Ministerial Exception

While priests seem to be able to do to just about anything and keep their jobs, like abusing children with impunity, apparently that nuns have no such employment protection.

Case in point? Former nun and Catholic university chaplain Lynette Petruska, who not too long ago was fired from her post at Gannon University in Erie, Penn.

Petruska sued the university, and took her dismissal to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, only to have it rule that “ministerial exception” — the idea that separation of church and state means that courts can’t hear lawsuits involving the internal workings of religious institutions — barred it from taking up Petruska’s claim.

But, just for the record, WHY does Petruska say she was fired from the university?

A. She is gay
B. She is married
C. She was caught sexually abusing an underage student
D. She helped to expose a priest who was accused of having an affair


ANSWER
D: Petruska was involved in exposing priestly misconduct — and for doing so was promptly fired. She is now planning on taking her case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We will continue to pursue this case,” she said, “because whether a religious employer is above the law is an important question that should be resolved by the Supreme Court.”