New Study Confirms Crisis in Catholic Higher Education

Manassas, Va. – Attending a Catholic college has minimal impact on a Catholic student’s practice and embrace of the Catholic faith, according to a new study released Sunday at a gathering of Catholic college presidents in Washington, D.C.

The study was presented to the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) by researchers at Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).

“Catholics should be alarmed by the significant declines in Catholic practice and fidelity at many of America’s Catholic institutions,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. “Everyone expects a Catholic college to be markedly different from a secular one.

Students should be inspired to embrace and deepen their Catholic faith, not negotiate around Catholic moral teaching.”

The CARA study largely confirms a 2003 study released by The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), which found significant declines in students’ support for Catholic moral teaching on abortion, marriage and sexuality after four years at a Catholic college or university. The declines were generally greater at non-Catholic private and public institutions.

According to the CARA report, 16 percent of students at Catholic colleges and universities become more pro-life and more convinced of traditional marriage, whereas 31 percent become more supportive of legal abortion and 39 percent embrace same-sex “marriage.” Only seven percent increase attendance at religious services, while 32 percent reduce attendance. Eight percent of Catholic students leave the Catholic faith while attending a Catholic institution.

But CARA researchers went a step further, considering the potential impact of a variety of demographic factors on students’ support for Catholic teaching. They found that attendance at a Catholic college has no statistically significant effect on a variety of measures, including students’ support for abortion, the death penalty and same-sex marriage. Students report some improvement in attending religious services (not necessarily Catholic), reading about religion and spirituality (not necessarily Catholic) and deeming it “important to improve the human condition”—a concern that is presumably shared outside the Catholic faith.

Commenting on the study to InsideHigherEd.com, ACCU president Richard Yanikoski argued that the loss of faith at Catholic colleges and elsewhere reflects societal trends. Despite CARA’s analysis showing that the choice of a Catholic college has little significant impact on a student’s faith practice and beliefs, Yanikoski pointed to the raw data indicating that “a typical Catholic undergraduate student attending a Catholic college or university emerges more spiritually intact than if she or he had attended a public or secular private institution, but not nearly as spiritually active as would have been the case a few decades ago.”

“That’s hardly something to celebrate,” Reilly said. “If the ACCU thinks it a happy fact that Catholics lose their faith somewhat slower at Catholic colleges than elsewhere, then they fail to appreciate the concerns of faithful Catholic families.”

In the CARA report (found at http://cara.georgetown.edu), authors Mark Gray and Melissa Cidade state their agreement with The Cardinal Newman Society’s assertion in its 2003 report: “Regardless of where students begin their college journey, Catholic colleges should be helping students move closer to Christ, and certainly doing a better job of moving students toward the Catholic faith than secular colleges do.”

In October 2008, The Cardinal Newman Society published a comprehensive study of practices and beliefs of current and recent students at Catholic colleges and universities. The study, conducted by the reputable Washington, D.C., polling firm QEV Analytics, found that:

Nearly 1 in 5 respondents knew another student who had or paid for an abortion.
46% of current and recent students—and 50% of females—said they engaged in sex outside of marriage.
84% said they had friends who engaged in premarital sex.
60% agreed strongly or somewhat that abortion should be legal.
60% agreed strongly or somewhat that premarital sex is not a sin.
78% disagreed strongly or somewhat that using a condom to prevent pregnancy was a serious sin.
57% agreed strongly or somewhat that same-sex “marriage” should be legal.
57% said the experience of attending a Catholic college or university had no effect on their participation in Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation.
54% of respondents said that their experience of attending a Catholic college or university had no effect on their support for the teachings of the Catholic Church.
56% said their experience had no effect on their respect for the Pope and bishops.

Both the 2008 and the 2003 CNS reports can be found at www.CatholicHigherEd.org.

University of San Francisco to Host Head of Pro-Abortion Amnesty International

On October 27, the Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Research at the Jesuit, Catholic University of San Francisco (USF) will host a book signing and panel discussion by the head of Amnesty International, despite that organization's 2007 move to promote abortion rights, California Catholic Daily has reported.

"The Catholic Church has made it abundantly clear that the decision of Amnesty International to support abortion is a direct betrayal of its own mission in service of human rights," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). "How sad it is that USF is degrading its Catholic identity by giving a platform to the head of this once-admirable, but now morally compromised organization."

Since 2001, Irene Khan has been the secretary general of Amnesty International, a "human rights" organization founded in 1961. It was under Khan's leadership that the organization changed its official position on abortion from neutrality to support for abortion "rights."

In September of 2006, Bishop William S. Skystad, representing the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), wrote to Khan in defense of the unborn against the move to a pro-abortion stance.

Also, a statement by the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace promised that if Amnesty "persists in this course of action, individuals and Catholic organizations must withdraw their support because, in deciding to promote abortion rights, Amnesty International has betrayed its mission." [emphasis added]

As California Catholic reported, in August 2007, Amnesty's executive committee formally voted to adopt a pro-abortion policy. Concerned for its Catholic identity, another Jesuit college in Sydney, Australia, went so far as to sever ties with the organization. Catholic hierarchs serving as Amnesty members also resigned.

Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan, a longtime social activist, responded to Amnesty's new pro-abortion stance, stating, "One cannot support an organization financially or even individually that is contravening something very serious in our ethic."

In 2004, the USCCB issued the statement "Catholics in Political Life" which precludes granting a platform such as the one USF intends to give Khan. The statement reads:

"The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

The University of San Francisco webpage announcing Ms. Khan's discussion says the event is sponsored by: "the Office of the President, University Ministry, Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought, and the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good."

The Cardinal Newman Society previously outlined some of the more recent tragic betrayals of USF's Catholic identity in a press release here.

Notre Dame President Fr. Jenkins Gets 2nd Term Despite Catholic Identity Abuses

On Friday, October 19, 2009, the president of the University of Notre Dame, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., was appointed to a second term as president.

"Notre Dame has suffered terribly in recent years because of a lack of leadership and commitment to its Catholic identity," said Patrick J. Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). "The Board of Trustees has once again neglected their responsibility to uphold Notre Dame's Catholic mission by reelecting a president who has displayed public disrespect for the bishops and has permitted repeated scandals including the honors to President Obama and performances of The Vagina Monologues."

Fr. Jenkins was first elected to a five-year term as president of Notre Dame on April 30, 2004, becoming the university’s 17th president. Chairman Richard Notebaert announced last Friday that the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees elected Fr. Jenkins to serve a second five-year term.

On May 17, 2009, Notre Dame bestowed an honorary doctor of laws degree upon U.S. President Barack Obama, whose pro-abortion and other anti-life policies and statements have set him opposed to fundamental moral teachings of the Catholic Church.

Led by Bishop John D'Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, in which Notre Dame is located, 83 U.S. bishops vocally opposed the honor for the pro-abortion president. They were joined by the more than 367,000 individuals who signed The Cardinal Newman Society's petition at NotreDameScandal.com, calling on Fr. Jenkins to rescind the honor.

Fr. Jenkins acted in direct defiance of the 2004 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) statement "Catholics in Political Life", which most bishops cited in opposing the honor for President Obama. The statement prohibits Catholic institutions from honoring "those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles." In June, 2009, the USCCB released a statement affirming Bishop D'Arcy's "pastoral concern for Notre Dame University."

