Boston Catholics Revise Discrimination Policy

The archdiocese of Boston announced Wednesday that its Catholic schools will not "discriminate against or exclude any categories of students," The Boston Globe reports. The move comes after followers shared their disappointment in the church when the 8-year-old son of a lesbian couple was turned away from enrolling in a local parochial school.

The policy, written under the direction of Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, was e-mailed to pastors, parishes, and school administrators. School parents will be told they must "accept and understand" the new rules.

Under the new rule each Catholic school will be able to enforce its own admissions guidelines, but they must be clearly expressed in the school handbook, "consider the welfare and best interests of the child, and be disseminated to prospective students and their parents prior to registration," according to the report.