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Ontario Catholic school board rejects motion to ban LGBT ‘pride’ flag in 5-4 vote

By Clare Marie MerkowskyApril 29, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Ontario Catholic school board rejects motion to ban LGBT ‘pride’ flag in 5-4 vote
Shutterstock | Canadian and Pride flag together

An LGBT activist priest advocated to keep 'pride' flags in Catholic schools because the 'Sacred Heart of Jesus does stand for inclusion.'

WATERLOO, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) -- Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) voted down a motion to keep "pride" flags out of schools.

During an April 28 board meeting, the WCDSB trustees defeated a motion proposed by Conrad Stanley, a faithful WCDSB trustee, to ban all flags except those of Canada, Ontario, and the school board.

The motion was defeated with five trustees opposing it and four in favour. The motion pointed out that “international identity-based flags like the rainbow, Pride and progress flags remains divisive and unpopular.”

“Teaching children that these two flags unite us and represent all of us together equally contributes to the important work of cultivating their patriotism and love for our shared nation Canada,” the motion states.

“This is no need, nor reasonable justification, for any other international political or identity-based flags to be flown,” it continues.

The trustees' rejection of the proposal comes after Hamilton priest Fr. Toby Collins, a known LGBT activist, advocated to keep the "pride" flags.

In his delegation to the board, published by the WCDSB, Collins argued that while the “Sacred Heart of Jesus does stand for inclusion and it’s big enough for everyone to experience Christ’s love,” students need their own symbols that are personally important to them.

Collins failed to mention that the LGBT flag symbolizes a lifestyle that is directly contrary to Catholic teaching in which pride and sin masquerade as love and acceptance.

While Collins and other so-called "Catholic" trustee advocate for flying the “pride” flag, the flag symbolizes one of the seven deadly sins and a lifestyle repeatedly condemned by the Catholic Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly states that God created humans “male and female” and “(e)veryone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.”

“Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarity, needs, and mutual support between the sexes are lived out,” the Catechism continues.

The Catechism further declares that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “under no circumstances can they be approved.”

Furthermore, while Collins calls for acceptance, he seems to have forgotten the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John, “The truth will set you free.” It is only by realizing one’s actual identity as male or female as designed by God that a person can find true joy and peace.

Furthermore, it is the role of Catholics to direct and guide those who are confused. True love of another leads one to follow Christ’s directions to “admonish the sinner,” not to encourage them in their sin.

World
April 29, 2025 at 4:20 PM
CM

Clare Marie Merkowsky

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  • An LGBT activist priest advocated to keep 'pride' flags in Catholic schools because the 'Sacred Heart of Jesus does stand for inclusion.'

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