The scandalous play The Vagina Monologues has been hosted more than once at Notre Dame on Fr. Jenkins' watch. Despite growing momentum against the play, public opposition by Bishop D'Arcy and an annual CNS campaign informing Catholic college presidents of the dangers of the play, in 2008 Jenkins issued a statement officially approving the return of the Monologues after a one-year hiatus. In protest, a committee of bishops moved their theological seminar off the Notre Dame campus. Although the play did not return in 2009, Fr. Jenkins has not taken any apparent action to prevent future productions.

Fr. Jenkins also sits on the board of Millennium Promise, an anti-poverty organization which reportedly supports the distribution of condoms and encourages abortion services where legal.

In September 2009, Fr. Jenkins issued a statement announcing new pro-life initiatives at the University of Notre Dame. CNS has commended the show of good will, but noted that there are "serious steps that Notre Dame should take immediately to atone for its shocking betrayal of the U.S. bishops and the Catholic Church last spring."

Notre Dame Pays Student Expenses to D.C. March for Gay "Marriage"

The University of Notre Dame gave financial assistance to five students to participate in Sunday's national gay rights demonstration, which was organized in part to advocate homosexual “"marriage," a campus newspaper has reported.

The "National Equality March" on Sunday, October 11, in Washington, D.C., was sponsored by Equality Across America, which aims to build a national grassroots network asserting homosexual couples' "right to marry" as well as other demands. The Catholic Church believes that marriage is possible only between a man and a woman.

"Faithful Catholics will ask whether Notre Dame has learned its lesson from the scandalous commencement ceremony last spring," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. "What university seeking to reassure families of its Catholic identity would pay for students to attack the family and oppose Catholic teachings on marriage?"

Students from Notre Dame's Progressive Student Alliance (PSA) petitioned the Student Activities Office and were granted funding to travel to and participate in the demonstration. The Notre Dame students marched two miles across D.C. and then joined gay rights activists for a Capitol Hill rally.

The president of the Progressive Students Alliance told The Observer, "The fact that we were University-approved was surprising but it was a wonderful surprise. The University hasn't always been entirely receptive in the past."

Read The Observer's article here.

Boston College Health Plan Covers 'Family Planning' Services

New research by The Cardinal Newman Society has uncovered evidence that the student health insurance plan provided by Boston College, a Jesuit institution of Catholic higher education, includes coverage for "family planning" services such as birth control pills.

"Now that it has been uncovered that Boston College is providing unethical coverage to students, college officials should take immediate action to provide students with insurance options that conform to Catholic teachings," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. "BC needs to send a strong message, especially after students voted in a referendum last year to petition the college to make contraceptives available on campus."

Contraception and birth control services are explicitly covered under the student health plan, Blue Care Elect Preferred (PPO), which is an optional plan for students provided by Boston College. Although elective abortion is not explicitly stated in the policy, Koster Insurance Agency, Inc., Boston College's insurance agent, could not rule out the possibility that abortions are covered by the policy, according to an article in the Boston College Observer reporting on the Cardinal Newman Society's research.

Although several states--including most recently the State of Wisconsin--require employers and sometimes even Catholic institutions to provide contraceptive coverage in employee health plans, such laws do not mandate student coverage.

The revelations at Boston College stand in stark contrast to the situation at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, which is engaged in religious liberty battle with the U.S. Equal Opportunities Commission because the college refuses to cover contraception in its faculty health care plan.

Ten Catholic Colleges that Promote Abortion

Ten Catholic Colleges that Promote Abortion
BY Tim Drake

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:00 AM

Parents wondering what their hard-earned money is supporting at Catholic colleges and universities might be interested in the latest findings from the Cardinal Newman Society.

The organization has discovered 10 Catholic colleges and universities that are promoting student internships with organizations whose missions or activities are directly opposed to the Church's moral teachings on issues related to abortion and marriage.

"Under what definition of 'Catholic education' do students receive academic credit to work for leading pro-abortion organizations?" asked Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society.

The "Dirty Deca" includes the following schools:

Boston College - recommends opportunities for students to work 'pro bono' for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

College of St. Benedict & St. John's University - the school's Gender and Women's Studies program promotes internship opportunities with the pro-abortion Feminist Majority Foundation and organizations supporting same-sex marriage.

DePaul University - the institution's Women's and Gender Studies program offers credit for internships, noting that students have interned with abortion provider Planned Parenthood and the Chicago Women's Health Center, which offers emergency contraceptive services and alternative insemination for "lesbians, bisexual, and queer couples, single women of any sexual orientation, and trans people."

Georgetown University - permits students to receive university funding for interning at abortion advocacy organizations.

Loyola University of Chicago - their website lists opportunities for internships and volunteer opportunities at Chicago's National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority Foundation, Planned Parenthood, and the Chicago Abortion Fund.

St. Edward's University - has allowed students to work at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas to fulfill a "Community Service in Women's Studies" credit requirement.

St. Norbert College - - the college's Women's and Gender Studies program recommends internships at several pro-abortion and same-sex marriage promoting organizations, including NOW, Legal Momentum, Planned Parenthood, the National Women's Health Network, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and PFLAG.

University of Notre Dame - the university's Gender Studies program offers internships for academic credit at places such as the National Organization for Women.

University of San Francisco - the school's Media Studies program has promoted internships with the California Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League and Girlfriends Magazine.

To learn more, visit the Cardinal Newman Society.

Jesuit University of San Francisco President Defends Condom Use for Virus Prevention

Jesuit University of San Francisco President Defends Condom Use for Virus Prevention

The president of the Catholic, Jesuit University of San Francisco (USF), Rev. Stephen Privett, S.J., publicly defended the use of condoms to prevent the HIV/AIDS virus, according to an interview with Catholic San Francisco published June 10.

Last month USF awarded an honorary degree to South African Bishop Kevin Dowling, which was protested by The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) due to Bishop Dowling's dissent from Vatican teaching on condom use and the South African Bishops' Conference's condemnations of his public statements.

"It is the obligation of a Catholic university's president to embrace Catholic teaching as truth and as the solid foundation of the university's Catholic mission," said CNS President Patrick J. Reilly. "It would be unfortunate for a Catholic leader's public statements to echo those who stridently criticized Pope Benedict XVI's plea for healthy, moral and responsible sexual behavior during his recent visit to Africa."

In the interview with Catholic San Francisco prior to the USF commencement, Father Privett reportedly defended the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, despite the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church that condom use is always immoral.

"HIV/AIDS is an epidemic in his [Dowling's] diocese and in whole areas of Africa," Privett says in the article. "I think people need to understand the difference between a condom as a contraceptive and a condom preventing the spread of a deadly virus that is literally killing thousands of people in Africa."

The Cardinal Newman Society has vigorously opposed USF performances of The Vagina Monologues and dissident commencement speakers such as Nancy Pelosi in 2007. Fr. Privett reportedly defends these as well.

"When we bring these speakers onto campus, we don't bring them as spokespersons for a position with which we disagree," Fr. Privett is quoted as saying, blaming critics for failing to consider the totality of student experiences when they accuse USF of not supporting Church teaching.

"They only see the commencement speaker or The Vagina Monologues. They don't see the other 240 days. They're not at Sunday liturgies. They're not at student retreats. It's the tip and not the whole iceberg."

Yet there have been multiple concerns about the University of San Francisco's Catholic identity, including the following in recent years:

- USF's two health insurance plans for employees both provide for abortion, sterilization and contraception. Complaints led USF to drop similar coverage in a student insurance plan, and officials say they are in favor of improving the employee plans, according to reports by Our Sunday Visitor.

- USF's student health clinic stopped referring students to Planned Parenthood for abortions after the practice was revealed in December 2008.

