Can Catholic teachers attend a gay wedding?

Remember the Catholic schools contract that stirred controversy this past year? The one that included a new morality clause for teachers, sparking online petitions and a Downtown protest?

Well, it's getting another update - with some tweaked language and a new cover letter school officials say will clarify what is expected of employees.

For example, the current contract prohibits teachers from "public support" of abortion, a "homosexual lifestyle" or in vitro fertilization, to name a few issues.

The new contract for teachers in the 19-county Archdiocese of Cincinnati school system uses the term "advocacy" instead of public support, said Dan Andriacco, Archdiocese spokesman.

"We thought that was a little bit clearer," Andriacco said, adding that after the last contract, there were many questions about what constituted "public support."

"If I go to my gay child's wedding, is that 'public support?' Well, the answer is no," he said.

Advocacy could mean, for example, writing a blog in support of gay marriage, he said.

It would not mean, however, writing a personal letter to a senator on the topic.

Teachers will not be expected to sign the new contract until April or May, and diocesan officials declined to release a copy, saying it is still an "internal document."

However, Andriacco said the main changes include the cover letter and the switch from "public support" to "advocacy."

"What we wanted to do was, without in any way softening our intentions of the contract, make it still clearer what was intended," he said. "We had a lot of questions from people."

The current contract prohibits teachers from "any conduct or lifestyle" that would discredit, cause scandal or public embarrassment, or contradict Catholic teachings or morals.

Specifically, the current contract lists public support of couples living together or having sex outside marriage, improper use of social media, and public support of a "homosexual lifestyle," abortion or birth methods contrary to Catholic teaching.

Mike Moroski, a local activist and outspoken opponent of the morality clause, said the updates don't actually change anything.

"It's more of the same, with some legalese thrown in," Moroski said via Twitter, responding to the Enquirer's questions. "The essence is the same: Some people are not as valued as others, which is sad."

Andriacco said there has long been a morality clause in the Catholic schools contract, but officials made changes this past year after several judges told them the language was not specific enough.

The latest updates are in response to input from teachers, priests, students, parents and a newly formed teacher advisory committee, Andriacco said – not in response to any backlash.

In fact, only nine out of about 2,800 teachers in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati declined to sign the contract specifically because of the morality clause, Andriacco said.

"There may be others who didn't care for the contract that signed it anyway," he said, "but I do know that only nine out of the 2,800 told us that they objected to the contract."