Over 100 Local Catholic Leaders Sign Open Letter Urging Pope Francis To Oust San Francisco Archbishop Cordileone
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – More than 100 local Catholic leaders are calling on Pope Francis to replace San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in an open letter that will appear in Thursday's San Francisco Chronicle.
The letter comes in the wake of the continued debate over the so-called "morality clauses" Cordileone has included in contracts for teachers and staff at four Catholic high schools.
"Holy Father, please provide us with a leader true to our values and your namesake," the letter read in part. Signers of the letter include alumni of San Francisco Catholic schools, church volunteers and former board members of Catholic Charities.
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The group claims the clauses have caused division in the community. The clauses call for teachers to abide by the church's stance against things like sex outside of marriage and homosexuality.
Archdiocesan officials have already responded to the ad. "The advertisement is a misrepresentation of Catholic teaching, a misrepresentation of the nature of the teacher contract, and a misrepresentation of the spirit of the Archbishop," the Archdiocese said in a statement. "The greatest misrepresentation of all is that the signers presume to speak for 'the Catholic Community of San Francisco.' They do not."