- USF recently dropped its graduate theology program.

- USF hosted the performance of a play that contradicts Church teaching on homosexuality after San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer refused to allow it to be performed at a diocesan parish.

- USF bestowed an honorary degree upon Irish President Mary McAleese, despite her public dissent from Church teaching on the all-male priesthood.

- USF hosted a film festival co-sponsored by the USF Gender and Sexuality Department and a homosexual student club, which featured at least two films which promote abortion and same-sex marriage.

- USF touted on its website a "birth spacing" study produced by students which promoted the use of artificial contraceptives.

Catholic San Francisco reported that USF philosophy professor Raymond Dennehy is among those who believes the Jesuit institution's Catholic identity has eroded under Fr. Privett's leadership. Dennehy said that the dialogue Fr. Privett hopes to encourage is presented in a one-sided manner on campus, with most guest speakers dissenting against Church teaching.

Referring to Bishop Dowling's honorary degree, Dennehy said, "Dialogue is having speakers both pro and con. This is giving an award, and you can bet your bottom dollar that (USF) would not do that if (the speaker) were anti-gay marriage."

Bishop Calls King's College Honor for Sen. Casey 'an Affront'

Senator Will Also Give Address at College of the Holy Cross

King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. and the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., both Catholic colleges, have invited Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., to be a commencement speaker and honoree despite the public reprimand of Senator Casey by his bishop, Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton.

"Catholic institutions have a unique responsibility to be strong public witnesses for Catholic values, and that commitment should be reflected in their selection of commencement speakers and honorees," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). "The choice of Senator Casey, whose actions have been publicly questioned by his own bishop, seems contrary to that high standard,"

Bishop Joseph Martino of the Scranton Diocese has made public statements in recent months holding Casey--who is Catholic and campaigned as pro-life on abortion--accountable to Catholic teaching and asking Casey to reflect on whether he should be receiving the Eucharist at Mass.

Bishop Martino was critical earlier this year of Casey's vote opposing an amendment to reinstate the pro-life Mexico City Policy, which prohibits federal funds to groups that promote or perform abortions. Just last week, Bishop Martino scolded Casey for his vote to confirm pro-abortion Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In reaction to the Sebelius vote, the Diocese published a statement which reads in part:

“Despite his claims of being 'pro-life,' Sen.
Casey's voting record thus far has been inconsistent.

"On the one hand, Sen. Casey is to be commended
for initiatives that provide support for pregnant women and families. And Bishop
Martino is grateful for the Senator's recent vote for an amendment that would
have provided conscience protection on abortion for health care workers.
(Regrettably, the amendment was defeated in the Senate.)

"On the other hand, Sen. Casey voted to rescind
the Mexico City Policy, thus ensuring that American taxpayer funds go to
organizations abroad dedicated to performing and promoting abortions even in
cultures that are opposed to them. The result is that abortion becomes the
preferred means for reducing family size in developing nations. Neither the
Helms Amendment nor any other U.S. legislation prevents that.

"He also voted for the appointment of Harvard
Law School Dean Elena Kagan as solicitor general. Ms. Kagan supports
partial-birth abortion and opposed withdrawing federal funds from
taxpayer-funded abortion clinics despite popular opposition. She opposed funding
teen-pregnancy counseling by religious institutions. As solicitor general, she
is likely to oppose the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, thus opening the door
to legislation allowing same-sex marriage.

"And now Sen. Casey has joined with his
colleagues to put Gov. Sebelius in charge of building a new health care system
in the United States. Her well-established pro-abortion track record provides
ample evidence for the anti-life decisions she will make in this key
position."

Bishop Martino is now calling the decision of King's College, a Congregation of the Holy Cross-sponsored institution in the Scranton Diocese, "an affront to all who value the sanctity of life." The bishop said that Sen. Casey lacks "the moral stature" to properly address the challenges faced by the graduates. King's College plans to award Sen. Casey an honorary doctorate at commencement on May 17.

The College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution, has also announced plans to honor and provide commencement platform to Sen. Casey on May 22, 2009.

Over the past few months, many U.S. bishops have reinforced the 2004 USCCB statement, "Catholics in Political Life" in their opposition to Notre Dame's intended honor for pro-abortion President Barack Obama. The statement reads: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

First 300,000 Petition Signatures Delivered to Notre Dame Board Members, Fr. Jenkins

First 300,000 Petition Signatures Delivered to Notre Dame Board Members, Fr. Jenkins

Copies Are Being Rushed to Rome, Papal Nuncio, USCCB and ND Bishop John D'Arcy

This morning, April 29, 2009, the first 300,000 names of individuals who signed the petition at NotreDameScandal.com -- opposing the University of Notre Dame's decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement -- began to be delivered to Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the Board of Trustees and the Board of Fellows as they prepare for scheduled meetings on Friday, May 1, at Notre Dame.

As of this morning, more than 344,000 people have signed the petition, but because of the overwhelming numbers it took The Cardinal Newman Society more than 24 hours to prepare the data and print more than 64,000 sheets of paper, double sided, which were then bound in notebooks and sent via FedEx to Father Jenkins and individual members of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows.

Copies of the petitions are also being rushed by The Cardinal Newman Society, which sponsored the petition, to Archbishop Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski, Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education; Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio (Vatican ambassador) to the United States; Francis Cardinal George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Bishop John D'Arcy, of Fort Wayne-South Bend, who presides over Notre Dame; and Bishop Robert McManus, Chairman of the USCCB Education Committee.

"Only the Notre Dame Trustees and Fellows have direct authority over Father Jenkins, so their meetings on Friday are our best hope for an end to this scandal," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.

"It is critical for all of us to pray that the Trustees and Fellows charged with safeguarding Notre Dame's Catholic identity will heed the 50 bishops and hundreds of thousands of faithful Catholics urging Notre Dame to withdraw its invitation to President Obama."

The University of Notre Dame is governed by a 12-member Board of Fellows, including six Holy Cross priests, who are charged with ensuring "that the University maintains its essential character as a Catholic institution of higher learning." The Fellows delegate most of their governing authority to the 38-member Board of Trustees, comprised mostly of lay people.

The university's charter states: "The essential character of the University as a Catholic institution of higher learning shall at all times be maintained, it being the stated intention and desire of the present Fellows of the University that the University shall retain in perpetuity its identity as such an institution."

Archbishop Hughes to Boycott Xavier University Commencement Over Pro-Abortion Honoree

Archbishop Hughes to Boycott Xavier University Commencement Over Pro-Abortion Honoree

Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, Archbishop of New Orleans, has made public his letter to Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, announcing that he will boycott the university's May 9 commencement exercises to protest the selection of pro-abortion Donna Brazile as speaker and honoree. Archbishop Hughes is also opposing the University of Notre Dame's decision to honor President Obama at commencement.

"Catholic universities have a serious responsibility to uphold the Catholic identity with which they are entrusted," said Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. "Catholics nationwide will be grateful to Archbishop Hughes for his defense of Xavier's Catholic mission."

Archbishop Hughes cites instances in which political commentator Donna Brazile has expressed pro-abortion and pro-artificial contraception points of view as the reasons for his boycott of Xavier's commencement. He notes that Xavier was founded by Saint Katherine Drexel and offers prayers that the university "will be faithful to that legacy in every way.'

Below is the text of Archbishop Alfred Hughes' letter:

I write to you to follow up our telephone conversation. It is with regret
that I make the decision not to participate in the Commencement Exercises this
year at Xavier University in light of the university's decision to invite Ms.
Donna Brazile to be the Commencement speaker and receive an honorary degree. Ms. Brazile has a public record in support of keeping abortion legal.

