Police were called to maintain order at a Catholic school board meeting in Ontario, Canada, during a discussion about whether the board should fly a gay pride flag at its central office throughout June to support gay pride month.
The York Catholic District School Board met Tuesday night to consider the proposal. After hearing two delegations on the proposal and facing disruptions from frustrated Catholic parents, the board did not vote on the initiative.
“The York Catholic District School Board is involved in ongoing conversations with a number of stakeholders about whether or not to fly the Progress Pride Flag at their central office in June,” a statement from the board read.
“There was no motion on the table last night for voting and there has not yet been a decision on flying the Pride Flag at the YCDSB,” the statement continued. “The York Catholic District School Board is committed to our Catholic faith and to the well-being of our students and staff. The YCDSB believes that 2SLGTBQ+ students are loved by God and are valued members of our school communities.”
Some parents who objected to displaying the gay pride flag loudly disrupted the meeting and shouted down the first speaker. After security removed some of the parents from the meeting room, many continued to vocally protest the proposal from the lobby.
About two dozen parents verbally confronted supporters of the pride flag outside the meeting, chanting “shame” in unison and suggesting a lack of fidelity to Catholic teaching. One parent was heard yelling “the devil incarnate,” although it was unclear to whom it was directed, and another parent called supporters a “disgrace.”
Police eventually arrived at the board meeting, at which point many of the parents left. There were no arrests, nor were there any reports of violence, property damage, or physical injuries.
“Many members of the public … remained in the atrium of the board office, where the situation required the police to attend to ensure the safety of all members of the public,” the board’s statement read.
“When the police arrived, many individuals left the board office without being asked to do so,” the statement continued. “The York Catholic District School Board monitors for any possible disruption that could happen before a board meeting and works proactively with security and the police to ensure the safety of all those who attend our meetings.”
The board represents 85 Catholic elementary schools and 16 Catholic secondary schools across nine municipalities in Southern Ontario, which serve about 50,000 students combined. In Ontario, Catholic schools are publicly funded and local decisions are made by a Catholic school board rather than the Catholic diocese.
This is the second month in a row that police were called to a York Catholic District School Board meeting. In March, police showed up after some parents caused loud disruptions while voicing their opposition to the creation of safe spaces for students who identify as 2SLGTBQ+.
There are 37 Catholic school districts in Ontario. Last June, more than 80% of them publicly promoted some form of LGBT pride, which sometimes included the display of gay pride flags.
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Fr. Richard Cassidy, professor of Sacred Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, dresses in Roman prisoner garb as he holds a copy of his newest book, “A Roman Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.” Fr. Cassidy’s eighth scholarly work, the book explores the subversive nature of St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, which the apostle wrote from behind bars in a Roman prison cell. / Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic
Detroit, Mich., Apr 30, 2022 / 08:00 am (CNA).
It was a tough decision for Rick Cassidy as he began graduate studies at the University of Michigan in mid-1960s. Would he take the course on Imperial Rome, because of his love of history, or the course History of Slavery, because of his deep concern for social justice?
The Dearborn native chose the course on slavery. The insights he acquired have helped to guide Fr. Richard Cassidy’s scholarly work for three decades, including his latest work, “A Roman Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians“ (Herder & Herder, 2020).
Paul’s letter, composed in chains and secreted out of his Roman jail cell, is intentionally “counter-slavery” argues Father Cassidy, professor of Sacred Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary since 2004, as well as “counter-emperor.” At its core, Philippians is an underground epistle that subverts the Roman power structure and the “lordship pretensions of Nero.” Reviewers praise the “distinctive thesis” of Father’s groundbreaking work as “fresh and illuminating,” making for “fascinating reading.”
This is Father Cassidy’s seventh book that examines the influence of Roman rule on the writers of the New Testament, and his eighth book overall. He returned to Ann Arbor on a rainy afternoon in late June to discuss his newest work.
