In this Dec. 1, 2012 photo, a silhouette of a crucifix and a stained glass window is seen inside a Catholic Church in New Orleans. Catholic groups are decrying a recent Louisiana Supreme Court decision that reaches into the most sanctified of Catholic places, the confessional booth. The high court has revived a sex abuse lawsuit in which parents are suing a priest and a local diocese for not reporting the alleged abuse when the teenager told the priest about it, and the ruling could have a priest asked to testify about what was said in a private confession. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights says the ruling leaves the priest choosing between prison and excommunication, in a case that has grabbed attention in heavily Catholic south Louisiana. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A Catholic school teacher at Maria Regina School in Seaford was fired from his job after photos of him and his longtime boyfriend were turned into the church. Michal Califano had been working at the school for two years, even attended the school growing up was told he violated guidelines about “living a Catholic lifestyle” Many members of the community are rallying in support of the teacher as well as a petition circulating to reinstate him.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