In our document released in 2004 the Catholic bishops of the United
States provided explicit direction for all Catholic parishes and institutions:
"The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act
in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given
awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

I recognize that Ms. Brazile is a Catholic Louisiana native who has
worked effectively in service to the poor and African Americans in particular.
However, her public statements on the abortion issue are not in keeping with
Catholic moral teaching. She has supported President Obama's decision to reverse
the Mexico City policy allowing federal funds to organizations that provide
abortions overseas by saying that this policy will "save lives." She has also
relativized the importance of the fundamental life issues on national television
suggesting that there are more important things for the American people to
discuss than abortion. She has supported and worked for the election of
candidates who support contraceptive practices and abortion on the basis that
this stance is pro-woman.

The Catholic Church stands in support of all of those who want to serve
and plead for the poor and vulnerable in our midst. This, however, must include
those who are most vulnerable in their mother's wombs. Moreover, contraceptive
practice actually leads men to be less responsible toward women and abortion
both harms the mother and kills the child.

I, again, reiterate my disappointment. I have always enjoyed being a
part of the Xavier Commencement when I was able to do so. I applaud the
remarkable history of Xavier University in offering highly respected university
education to African Americans. I also admire your remarkable record of public
service.

The University has received an extraordinary legacy from its holy
founder, Saint Katherine Drexel. I pray that the university will be faithful to
that legacy in every way including respect and protection of all human
life.

N.Y. Archbishop Dolan: Opposition to 'Intrinsic Evil' Explains Notre Dame Protest

N.Y. Archbishop Dolan: Opposition to 'Intrinsic Evil' Explains Notre Dame Protest

The Most Reverend Timothy A. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, explained during a recent interview that his opposition to Notre Dame's slated honor for President Obama on May 17 is due to the President's support for the "intrinsic evil" of abortion. He also contrasted abortion to other serious concerns, like the Iraq war and the death penalty, which "are open to some discussion and are not intrinsically evil."

"Archbishop Dolan's clear teaching should help Americans understand that there is nothing political about the bishops' protest of Notre Dame's action," said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "This is not primarily about President Obama or partisan politics, but about a prominent Catholic institution publicly betraying fundamental Catholic values."

New York Post reporter Dan Mangan's interview with Archbishop Timothy Dolan from Wednesday, April 22, was posted online. The reporter asked Archbishop Dolan why he is publicly opposed to Notre Dame honoring President Obama at its commencement on May 17, but did not publicly oppose the same honor to President George W. Bush in 2001, given Bush's positions on the Iraq war and the death penalty.

"There's a big difference," Archbishop Dolan said. "There are some issues where the Church has weighed in, that one must be very sensitive to the morality of some issues, but they're not intrinsically evil. An intrinsic evil means that something is always and everywhere wrong."

The Church's teaching on the death penalty and war, explained Archbishop Dolan, allow for such activities in extreme cases. So while Archbishop Dolan said he was uncomfortable with President Bush's positions, he "would have to give him the benefit of the doubt to say that those two issues are open to some discussion and are not intrinsically evil. In the Catholic mindset... that would not apply to abortion."

William McGurn, Notre Dame alumnus and former chief speechwriter for President G. W. Bush, delivered a lecture sponsored by Notre Dame's Center for Ethics and Culture entitled "Notre Dame: A Witness for Life" yesterday, April 23. Like Archbishop Dolan, McGurn argued that abortion is not "one issue on a political scorecard."

McGurn proposed that Notre Dame hold a "summit of pro-life Democrats to come here to make the Notre Dame statement for life."

He continued, arguing that "all pleas for other important human rights are 'false and illusory' if we do not defend with 'maximum determination' the fundamental right to life upon which all other rights rest."

The Growing number of bishops opposing Notre Dame's decision to honor President Obama at commencement has grown to 46, with Bishops Le Voir, Galeone and Zubik joining the swelling ranks.

Bishop John Le Voir, of the New Ulm Diocese, said, "The decision of the University of Notre Dame makes it much more difficult for the Church to carry out her vital mission to transform our culture into a culture of life and love."

Bishop Victor Galeone, of the St. Augustine Diocese, said, "Coupled with the performance of... 'The Vagina Monologues'... this most recent decision raises serious doubts about Fr. Jenkins' qualifications for continuing to serve as president of one of the foremost Catholic universities in the nation."

Bishop David Zubik, of the Pittsburgh Diocese, said, "This is Our Lady's university choosing to give an honorary degree to the single most outspoken pro-abortion president since the issue was foisted upon the country by the Supreme Court. It must, indeed, embarrass Our Lady."

The bishops' statements, news items and other insider commentary are updated daily at NotreDameScandal.com. The petition at the website has grown to more than 334,000 signers.

Bishop D'Arcy: "Terrible Breach" Caused by Scandal at Notre Dame 'Cannot Be Allowed to Continue

Note: The author of this blog is often critical of the bishops for not enforcing canons that address dissenting Catholic colleges and politicians. Often the front line of the battle against evil, pro-life leaders and students, are thrown under the bus to gain money, power and prestige. In the letter, below, the local bishop has taken a courageous stand and has thrown down the gauntlet. Father Jenkins must repent or resign and find refuge for contemplative prayer in a monastery somewhere where he can no longer scandalize the young people in his charge and disgrace the finest Catholic University in America. This bishop has gained our support and respect.

Bishop D'Arcy: 'Terrible Breach' Caused by Scandal at Notre Dame 'Cannot Be Allowed to Continue'

Bishop John M. D'Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, in which the University of Notre Dame is located, has publicly released key points from a letter correcting Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., who defended the decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement on May 17, 2009. The bishop wrote that the "terrible breach" which has opened up between Notre Dame and the Church "cannot be allowed to continue."

"How much more evidence does Notre Dame need to understand that they have made a tragic mistake in honoring President Obama?" said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society, whose petition atNotreDameScandal.com has surpassed 330,000 signers. "Catholics nationwide are praying that Father Jenkins will submit to the rightful authority of Notre Dame's bishop and end this scandal immediately."

Notably, Bishop D'Arcy corrected Father Jenkins' contention that the 2004 USCCB document "Catholics in Political Life," which asks Catholic institutions not to honor pro-abortion leaders, does not apply to the decision to honor President Obama at commencement. Father Jenkins has said that the policy applies only to Catholic honorees, and that because Notre Dame does not support President Obama's policies on abortion and stem cell research, the honor poses no conflict for a Catholic university.

"I consider it now settled," wrote Bishop D’Arcy, "that the USCCB document, 'Catholics in Public Life,' does indeed apply in this matter."

Bishop D'Arcy has also asked Father Jenkins to issue a retraction of the talking points he issued to the Notre Dame Board of Trustees regarding the commencement invitation to President Obama.

"The statements which Father Jenkins has made are simply wrong and give a flawed justification for his actions," said Bishop D’Arcy.

Bishop D'Arcy earlier announced that he plans to boycott Notre Dame's commencement on May 17, 2009.

The content of the below statement from Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy is a summary of key points from a private letter he sent in response to Notre Dame's president, Father John Jenkins. [Emphasis added.]

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recently, Father John Jenkins, CSC, in a letter of response to Bishop Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix, who had written him, critical of the decision to invite President Obama to speak and receive an honorary degree of law at Notre Dame, indicated that it was his conviction that the statement "Catholics in Political Life" (USCCB) did not apply in this matter. Father Jenkins kindly sent me a copy of his letter, and also at a later meeting, asked for a response.

