Young Catholics Revolt

Something interesting is happening at an esteemed Catholic high school in Seattle. Another beloved teacher was recently terminated not because he was gay, but because he chose to marry his husband. That commitment is anathema to current Catholic doctrine, but it is nonetheless regarded as self-evidently Christian by the students at Eastside Catholic High School, who are rallying behind their vice-principal, Mark Zmuda. And their protests are building in confronting the Seattle archdiocese:

“We care too much about Mr. Zmuda to let this go,” said Ian Edwards, a senior at Eastside Catholic, after speaking at the second demonstration in as many weeks outside the old chancery of the archdiocese. With social media at their disposal, the students are thinking big. They plan to organize, nationwide, a  “Z-Day” on Jan. 31 to protest the forced resignation of Eastside vice principal Mark Zmuda after his same-sex marriage last summer.

“We encourage students, at Catholic schools or otherwise, as well as any other impassioned individuals, to proudly wear the color orange on that day. In so doing, we will be showing solidarity with Mark Zmuda, as well as expressing our hopes for an enlightened perspective on issues of sexuality in the Catholic Church,” said a statement read by Edwards and other students.

The archdiocese has yet to respond in any way. The Dish wishes the students luck and God’s love on January 31. Check out their Facebook page here and Twitter feed and send them some Dish-love. Update from a reader, who passes along the latest:

The former vice principal of Eastside Catholic school, who was terminated last month after school officials found out he had married his male partner, said in a newly released video [seen above, starting at the 12-minute mark] that he was told he could keep his job if he got a divorce.