This is the Press’s happy All Saints Day to Catholics in Belleville! Not only is this report stupid and an intentional exercise in obsessive compulsive disorder as it concerns priests and bishops, but an intentional effort at undermining the Church for ridiculous reasons!
It also shows that we have snowflake Catholics! And we are to believe 5th and 6th graders still believe in Santa Claus???? Letting that age child to persist in believing in Santa is like child abuse!
Parents angry after Illinois bishop tells Catholic school kids that Santa isn't real
It also shows that we have snowflake Catholics! And we are to believe 5th and 6th graders still believe in Santa Claus???? Letting that age child to persist in believing in Santa is like child abuse!
Parents angry after Illinois bishop tells Catholic school kids that Santa isn't real
Mary CooleyBelleville News-Democrat
The bishop of the Belleville Diocese in southern Illinois apparently had two very different visits to Catholic schools this week.
At Our Lady Queen of Peace in Belleville, he told fifth- and sixth-grade students that there is no Santa Claus and they should not celebrate Halloween, according to parents.
At Blessed Sacrament School, he answered students’ questions about clergy sex abuse and famous people he had met, and asked what they would dress as for Halloween, the principal said.
At Blessed Sacrament School, he answered students’ questions about clergy sex abuse and famous people he had met, and asked what they would dress as for Halloween, the principal said.
Bishop Edward Braxton's office did not offer any comment to messages left on Wednesday afternoon. The Queen of Peace School office confirmed the bishop had been at the school Tuesday but had no further comment.
“It was something that shouldn't have been said,” one parent said Wednesday of the bishop's remarks to the fifth- and sixth-graders.
Boyd Ahlers, father of a fifth-grade boy and sixth-grade girl, said his son had believed in Santa.
“He doesn't believe now,” Ahlers said. “I told (my son). It was something that shouldn't have been said. (Santa Claus) was something that was done for the child, the joy of the child to experience Christmas the spirit of Christmas, and eventually he would have learned.”
Parents and others took to Facebook on Wednesday to express their anger and frustration over Braxton's remarks, with many saying he ruined the holiday and the spirit behind it for little children. Several contacted the Belleville News-Democrat to confirm their children reported he said Santa was not real, but declined to speak on the record.
Another parent of a sixth-grade boy remained angry Wednesday afternoon that his parental responsibility had been usurped by Braxton.
“It's my job to tell (my son), not his,” said Ray Schott, who also has a daughter in kindergarten. He and his wife hope to keep the news from their daughter.
“These kids are exposed to so much, so early. (Santa) is the last pure thing in a child's life. It hurts. He had no right to do any of that,” Schott said.
His son had tears in his eyes after school Tuesday, Schott said, and told his family that his heart was broken.
13 comments:
what a kill-joy.
Bee here:
From the article: "Another parent of a sixth-grade boy remained angry Wednesday afternoon that his parental responsibility had been usurped by Braxton."
I wonder if he also recognizes his primary responsibility to catechize his children and to teach them their prayers, and to make sure the child prays daily....
Whatta ya' wanna bet not?
God bless.
Bee
Bee here:
Also, I would never tell a kid (well, maybe a teenager) or a group of kids that there was no Santa Claus. I personally think the Santa Claus myth is one of the most delightful ones that survives our iconoclastic culture, and that it allows little kids to believe in the supernatural, and is wonderful for the imagination.
I do think Bishop Braxton should not have said it, even to older kids. But who knows the context? It may have been someone asked him. Then what do you do?
God bless.
Bee
I am with the bishop.
More fake news! Of course, Santa Claus is real.
Please note that I ask and require that name calling not be used on this blog. We don't need to do that, hopefully we are adults.
1. I asked my office staffmembers who are parents if they thought it credible that 5th and 6th graders would "believe in Santa Claus." They did not.
2. Then I asked how upset they would be if the bishop had told their Santa Claus-believing children, "there is no Santa Claus." Not terribly upset, they said.
3. The correct answer to this question is that yes, I do believe in Santa Claus, because Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, and I would tell the story of Saint Nicholas. No one disputes that Saint Nicholas is real.
I suspect the parents overreacted. That said, Bishop Braxton, while quite brilliant and erudite, isn't known for empathy or a commiserative spirit.
"No one disputes that Saint Nicholas is real."
Lots of people dispute that St. Nicholas is real, actually!
Certainly they don’t dispute Mrs. Nicholas!
How dare they! Only other priests can pick apart the church leadership.
Father Fox,
We can always count on you for common sense and a Catholic approach. Who would have thought you could combine the two!!! (Faith and Reason). You congregation is so fortunate that you are the pastor
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