In an April 15th letter to Father Jenkins, I responded to his letter.

Now the points made in his letter have been sent by Father Jenkins to the members of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and have been publicized nationally, as well as locally in the South Bend Tribune. Since the matter is now public, it is my duty as the bishop of this diocese to respond and correct. I take up this responsibility with some sadness, but also with the conviction that if I did not do so, I would be remiss in my pastoral responsibility.

Rather than share my full letter, which I have shared with some in church leadership, I prefer to present some of the key points.

1. The meaning of the sentence in the USCCB document relative to Catholic institutions is clear. It places the responsibility on those institutions, and indeed, on the Catholic community itself.

"The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." -- "Catholics in Political Life," USCCB.

2. When there is a doubt concerning the meaning of a document of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where does one find the authentic interpretation? A fundamental, canonical and theological principal states that it is found in the local bishop, who is the teacher and lawgiver in his diocese. -- Canon 330, 375 §§ 1 & 2; 380; 381 § 1; 391 § 1; 392, & 394 §1.

3. I informed Father Jenkins that if there was any genuine questions or doubt about the meaning of the relevant sentence in the conference's document, any competent canonist with knowledge of the tradition and love for Christ's church had the responsibility to inform Father Jenkins of the fundamental principle that the diocesan bishop alone bears the responsibility to provide an authoritative interpretation.

4. I reminded Father Jenkins that he indicated that he consulted presidents of other Catholic universities, and at least indirectly, consulted other bishops, since he asked those presidents to share with him those judgments of their own bishops. However, he chose not to consult his own bishop who, as I made clear, is the teacher and lawgiver in his own diocese. I reminded Father Jenkins that I was not informed of the invitation until after it was accepted by the president. I mentioned again that it is at the heart of the diocesan bishop's pastoral responsibility to teach as revealed in sacred Scripture and the tradition. ("Lumen Gentium," 20; and "Christus Dominus," 2.) I reminded him that it is also central to the university's relationship to the church. ("Ex corde ecclesiae," 27 & 28; Gen. Norm., Art. 5, §§ 1-3.)

5. Another key point. In his letter to Bishop Olmsted and in the widespread publicity, which has taken place as the points in the letter have been made public, Father Jenkins declared the invitation to President Obama does not "suggest support" for his actions, because he has expressed and continues to express disagreement with him on issues surrounding protection of life. I wrote that the outpouring of hundreds of thousands who are shocked by the invitation clearly demonstrates, that this invitation has, in fact, scandalized many Catholics and other people of goodwill. In my office alone, there have been over 3,300 messages of shock, dismay and outrage, and they are still coming in. It seems that the action in itself speaks so loudly that people have not been able to hear the words of Father Jenkins, and indeed, the action has suggested approval to many.

In the publicity surrounding the points Father Jenkins has made, he also says he is "following the document of the bishops" by "laying a basis for engagement with the president on this issue." I indicated that I, like many others, will await to see what the follow up is on this issue between Notre Dame and President Obama.

6. As I have said in a recent interview and which I have said to Father Jenkins, it would be one thing to bring the president here for a discussion on healthcare or immigration, and no person of goodwill could rightly oppose this. We have here, however, the granting of an honorary degree of law to someone whose activities both as president and previously, have been altogether supportive of laws against the dignity of the human person yet to be born.

In my letter, I have also asked Father Jenkins to correct, and if possible, withdraw the erroneous talking points, which appeared in the South Bend Tribune and in other media outlets across the country. The statements which Father Jenkins has made are simply wrong and give a flawed justification for his actions.

I consider it now settled -- that the USCCB document, "Catholics in Public Life," does indeed apply in this matter.

The failure to consult the local bishop who, whatever his unworthiness, is the teacher and lawgiver in the diocese, is a serious mistake. Proper consultation could have prevented an action, which has caused such painful division between Notre Dame and many bishops -- and a large number of the faithful.

That division must be addressed through prayer and action, and I pledge to work with Father Jenkins and all at Notre Dame to heal the terrible breach, which has taken place between Notre Dame and the church. It cannot be allowed to continue.

I ask all to pray that this healing will take place in a way that is substantial and true, and not illusory. Notre Dame and Father Jenkins must do their part if this healing is to take place. I will do my part.

Sincerely yours in our Lord,
Most Reverend
John M. D'Arcy

Georgetown Law School to Honor Pro-Abortion Catholic Biden

Georgetown Law School to Honor Pro-Abortion Catholic Biden

On Wednesday, April 22, Georgetown University Law Center will host an event honoring Vice President Joseph Biden with the "Legal Momentum Hero Award," in direct violation of the U.S. bishops' 2004 policy against such honors to pro-abortion politicians.

More than 40 U.S. bishops have publicly decried the University of Notre Dame's plan to honor President Barack Obama next month, citing a 2004 statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

"Even as Notre Dame publicly snubs the Catholic bishops, Georgetown appears to be saying, 'Me, too!,'" said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "Just last week, Georgetown covered the name of Jesus Christ at the request of the White House. Scandal after scandal at Georgetown, including the stunning 2007 law school policy that offers paid internships for students to work at organizations that advocate for abortion rights, has severely compromised its integrity as a Catholic institution."

Georgetown University Law Center is affiliated with Georgetown University, a Catholic and Jesuit institution.

Vice President Joseph Biden, a professed Roman Catholic, has since the 2008 presidential campaign come under sharp criticism from pro-life advocates, including his hometown Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pa., for supporting the legal abortion.

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Biden "strongly support[s] Roe v. Wade." Biden was the co-sponsor of the oppressive Freedom of Choice Act in the 102nd and 103rd congresses. He also voted for federal funding of Planned Parenthood and embryonic stem cell research, and against parental notification for minors seeking out-of-state abortions, a ban on abortions at military facilities, and a ban on human cloning.

Tomorrow's symposium is sponsored by the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law and Legal Momentum, a women's rights advocacy group that sharply conflicts with the Catholic Church by promoting "reproductive rights," advocating same-sex marriage and opposing abstinence-only education programs and pro-life crisis pregnancy centers.

Georgetown Covers Up Name of Jesus at White House Request

Note: I bet they didn't even give it a second thought. Probably aren't many there who even know what the monogram stands for. After all, it's Jesuit Georgetown. Not even questioned is the appearance by Obama there in the first place. He's their kind of guy.

Georgetown Covers Up Name of Jesus at White House Request

Before President Barack Obama spoke on Tuesday, April 14, at Georgetown University, the White House asked that all signs and symbols be covered up at the Gaston Hall venue, CNSNews.com reports. In compliance with the request, the university covered over the monogram "IHS," an ancient Christian symbol of the name of Jesus Christ.

"It is such a sad commentary that Catholic universities are willingly hiding the most visible signs of their Catholic identity when hosting secular leaders," said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "What’s next, will Notre Dame cover images of Jesus and Mary and ban rosaries when they honor President Obama next month?"

The CNSNews.com story notes that Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, said, "In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday's event, Georgetown honored the White House staff's request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage."

"The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches," continued Bataille. "Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn't high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context."

This is not the first controversy surrounding religious imagery at Georgetown recently. A prominent statue of Our Lady of Fatima was desecrated twice in less than a month at the university earlier this year. When the first desecration of the statue occurred, a group of concerned students organized a 24-hour prayer vigil in response, but students complained to The Cardinal Newman Society that the Georgetown administration's response was tepid.

