Waterloo, IA Catholic School Coach Resigns Because Married Outside of the Church

I know that divorce and remarriage outside of the Church is a sensitive topic, but the Church's stance on the indissolubility of a valid sacramental marriage is a basic and fundamental teaching.
The following is an article about a Catholic school coach in Waterloo who was forced to resign for his failure to live in accord with the Catholic principles that the Catholic school is founded on. Kudos to the school for standing up for what is right... and for not backing down to the Sports-idolators who will sacrifice any aspect of the truth in order to keep a coach they like. Of course, the coverage on this event has brought out your typical anti-Catholic vitriol in the local blogosphere. That is always a good sign... it means that the Gospel truth is being upheld.

From the DesMoines Register

Catholic board accepts schoolteacher's resignation
The decision reversed an earlier vote retaining Tom Girsch after his divorce.

By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR

August 7, 2007

Waterloo, Ia. - By a unanimous vote, the Waterloo Cedar Valley Catholic Schools Board on Monday accepted the resignation of Tom Girsch, 59, a longtime Catholic schoolteacher and coach at Columbus High School.

The vote concerning Girsch's employment was the second in less than a month and came at the request of Archbishop Jerome Hanus and the Dubuque Archdiocese superintendent of schools.

In July, the board voted 6 to 8 to reject Girsch's resignation.

"On July 12, we voted with our heart," said Tim Kneeland of Waterloo, a member of the board. "We're concerned about the viability of our local school if it did not remain part of the Catholic Church.

"Girsch, who divorced in 1997, was asked to resign when school officials found out he had remarried in August 2006. In an attempt to save his job, Girsch sought an annulment of his first marriage through the church. When the annulment was denied, he submitted his resignation, which was rejected. However, the board had not offered him a teaching contract for the coming school year.

Girsch failed earlier in the day to block the second vote when Black Hawk District Judge George Stigler said he was not inclined to interfere with the right of the church to conduct its business, "even if an individual does suffer injury.

""We are extremely disappointed," said Mark Zaiger, Girsch's attorney.

Archdiocese officials argued that Cedar Valley had acted contrary to archdiocese policy and Catholic Church law. "It is unacceptable and requires correction," said Jeff Henderson, archdiocese superintendent of schools. "The catholicity of the school system hangs in the balance."

The crowd of about 30 Girsch supporters waited about an hour for the board to conclude its deliberations and vote. Some expressed their displeasure with the outcome and said it was likely to affect an upcoming capital campaign to build a new junior high school.

"You will not find a better person, teacher, or role model than Tom Girsch in any school in the state of Iowa," said Mark Conway of Cedar Falls, whose children attended Columbus High School.
_____________________________________
My thoughts:
" 'On July 12, we voted with our heart,' said Tim Kneeland of Waterloo, a member of the board. 'We're concerned about the viability of our local school if it did not remain part of the Catholic Church.'

Yes indeed, they voted with their hearts but not with their heads... that is, they voted from sentimentality and loyalty and WITHOUT an INFORMED CONSCIENCE. Sometimes standing up for the truth requires hard and painful decisions... but they must be made. It is also sad that this Kneeland gentleman seems to express that they only sided with the Archbishop and clergy because they were 'concerned about the viability of [the] local school if it did not remain part of the Catholic Church.' The Archbishop and priests were concerned about the vitality of the Catholic high school if it abandoned its Catholic principles and teachings! Besides, how many years did this coach have his teacher handbook that clearly stated the need to live in accord with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Where is his integrity? It is not the Church that ruined his life (as one commentor to the article wrote). The Church merely enforced the contract that this man signed of his own free will.

"Some expressed their displeasure with the outcome and said it was likely to affect an upcoming capital campaign to build a new junior high school.

'You will not find a better person, teacher, or role model than Tom Girsch in any school in the state of Iowa,' said Mark Conway of Cedar Falls, whose children attended Columbus High School."

Some of the Catholic-in-name-only laity know where their power lies: in the pocket book. If we do not like the truth that the Church seeks to live by, we will just withhold our money from future Catholic school building projects. To that I say--fine. I would rather not build a new Catholic school then let existing catholic schools loose their ability to defend the truth of the teachings of Christ. I would rather have fewer catholic schools that are fully catholic than schools that are catholic-in-name-only. I would not want to pass judgment on Tom Girsch, however, I would not classify a man who violates Church teaching on the sacrament of holy matrimony as a role model for my Catholic children. If I had children, I would want them to have role models that lived lives that were consistent with the moral teachings of the Church that they served (remember--a Catholic school is supposed to serve the MISSION of the CATHOLIC CHURCH... and not the sports fanaticism of private school parents). I would want them to have role models that humbly obeyed the teachings of Jesus and the Church. I would not want role models that sought to justify disobedience and fought the Church with frivolous lawsuits.

"The instruction and education in a Catholic school must be grounded in the principles of Catholic doctrine; teachers are to be outstanding in correct doctrine and integrity of life." Code of Canon Law, canon 803.2

From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"346. What are the effects of the sacrament of Matrimony? [CCC 1638-1642]

The sacrament of Matrimony establishes a perpetual and exclusive bond between the spouses. God himself seals the consent of the spouses. Therefore, a marriage which is ratified and consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved. Furthermore, this sacrament bestows upon the spouses the grace necessary to attain holiness in their married life and to accept responsibly the gift of children and provide for their education.

348. When does the Church allow the physical separation of spouses? [CCC 1629,
1649]

The Church permits the physical separation of spouses when for serious reasons their living together becomes practically impossible, even though there may be hope for their reconciliation. As long as one’s spouse lives, however, one is not free to contract a new union, except if the marriage be null and be declared so by ecclesiastical authority.

349. What is the attitude of the Church toward those people who are divorced and then remarried? [CCC 1650-1651, 1665 ]

The Church, since she is faithful to her Lord, cannot recognize the union of people who are civilly divorced and remarried. “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Mark 10:11-12). The Church manifests an attentive solicitude toward such people and encourages them to a life of faith, prayer, works of charity and the Christian education of their children. However, they cannot receive sacramental absolution, take Holy Communion, or exercise certain ecclesial responsibilities as long as their situation, which objectively contravenes God's law, persists."