New Jersey Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski placed Patricia Jannuzzi, a 30 year veteran Catholic elementary school theology teacher, on administrative leave for posting on her personal Facebook page what the Bishop called “harsh and judgmental statements.”
Essentially, Patricia wrote that homosexuals hope to “re-engineer Western civilization into a slow extinction” and that “we need healthy families with a mother and a father for the sake of the children and humanity.”
You may read her statement here.
The Bishop justified her dismissal and wrote, “We must ensure that our educators steer away from harsh and judgmental statements that can alienate and divide us.” Don’t be deceived by the Bishop’s Newspeak language. You may read his full statement here.
Patricia did not make any “harsh and judgmental” statements against any individual homosexual. She was writing about a group of people having a certain ideology.
Patricia’s words may have been intemperate, but they were not sinful words such as libel, slander, calumny, and detraction. These sinful words are contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Catechism doesn’t mention anything against using “harsh and judgmental statements that can alienate and divide us,” as the Bishop wrote.
In fact, Jesus himself said he came not to unite but to divide! Jesus used many harsh and judgmental statements. He called the Scribes and Pharisees, “Fools, hypocrites, blind guides, whited sepulchers, murderers, a generation of snakes.” In fact, when we speak the truth in love, the words are often hurtful. We say these words not to be “harsh and judgmental”, as the Bishop wrote, but to bring sinners to repentance and conversion.
Please pray for true unity by praying the Chaplet of Unity that Jesus King of all Nations revealed. You may find it here.
Please pray that in justice the Bishop will immediately return Patricia to her job for her sake, the sake of her family and for the sake of her students.
Please pray for Patricia’s courage, fortitude and moral and financial support.