Notre Dame Announces Homosexual-Themed Events for Easter Week

The Cardinal Newman Society
For Immediate Release

April 9, 2009

Notre Dame Announces Homosexual-Themed Events for Easter Week

Manassas, Va. - Late in the afternoon on Holy Thursday, the University of Notre Dame announced a series of events during Easter Week to promote an "inclusive spirit" in support of homosexual students, including a film that blames a mother's Christian faith for causing her gay son's suicide.

"Christianity is under attack from within our own Catholic universities," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. "The bad news continues, perhaps appropriately on the day when we recall Christ's terrible agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. We need Catholics worldwide to draw the line, here and now, by joining more than 255,000 witnesses for the Faith at NotreDameScandal.com."

"StaND Against Hate Week," to occur April 14 through 17, is co-sponsored by Notre Dame's Gender Relations Center, student government and University Counseling Center.

The week includes a screening of the film Prayers for Bobby, which portrays Mary Griffith, a faithful Christian mother who seeks spiritual healing for her homosexual son, as the cause of her son's suicide. According to a review at ReligionDispatches.org, the film biography ignores the real-life Bobby's drug use and "stint as a gay prostitute." The real Mary Griffith has renounced her faith and champions homosexual rights, including same-sex marriage.

Notre Dame also will participate in the national "Day of Silence" on April 17, an event to oppose harassment of homosexual students in schools. Despite the worthy goal, the national event is used by the sponsoring Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to promote school curricula that equate "sexual identity" with racial and ethnic differences, without clarification about the moral and health consequences of homosexual activity.

The announced agenda for the week indicates no effort to teach students about Catholic teaching on homosexual activity as gravely sinful.

April 17 is the one-year anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's address to Catholic educators in Washington, D.C., during which he called Catholic colleges and universities to a stronger Catholic identity.

"We observe today a timidity in the face of the category of the good and an aimless pursuit of novelty parading as the realization of freedom," Pope Benedict said. He continued, "[P]articularly disturbing, is the reduction of the precious and delicate area of education in sexuality to management of 'risk,' bereft of any reference to the beauty of conjugal love."

Meanwhile, Notre Dame's plan to bestow an honorary law degree on President Barack Obama on May 17 has been protested by students and alumni, 31 Catholic bishops, 10 Holy Cross priests and more than a quarter million Catholics at www.NotreDameScandal.com, which was established by The Cardinal Newman Society.

# # #

Pro-Abortion, Anti-Catholic Abuses Continue at Georgetown in Wake of 'Sex Positive Week'

Note: Very simple solution. Local Bishop declares Georgetown University "Not Catholic". Why the resistance? If you want to find a tepid response to scandal, just look at how the US Bishops respond to pro abortion politicians and dissenting colleges.

Even as Catholics remain stunned by Georgetown University's "Sex Positive Week" which took place last month, the Jesuit, Catholic institution is investigating two incidents of desecration of a statue of Mary and will host two events this week promoting abortion rights.

"This new string of depraved and anti-Catholic events taking place at Georgetown are symptomatic of a much deeper contempt for the university's Catholic identity, even at the top levels of the administration" said Patrick Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. "For anyone familiar with Georgetown, scandals on campus are no longer surprising and much less shocking than they should be."

In February, The Cardinal Newman Society raised public awareness about "Sex Positive Week," which took place during the first week of Lent at Georgetown. The week-long series included talks celebrating extra-marital sex and pornography. One talk was given by a director of pornographic films.

Tonight, March 30, at 8 p.m. in Georgetown's Reiss building, the unofficial student club H*yas for Choice is sponsoring a workshop titled, Sex, Lies, and Crisis Pregnancy Centers. According to an advertisement for the event on Facebook, pro-life crisis pregnancy "centers are working hard at undoing a legacy of education and outreach to women of all ages, ethnicities, and sexualities by spreading misinformation about the ‘repercussions of abortion’ and how STI's like HIV/AIDS are transmitted. We've got to know where they come from to know how to put an end to it. This workshop reveals the players, the funding, the tactics of Crisis Pregnancy Centers and the impacts on young women."

Another event, scheduled to take place tomorrow evening on campus, is titled Being Religious AND Pro-Choice. The ad for this event, also on Facebook, invites students to "Come and hear representatives from Catholics for Choice and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom discuss how they incorporate their pro-choice beliefs with their religious beliefs. Find out how they have dealt with adversity and opposition, and about the work they currently do reaching out to young people. And most of all, come see why being religious doesn't mean you can't be pro-choice."

According to The Hoya last week, a prominent statue of Our Lady of Fatima was desecrated for a second time on campus in less than a month. The vandalism was discovered on the morning of Saturday, March 21, with the face of Mary again painted black. When the first desecration of the statue occurred, a group of concerned students organized a 24-hour prayer vigil in response, but the university's response has been tepid.

During the holy season of Lent, The Cardinal Newman Society has encouraged its more than 20,000 members to pray for the spiritual renewal of all 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States.

18,000 (Now > 165,000) Join National Catholic Protest of Obama Honors at Notre Dame

As of 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 23, more than 18,000 people have joined the nationwide campaign urging the University of Notre Dame to rescind the honor of selecting President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker on May 17. The campaign was launched at 6:00 p.m. Friday, March 20 immediately after The White House and Notre Dame made the announcement that Notre Dame would honor President Obama.

The campaign is organized around The Cardinal Newman Society sponsored website, NotreDameScandal.com, which includes an online petition to Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, and contact information for the university. Catholics are urged to join the campaign, and the petition is being circulated among leaders of other Catholic organizations.

The petition has averaged more than 270 signatures per hour since its launch, and The Cardinal Newman Society is pleased to announce that CatholicVote.org has joined the campaign as a cosponsor of the petition effort.

The decision to honor President Obama has drawn quick and sharp criticism from Notre Dame alumni and Catholic leaders across the country.

Dr. Ralph McInerny, a professor at Notre Dame for more than 50 years, has written on the popular website The Catholic Thing that "By inviting Barack Obama as commencement speaker, Notre Dame is telling the nation that the teaching of the Catholic church on this fundamental matter [abortion] can be ignored."

Thomas Peters at the American Papist blog has reported that Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput has encouraged Catholics to write to Notre Dame to protest the honor.

Project Sycamore, an organization dedicated to protecting Notre Dame's Catholic identity, is organizing alumni to protest the honor.

NotreDameScandal.com will provide regular updates on all of the activities.

"It is an outrage and a scandal that 'Our Lady's University,' one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage," the petition reads.

Notre Dame Invites President Obama to Speak at Commencement

According to the ND website President Barack Obama will be the principal speaker and the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree at the University of Notre Dame's 164th University commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. May 17 (Sunday).

Go here to sign the petititon and email the president of Notre Dame:

http://www.notredamescandal.com/

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD:We are trying to get the word out to all that oppose Obama at ND to put a red Christian Cross over all personal ND logos. I.E. Logos on car, get red tape and put a Christian Cross over it; clothing, get red embroidery thread and sew a red Christian Cross over it, or simply use ribbon, and please wear them! For ONCE we have to stand up and visually express our opposition. Please help us spread this peaceful protest. Please do the same for all Saint Mary's and Holy cross logos you own. There is a rumor that Michelle Obama may be asked to Saint Mary's or Holy Cross. Thank you.Also, here are links to petitions to sign if you wish: (unrelated to above grass roots protest info, but great sites and petitions)http://www.sycamoretrust.org/phpPetition/index.phphttp://notredamescandal.com/SignthePetitiontoFrJenkins/tabid/454/Default.aspx

Merry Christmas: V-Monologues Unwrap $1K from BC Students and Support from Theology Dept.

