of Layton Payne-Elliott, a math teacher and an alum, according to the school's staff directory.
He is married to Joshua Payne-Elliott, who was a teacher at Cathedral High School until he was fired at the direction of the archdiocese.
Payne-Elliott fired: To save its 'Catholic identity,' Indianapolis' Cathedral High School fires a gay teacher
Joshua Payne-Elliott sued the archdiocese, alleging that it illegally interfered with his contractual and employment relationship with Cathedral High School, causing Cathedral to terminate him.
The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has been embroiled in a controversy over gay, married school employees for more than a year.
A gay guidance counselor at Roncalli High School was placed on administrative leave last August because of her marriage to another woman. Shelly Fitzgerald and Lynn Starkey, another gay guidance counselor in a same-sex marriage, were let go from Roncalli.
Starkey sued the archdiocese and Roncalli. Fitzgerald said she intends to do the same soon.
The archdiocese asserts that it has a constitutional right to “hire leaders who support the schools’ religious mission.”
Firing happened 'with a gun to our head': One high school fired a gay teacher. Another school protected one. They are married to each other
Teacher fired after coming out: Kentucky teacher came out as bisexual to stop a student's suicide. Then he got fired
Follow Arika Herron on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Vatican pauses decree revoking school's Catholic status over gay teacher
