THIS PETITION IS VERY WRONG BUYT AFTER FIFTY YEARS OF TURNING FROM CHRIST WHO IS TO BLAME?

Lyndon Strong has been informed by the Diocese of Portsmouth (Bishop Philip) that he cannot apply for or take up the post of Head Teacher at St. Mary's RC School Gosport because of his personal circumstances Re-marriage.

Mr Strong has been acting head at St. Mary's since Ms McIvor retired in 2015. He has
enabled St. Mary's to express its catholicity, in a way that was never present before. He
has created an atmosphere of love, kindness and a joy of learning, for both staff and
children. He is an inspirational head teacher who has brought great stability to St. Mary's.

This decision is a grave injustice to Mr Strong and will and will be detrimental for the 
children who love and respect him.
Another acting Head Teacher (already appointed by the Bishop) will be put in place 
in January 2017. At no time was this discussed with the full Governing Body.

THE PETITION LOOKS HONEST ENOUGH AND I AM SURE IT IS.   However what was meant by 'to express its Catholicity in a way that was never present before'.  Catholicity did mean something to these parents which is why many of them sent their children to a Catholic school.   Many will hope that their children will grow up to keep the Catholic Faith into adulthood but the facts are that 9 out of 10 will not do so.  And the majority will never marry and of those who do 50% at least will divorce.   Indeed in the school there will be a large number of children alreadyfrom single parent homes.   The truth is that in a society where there is so much family break up, the children without a father or mother already have feelings of hurt and many will go into adult life feeling deprived and that nobody wants them.   

But let me turn to what Catholicity is about.   In this secular society the voice of the Church is no longer heard, for the Church in England has adopted the secular agenda and no longer cares about these children and is in denial of what is obvious to people who open their eyes to what is going on around them.  Children deprived of a father or mother, usually a father do not have the discernment of what love really is and are so desperate for love that they believe that by having sex someone is loving them, or maybe they have given up hope and turn to drugs and self abuse.    The Church has a duty to protect them and uphold marriage in the way that Christ, not Tom, Dick, or Harriet, wants it upheld.   Things are so bad that if you have heard your parish priest tell the people that marriage is an 'ideal' then you cannot dare contradict what I have said.   So is the Bishop right or are the parents?   Who is to be the judge?   There is only one answer - Jesus Christ.   So what did he say?   Take your Bible and turn to Matthew 19.   Read what Jesus said and ask yourself where does Jesus stand.   And if you believe that Bishop Egan is 'RIGID' what do you think Jesus Christ is?   And read what the disciples said.  "if things in marriage are so rigid it is better not to marry".   It is not just about the headmaster of St Mary's school, it is not about the parents of St Mary's school, it is about our claim to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ.  For fifty years now Catholics have been misled about the Sacrament of Marriage and indeed it is common after a marriage break up for someone to say "You can get an annulment and marry someone else.   How does this fit with Matthew 19.  Kindness, goodness, giving, are part of our humanity but Jesus wants more from us, he wants the future happiness of our chlldren.  I do not know the headmaster and I wish him well, but surely he too should look at the world and the teachings of Jesus an admit he cannot in his circumstances be approved by the Bishop.