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On Tuesday November 5th, trustees at the Halton Catholic District School Board were scheduled to vote on a motion which, if passed, would undermine the Catholic Church’s teaching on abstinence before marriage. It would also put the physical health of young girls at risk.
More than 40 ratepayers packed the board room, filling it to capacity. Almost all of them were opposed to the motion which sought to lift a 5-year old ban on vaccinating girls against an infection that is picked up primarily through recreational sex. That infection is called HPV and the controversial drugs involved are Gardasil and Cervarix.
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To help form their vote, trustees would first hear arguments from six delegations opposed to the motion by Trustee John Morrison.
Campaign Life Catholics, a division of Campaign Life
Coalition was one of the delegations.
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Despite the pretense of seeking public input, the opening prayer telegraphed that the board had already made up its mind beforehand. The prayer was titled “Change – the Spice of Life” and was perceived by the audience as a patronizing pat on the head, directed at ratepayers who opposed overturning the ban.
Rather than asking for faith, or wisdom, or the courage to seek God’s truth, the prayer petitioned unequivocally for openness to “change”, making “change” sound like a good in and of itself. One attendee said afterwards, “Listening to that made me nauseous.”
HEALTH RISKS HEARD, BUT IGNORED
Jack Fonseca, the representative for Campaign Life Catholics, pointed out to trustees that this summer, the Japanese government warned health officials to stop giving the HPV vaccine until safety concerns were resolved. The abrupt change in direction arose after 2,000 reports came to light about of adverse effects in young, Japanese girls who had received the shots. CL Catholics also highlighted the fact that in the U.S., more than 100 previously healthy girls died after receiving the vaccine.
 Numerous delegates presented trustees with hard evidence that the vaccines are unsafe and have resulted in serious, adverse effects including seizures, blindness, paralysis, disability and even death.
One delegate was the mother of Kaitlyn Armstrong, a grade 8 student at the Durham Catholic District School Board whose life changed for the worst after receiving the HPV vaccine.
She went from being a healthy, active 14yr old to being barely able to walk. Her mother may sue the Durham Catholic School Board.
APPEAL TO TRUSTEES: “DON’T BETRAY CATHOLIC TEACHING”
Fonseca made an impassioned plea to vote against the motion, arguing that if Catholic schools give the vaccine, it would risk sending a mixed message to youth about the Church’s teaching on abstinence.
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“When a Catholic organization facilitates vaccination of youth for something that is picked up through sexual activity, it risks sending kids the message: ‘It’s not realistic to expect your obedience to God’s laws. We don’t believe you can do it. Let’s just assume you’ll have premarital sex and plan for it’. The way some kids are going to perceive this is ‘Oh well. The Catholic school, my teachers and even the Church don’t believe it’s possible for me to practice chastity or save myself for marriage. Why on earth should I believe it?’.”
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The CL Catholics representative also highlighted a risk of scandal to the faith of teachers and parents:
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“They know full well how HPV is contracted. What message are you sending to them about our expectations for Catholics to live holy lives and practice chastity? Can you truly expect these educators to then turn around, and confidently present the Catholic teaching on chastity to these same kids? How can you expect parents to hold up abstinence before marriage as a goal for their own kids, when you’re sending home notes asking for permission to vaccinate them against an infection that’s passed on through recreational sex? Teachers, staff and many parents will no longer find the necessary motivation and energy to strive for the Christian ideal.”
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TRUSTEE ED VIANA DISTORTS THE GOSPEL
After delegate presentations were completed, trustees debated the motion. Oakville Trustee Ed Viana who had slumped in his chair throughout the speeches, looking totally disinterested in what the public had to say, evoked gasps and mock laughter from the audience at one point.
Viana described how his decision to support the motion arose after a religious epiphany of sorts, on Jesus’ parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep.
 In that moment of ‘spiritual inspiration’ he said he realized that Halton, as the lone board in Ontario not offering the HPV shot, represented the one lost sheep which strayed from God’s path.
The 99 sheep which had not strayed, Viana reasoned, symbolized the other 28 Catholic school boards in Ontario who were being faithful to God by injecting girls against this sexually-transmitted infection.
Trustee Viana concluded his warped interpretation of the parable by saying that a vote by Halton to lift the ban would represent Jesus finally bringing the wayward (i.e. read as ‘sinful’) sheep back into His flock. Faithful catholic ratepayers were beside themselves in utter disbelief.
Viana also boasted that he had taken his own daughter and granddaughter to the public health unit to get the HPV shots.
VOTE ENDED IN BETRAYAL
Ultimately, trustees ignored the well-reasoned arguments presented by delegates that evening. They voted 9 to 2 in favour of the motion which threatens to undermine Catholic teaching on premarital sex, and to expose girls to the risk of serious side-effects.
The trustees who voted in favour were:
The 3 student trustees also voted the wrong way.
The only trustees who acted prudently to protect the spiritual and physical well-being of Catholic youth were Anthony Danko (Oakville) and Jane Michael (Burlington Wards 3 & 6). One trustee, Alice Ann Lemay (Oakville) was absent due to a serious illness.
Outraged parents stormed out of the board room after the vote was tallied, loudly shouting "Shame! Shame!" in protest.
This vote mirrored the results of a previous vote on permitting Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in their Catholic schools. The same trustees who voted to permit the HPV vaccine November 5th, also voted to allow openly homosexual student clubs.
Trustee Paul Marai, an openly gay-activist himself, led the assault against the Catholic Church in that battle. These trustees also voted against a subsequent motion to use an anti-bullying model which was co-written by the Catholic bishops, as an alternate to the inappropriate, government-mandated gay pride clubs.
A 2-hour video podcast of all the delegation speeches, trustee debate and vote can be watched here.
ELECTION 2014: AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPLACE TRUSTEES
The next municipal elections in Ontario will be held on October 27, 2014. CLC is working with other groups to identify and help elect trustee candidates in Catholic and Public School boards across the province. Given the betrayal of these 6 trustees, it is especially important that faithful Catholics who live in the Halton area put their names forward to run for election.
Please talk about this urgent need for faithful Catholic trustees with your friends and family. We are looking for individuals who are competent public speakers, willing to do an aggressive door-knocking campaign during the election race, and who can speak to all the issues that trustees have to deal with.
If you or someone you know is interested in running for trustee, please contact Campaign Life Coalition at 1-800-730-5358 and ask for Jeff or Jack. Or email [email protected] or [email protected].
In Christ,
Campaign Life Catholics
(A Division of Campaign Life Coalition)
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