Dan Gallio: St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians is most known for its soaring declaration of the divinity Christ, before whom one day “every knee must bend,” and “every tongue proclaim” his universal lordship (2:6-11).
Your new book presents a unique argument: Paul’s letter is primarily a “subversive” document of resistance against the Roman Empire—particularly against emperor worship and slavery. How did you arrive at this against-the-grain interpretation?
Father Cassidy: These insights were the result of long hours with the text, spending a lot of prayer time for guidance, as to Paul’s situation.
The issue of slavery came into play strongly. I now saw that Jesus was executed as a violator of Roman sovereignty, condemned by Pilate, executed under Emperor Tiberius—and that this was the slave’s form of death. This is a crucial point.
In regards to the two topics you mention, I had the intuition that the Letter to the Philippians was “counter-emperor cult” and “counter-slavery.” First, the self emptying of Christ from on high—descending downward into human form, downward, downward to the point of the slave’s death on a Roman cross—and then you have St. Paul’s wonderful words in chapter 2, verses 9-11.
My insight was that there is going to be a redressing of what has happened. Because of the great faithfulness of Jesus Christ, the Father intervenes and begins the lifting up, the ascending of Christ, where the Father exalts Jesus and bestows upon him “the name above every other name.”
So I can now speak about this famous passage in terms of a kind of “drama”: four scenes that represent the descent of Jesus, and four scenes that represent his ascent, akin to a medieval passion play. The Father intervenes on Christ’s behalf, conferring upon him the name of “Lord.” Now all of creation, including the emperor, the governor, the imperial personnel, are all subject to Jesus. They have to prostrate themselves before the name of Jesus.
DG: So, essentially, Philippians is subversive because it makes a political statement as much as a theological one.
FC: Yes, but for some, it is a great privilege to genuflect at the name of Jesus. This includes slaves! Paul had integrated slaves into his community in Philippi. They were empowered now to proclaim the name of Jesus, standing alongside free men and women. They are standing alongside the Roman imperial power structure, all involved in the same process of bowing before Christ and proclaiming his name.
And that name is “Lord.” Jesus is being acclaimed as Lord, and not the emperor, to the glory of God the Father. This is the decisive element of Philippians 2:6-11, blended together in this one passage.
DG: You provide a forty-four-page introduction to the social situation of the Roman colony of Philippi. Why did you feel such an informative but lengthy introduction was necessary to support your thesis?
FC: I had to establish that conditions at Philippi mirror conditions at Rome. This is important. Philippi was like “Little Rome.” When Paul is speaking of conditions at Philippi, his is also experiencing the same oppressive conditions at Rome as a chained prisoner. I had to establish that emperor worship was everywhere, in Philippi’s renowned amphitheater, in the streets, in public artifacts. That is why I had to go into an extensive introduction to set the stage of what Paul is doing in his letter.
DG: Your appendices are extensive, too, like bookends to the introduction, driving the thesis home again using illustrations.
FC: There is one illustration of a monument where slaves are chained, and a slave trader is proclaiming his prowess as a slave trader. This monument to the degradation of slavery was at a city adjacent to Philippi. Paul almost certainly passed by it on his way to and from Philippi. It was discovered back in the 1930s and almost destroyed in the war by Nazi bombings.
DG: Paul is sometimes criticized by revisionist commentators for not rejecting the institution of slavery in his letters. Is your book an answer to these critics?
FC: Paul’s approach to slavery is complicated. There are some letters where he seems to envision the imminent return of Christ. Possibly he minimized the importance of slaves being freed in these letters. However, in Philippians, his final letter before his death, he addresses the issue definitively. It is very undermining of slavery.
I intended to de-establish the idea that Paul acquiesced to slavery. He did not acquiesce. The laudatory prepublication comments by scholars make me think the book will have a decisive role in re-imaging Paul.
DG: Back to Philippians 2:6-11. Why do you maintain this passage is not a hymn or baptismal catechesis, as is customarily believed, but is an original composition of Paul? Is this position another example of your counter exegesis?
