A new labor agreement between the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the union representing teachers at the four archdiocesan high schools states that Catholic teaching must remain paramount in the classroom and that teachers are accountable for personal conduct that could negatively affect their ability to serve the Catholic mission. The deal ends 10 months of bargaining marked by strong resistance from some teachers, who argued that the archdiocese’s proposals to strengthen the schools’ Catholic mission could threaten their job security and lead to intrusions into their private lives. John Piderit, S.J., archdiocesan vicar for administration and moderator of the diocesan curia, said the overall impact of the agreement is to clarify Catholic identity, especially in the Bay Area, where ideas may be confused, adding, “We expect people not to compromise in Catholic teaching in word and in action.”

This article appears in September 14 2015.