Friday,
August 31, 2001
Chileans divided on issues of
contraception and divorce
A story released today by Reuters reports that Friday’s debate by Chilean
lawmakers over the ''morning-after'' pill has exposed deep splits in Chilean society as
the left-leaning government clashed with church-led traditionalists over attempts to
outlaw the contraceptive.
"It is the Health Ministry that directs policy on these issues and we do not think
it is appropriate that health authorities can be overridden by law courts in these
cases,'' said government spokesperson Claudio Huepe reacting on the Supreme Court ruling
Thursday that banned the use of the contraception.
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, is also at odds with the church over divorce and
introducing sex education in schools.
On Friday, the government acknowledged it had given concessions to the church in talks
over a planned divorce law. The government said that it had watered down the divorce bill
that it was advocating to take into consideration the church's views.
Lagos on Monday warned the Vatican's top liturgy expert, Chilean Cardinal Jorge Medina,
to stay out of politics after the churchman called on Chileans not to vote in the
elections for candidates who support allowing divorce and abortion.
As it stands, many estranged Chilean couples have their marriages annulled through
legal loopholes.
Between 70 percent and 80 percent of Chileans regard themselves as Catholics, but many
appear to be at odds with the church's teachings on the family. A recent opinion poll by
the Catholic University of Chile showed 44 percent of those interviewed supported the
teachings, while 32 percent were opposed.
Thursday, August 30, 2001
'Morally unfit' Scottish teacher
gets support from community
A story published today by the Daily Record
reports that a phone poll conducted by them revealed that an overwhelming number of their
readers believe that the Catholic Church's decision to force out school teacher
Veronica McLeod for being an unmarried mother was completely wrong.
The phone poll went against the dismissal of the unmarried mother by a
massive margin of more than three to one.
When the lines closed last night, 754 had voted against the church ruling that Veronica
was no longer "morally fit" to teach in St. Kessog's primary in Balloch,
Dunbartonshire. Only 236 backed the sacking.
The poll was organized after protests from pupils' parents and leading Catholics.
The 35-year-old teacher, who is a practicing Catholic, had applied to have her job made
permanent after four years at the school. Instead, she has been transferred to
a non-denominational school.
Wednesday, August 29, 2001
Scottish teacher fired
for 'living in sin'
A story published today by the Daily Record
reports that a Scottish teacher at a Catholic primary school in Scotland
has been terminated from her position for being an unmarried mother.
Veronica
McLeod, 35, was branded "morally unfit" by the Church for
her continuing relationship with the child's father whom she was not married
to. She applied to make her job permanent at St. Kessog's in Balloch,
Dunbartonshire, but the Catholic Church refused to grant a "certificate of
approval" - needed for a teacher to take a new post at a Catholic school.
Parents are furious about the school's action and has vowed to support McLeod in
her fight to get her job back.
McLeod, a Catholic, has been currently moved to a non-denominational school.
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