FC: This is not some other preexisting hymn. No! This is fresh imaging. Visceral imaging. This is intensity from identifying with Christ as the “slave crucified.” No one else could have composed this passage. And Paul could not have composed this passage until he was in Roman chains and could see the threat posed against Jesus by the counterfeit claims that Emperor Nero is Lord.
DG: It’s almost like the passage is “supra-inspired,” that he would get such an original insight while in such dreadful circumstances.
FC: Correct. And there is a real question as to how this letter could be transmitted from prison, with the security and censorship. In garments? In pottery? It is possible the original written letter was confiscated. So how is Paul is getting his subversive thoughts past the Roman guards?
I suggest in my book that Paul was drilling his associates, Timothy and Epaphroditus, to memorize his letter, given the role of memory in early Christian life.
DG: With your busy teaching and pastoral duties, where to you find the motivation and energy to produce such a thoroughly researched, and beautifully written, work of scholarship?
FC: It’s Spirit driven!
DG: Is the Spirit driving you to another book?
FC: I would say so. After a book comes to publication, there is always a kind of mellowing period. So right now I have not identified the next project. I am appreciating the graces I have received from this book, and trusting that the same Spirit who has shepherded me through this sequence will still stand by me, guiding me forward.
Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako presides over the dedication ceremony of the altar of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Mosul, Iraq. April 5, 2024. / Credit: Fadi Dinkha/ACI Mena
It’s deja vu all over again.
One wonders if our (Ontario) Catholic school board trustees have heard Pope Francis on gender ideology. Or the Scandinavian bishops.
Canada used to be a nice country with pleasant if bland people. In the last two years they have stripped their citizens and religious leaders of most of their civil rights.Stripped their truckers of most of their personal funds. Arrested several protestant ministers for the “sin” of holding services. They have gone nuts. Americans with brains should bypass this place and take their tourist dollars to parts of the US. They have gone leftist nuts in Canada and it is a shame to see it. They need to vote out Trudeau as soon as possible.
What the? The above two comments from me were in response to a previous article. Still valid so I’ll stand by them.
Re this article. The York Catholic Board did in fact decide against displaying the flag by a vote of 6-4, if I’m not mistaken. (The York Catholic Board represents the area directly north of Toronto, our provincial capital).
Canada is no longer a democracy. The laws of the land outlaw hand guns, greatly restricted long gun use, euthanasia of depressed and handicapped people and warrantless arrest. We have housing, school, hospital and doctor shortages but Prime Minister Trudeau is inviting a million immigrants in each year for the next three years. All this with a minority government that surely won`t hold.
I’ll go with Toronto (emeritus) Cardinal Collins on this one.
It’s deja vu all over again.
One wonders if our (Ontario) Catholic school board trustees have heard Pope Francis on gender ideology. Or the Scandinavian bishops.
Good for theses parents, that school is supposed to teach About God and God’s well not against God and his well.
Canada used to be a nice country with pleasant if bland people. In the last two years they have stripped their citizens and religious leaders of most of their civil rights.Stripped their truckers of most of their personal funds. Arrested several protestant ministers for the “sin” of holding services. They have gone nuts. Americans with brains should bypass this place and take their tourist dollars to parts of the US. They have gone leftist nuts in Canada and it is a shame to see it. They need to vote out Trudeau as soon as possible.
What the? The above two comments from me were in response to a previous article. Still valid so I’ll stand by them.
Re this article. The York Catholic Board did in fact decide against displaying the flag by a vote of 6-4, if I’m not mistaken. (The York Catholic Board represents the area directly north of Toronto, our provincial capital).
Canada is no longer a democracy. The laws of the land outlaw hand guns, greatly restricted long gun use, euthanasia of depressed and handicapped people and warrantless arrest. We have housing, school, hospital and doctor shortages but Prime Minister Trudeau is inviting a million immigrants in each year for the next three years. All this with a minority government that surely won`t hold.