Note: Well earned is the reputation that BC stands for "Barely Catholic". Once again, the "leadership" of this nominally Catholic College has totally abdicated its responsibility to lead young people into better decisions and scandalized them instead with this putrid example of modern pornography. If Catholic institutions fall this easily for this deception, imagine how quickly they'll be to follow the Antichrist when he comes...

Merry Christmas: V-Monologues Unwrap $1K from BC Students and Support from Theology Dept.

The student senate at Boston College voted to allocate $1,000 in college funds for increased 2009 campus productions of The Vagina Monologues. The Observer reports that a list of co-sponsors, including the theology department, was presented to the students in support of funding productions of the oft-criticized, vulgar play.

The Vagina Monologues is a sexually explicit and offensive play that favorably describes lesbian rape, group masturbation, and the reduction of sexuality to selfish pleasure. It is produced with the hope that by raising the awareness to violence against women, incidents of abuse will decrease.

The UGBC senate passed the decision to provide funds for the play in a narrow vote of 8-7. During deliberations, which lasted two hours, "concern over the appropriateness of the production and the need to bring women's issues into the public eye" were debated, The Observer reports.

Students in support of the Monologues argued that there is a precedent for funding the play, set by previous years. Boston College has been a consistent host of the play in past semesters.

However, the student senators who opposed the resolution cited the explicit humor in the play. Senator John Karl, who had previously supported productions of the Monologues, said that after reading the script he was now "troubled that it portrayed sexual assault in a liberating manner."

The Observer reports that in 2009 there will be three campus productions of The Vagina Monologues on campus. In past years there have been up to two performances a semester.

In the initial request for funding made to the student senators, a list of co-sponsors was included. "Perhaps the most controversial among this list of potential co-sponsors is the Theology Department," The Observer reports. "It remains unclear what actions, if any, will be taken in order to gauge professor support for the production before this year's co-sponsorship is either granted or denied."

"Some theology professors were concerned about the fact that more broad internal discussions within the department did not occur on such a controversial issue."

Some in the theology department, however, disagreed.

"I believe that the author, Eve Ensler, may have a good intention," said associate theology professor Margaret Schatkin. "The indecorous and intemperate language negates her cause, which is ostensibly to raise the position of women. This is officially the year of St. Paul in the Catholic Church, and the Apostle teaches us a lot about avoiding foul language."

"From the title on, the play does not meet apostolic standards of Christian discourse," continued Schatkin. "It also does not meet basic standards of literary quality. While admittedly there is great injustice around the world against women, e.g., human trafficking, such exploitation is not to be trivialized but should be made the subject of a serious dramatic work, which would not rely on vulgarity to get its message across."

Catholic University of San Francisco Develops Health Plan for Students that Covers Abortion

The University of San Francisco (USF), a Catholic institution, has a new student health insurance policy that provides coverage for abortion. Full-time USF undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the university's plan unless they request a waiver and are able to prove that they have other, comparable insurance.

According to the plan document, which is available on the USF website, the student health insurance was "developed especially for eligible University of San Francisco students and their eligible dependents."

In other words, it appears that the USF coverage was included in a custom policy developed for the Catholic institution.

The Catholic Key, the newspaper of the diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph, first reported this story on its Internet blog and notes that there is nothing in California law that would require USF to provide coverage for abortion.

The Cardinal Newman Society, which works to promote the renewal of Catholic higher education, calls on USF president Father Stephen Privett to immediately take action to remove the abortion coverage.

"Given the importance of life issues for Catholics, it is stunning that USF's student health program would pay for abortions," said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "I pray that this was a mistake and not a willful action of the Catholic university, but regardless of how the abortion coverage ended up in the policy, it clearly cannot remain."

Report: Catholic Colleges, Faculty Aided Pro-Abortion Obama

Who is to blame for the poor formation of conscience among Catholics in the US? Certainly the public statement indicate that these people feel they are in conformance with Catholic teaching and expect no sanctions for their public support of a platform that contradicts Catholic moral teaching on the key issues of our day. They need only look at the Catholic legislators in Massachusetts who voted to keep "gay marriage legal", who suffered absolutely no penalty from either the Church at large or the communities like Knights of Columbus that they were members of. The weeds grow tall amongst the wheat.

Report: Catholic Colleges, Faculty Aided Pro-Abortion Obama

Several outspoken professors and political activities on Catholic campuses helped deliver pro-abortion Barack Obama the Catholic vote, according to a new report from The Cardinal Newman Society.

Exit polls show that Obama won over self-described Catholics 54 to 45 percent--better than the 52-46 split among all Americans--and even made inroads with Mass-attending and white, non-Hispanic Catholics.

Despite the U.S. bishops' concerns about political candidates who support legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research, several outspoken professors and political events at Catholic colleges and universities helped convince Catholics that they could vote for such candidates in good conscience. The Cardinal Newman Society report documents campus politics in 2008 under four sections: On-Campus Activities at Catholic Colleges, Catholic College Employees, Student Activities at Catholic Colleges, and Honors to Pro-Abortion and Stem Cell Advocates.

Among the examples cited in the report:

Outspoken professors including Boston College theology professor Lisa Sowle Cahill, Duquesne law professor Nicholas Cafardi (former dean of Duquesne's law school) and Notre Dame theology professor Cathleen Kaveny publicly challenged bishops' statements encouraging Catholics to oppose pro-abortion candidates.

Xavier University in Cincinnati hosted an Obama "Campaign for Change" rally on the eve of the election, and St. Peter's College in New Jersey hosted an Obama rally featuring a choir of Catholic schoolchildren.

Nine professors at Catholic colleges and universities served on Obama's Catholic National Advisory Committee.

Pamela Trotman Reid, president of St. Joseph College in Hartford, Connecticut, expressed excitement about Obama's candidacy and concern about future Supreme Court decisions affecting "the right of women to make choices about their own health."

Judy Feder, public policy professor and former public policy dean at Georgetown University, joined the Democratic ticket as a pro-abortion congressional candidate in Virginia's 10th District.

Several Catholic colleges and universities selected pro-abortion politicians as commencement speakers and honorees.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) meets this week in Baltimore, with politics and abortion on the agenda for discussion. In 2004 the USCCB mandated: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

Last week The Cardinal Newman Society's Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education published a national survey finding that the behaviors and beliefs of Catholic college students often conflict with Catholic teachings.

Study Finds Catholic Colleges Have Little Positive Impact on Faith, Values

Note; Sadly, this is not unexpected news. But think about it. If on the average, Catholics find a loss of faith at Catholic colleges and Universities, then some are below the average - that is to say they teach anti-Catholic doctrines and kill any residual feelings of faith in the students that come to them. Such colleges are the subjects of this blog.

Study Finds Catholic Colleges Have Little Positive Impact on Faith, Values

A groundbreaking survey of Catholic college students published by The Cardinal Newman Society's (CNS) Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education finds that most students on Catholic campuses reject key Catholic moral values and tenets of the faith, and significant numbers engage in pre-marital sexuality activity and the viewing of pornography.

The study was released in the wake of Tuesday’s presidential election, just as many commentators are looking for reasons why the Catholic vote broke the way it did in such large numbers for a pro-abortion candidate.

It is the only known nationally representative survey of students at Catholic colleges and universities. CNS released a report five years ago, drawing on data from 38 Catholic colleges collected by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. That study found that students' support for Catholic teaching on abortion, gay marriage and other issues declined over four years at a Catholic institution.

For the current study, CNS commissioned QEV Analytics, which conducted an analysis of the Catholic vote for Crisis magazine prior to the 2000 presidential election, to conduct the random survey of current and recent students at U.S. Catholic colleges and universities, all between the ages of 18 and 29. QEV President Steven Wagner, a former researcher for the U.S. Information Agency, has conducted studies for several federal agencies and the National Center on Additional and Substance Abuse (CASA).

"Most respondents say that the experience of attending a Catholic institution made no difference in their support for the Catholic Church or its teaching or their participation in Catholic Sacraments," Wagner writes in his report.

Key findings clearly demonstrate that large numbers of students at Catholic colleges and universities are in clear conflict with the Catholic Church:

Nearly 1 in 5 knew another student who had or paid for an abortion.

46% of current and recent students—and 50% of females—said they engaged in sex outside of marriage.

84% said they had friends who engaged in premarital sex.

60% agreed strongly or somewhat that abortion should be legal.

60% agreed strongly or somewhat that premarital sex is not a sin.

78% disagreed strongly or somewhat that using a condom to prevent pregnancy was a serious sin.

57% agreed strongly or somewhat that same-sex 'marriage" should be legal.

57% said the experience of attending a Catholic college or university had no effect on their participation in Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation.

54% of respondents said that their experience of attending a Catholic college or university had no effect on their support for the teachings of the Catholic Church.

56% said their experience had no effect on their respect for the Pope and bishops.

In April 2008 Pope Benedict XVI, recognizing the reality on many Catholic campuses, told Catholic college presidents gathered at The Catholic University of America that the Catholic faith must permeate all aspects of Catholic campus life.

"Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools?" the Holy Father asked the college presidents. "Only in this way do we really bear witness to the meaning of who we are and what we uphold. From this perspective one can recognize that the contemporary 'crisis of truth' is rooted in a 'crisis of faith'."

The entire CNS study, "Behaviors and Beliefs of Current and Recent Students at U.S. Catholic Colleges," is available online at www.CatholicHigherEd.org.

CNS commissioned the study as part of its Love & Responsibility program to encourage Catholic values on life, love and marriage on Catholic campuses.

Election Eve: Xavier University in Battleground Ohio Hosts Obama “Countdown to Change” Event

Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, is hosting a Countdown to Change get-out-the-vote event sponsored by Obama for America today, Monday, November 3, 2008, one day before the presidential election.

Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society sharply criticized Xavier University.

"Allowing the Obama campaign to come onto a Catholic campus and encourage students to vote for a vehemently pro-abortion candidate on the eve of the election is a scandal," Reilly said. "If Xavier University wants to engage students in politics, it could have encouraged them to vigorously oppose the destruction of innocent human life."

Barack Obama has stated that his first act as president of the United States will be to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would abolish all limitations and restrictions for the so-called "right" to an abortion.

The US bishops' 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life" states: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

According to an announcement on Xavier’s website, the University is not supporting the event. However, the University is providing the event's venue and working with the Obama Campaign to coordinate logistics. The announcement also notes that the McCain Campaign visited campus last June.

Xavier University states: "This event falls within Xavier's commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and to the orderly discussion of issues confronting society."

The "get-out-the-vote" event features performers Mary J. Blige, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Sean "Diddy" Combs, along with media executive Kevin Liles. They are "encouraging young voters to be informed about their voting rights and to make their vote count."

Santa Clara Law to Honor Pro-Abortion Clinton Chief of Staff

Note: I'll bet ol' Leon has deep pockets and can really help with this year's captial program in a down economy. Too much to resist for one of the more dissenting law schools still calling itself "Catholic".

Santa Clara Law to Honor Pro-Abortion Clinton Chief of Staff

At a celebration tomorrow evening, October 21, Santa Clara School of Law will bestow its Justice and Human Rights Award upon pro-abortion former congressman and White House chief of staff Leon Panetta, who serves on the University's board of trustees. The award will be presented at the University’s fifth annual "Diversity Gala: A Celebration of Diversity in the Legal Profession."

Leon Panetta’s terms as a US Congressman were stained by his pro-abortion voting record. He co-sponsored the dangerous Freedom of Choice Act in 1990.

During his tenure as White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997, Panetta defended President Bill Clinton's veto of H.R 1833, the partial-birth abortion ban.

"A leading advocate for the Culture of Death is no friend of justice or human rights," said Patrick Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society. "With so many admirable defenders of the Culture of Life in our country to select from, it is despicable that Santa Clara University has chosen to award a Catholic who is so clearly opposed to the pro-life work of the Catholic Church—even worse, to put him on their board of trustees."

Leon Panetta graduated from Santa Clara University with his B.S. in 1960 and J.D. in 1963. He continues to have strong ties to the University: he has served on the University’s Board of Trustees since 1988, teaches a political science course each year, has given lectures on ethics, delivered the keynote address for a Jesuit education conference, and acted as Master of Ceremonies for a Santa Clara fundraising event.

In a 1992 constituent letter cited by National Review Online editor Kathryn Jean Lopez (www.nationalreview.com), Panetta attributes his "pro-choice" views to a Santa Clara professor, Jesuit Father Austin Fagothey, who argued that "there should be no laws on abortion."

A similar decision by Fordham Law to honor pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has been met with a large outcry from hundreds of Fordham University alumni, priests, and others, who have signed a student-sponsored petition opposing the honor scheduled for October 29.

Those interested in signing the petition may still do so at www.CardinalNewmanSociety.org.

Notre Dame Tenured Theologian McBrien Blasts Bishops

My take: If you read this closely, a tenured theology professor, safe with a lifelong position on a college campus a.k.a. ivory tower, is criticizing the papacy because it is a lifelong appointment where popes can appoint whomever they choose, kind of like tenured theology professors. What courage it must have summoned to deliver this talk at a Unitarian "Church"!

Notre Dame Tenured Theologian McBrien Blasts Bishops

Father Richard McBrien, the Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Roman Catholic Theology at the University of Notre Dame, ripped into the hierarchy of the Catholic Church at a talk given at a Unitarian church in Kansas City recently. According to an article today, October 7, 2008 in the National Catholic Reporter, McBrien said Pope John Paul II's greatest failing was naming bishops.

"Father McBrien's blatant disregard and contempt for the leadership of the Catholic Church is nothing new," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. "Until Notre Dame and other Catholic colleges are rid of such jaded liberal theologians, the renewal of Catholic higher education can never be complete."

During the question and answer segment of his talk, Father McBrien sharply criticized the life-long office of the Papacy, characterizing it as tyrannical. He compared the pontificate of John Paul II to an imaginary lifetime Bush presidency, where as many appointments of jurists to US courts could be made as desired.

"That's exactly what Pope John Paul II -- or any other pope for that matter -- was able to do in his long term of office, and that is why the Catholic church finds itself today...with such a dearth of pastoral leadership," said McBrien.

The Notre Dame professor added that John Paul II's greatest failing as Pope lies in the bishops he named.

"Men were appointed bishops or promoted within the hierarchy on the basis of loyalty to the Holy See rather than on the basis of pastoral aptitude, theological sophistication and leadership skills," quipped McBrien.

McBrien attacked the US Bishops, who steadfastly urge Catholics to vote pro-Life, for supposedly violating guidelines set out in USCCB documents. Such guidelines specify that the bishops do not "wish to instruct persons on how they should vote by endorsing candidates."

St. Joseph College President Concerned About "Choice"

Note: From the sound of it, this college president was not the least bit concerned that her position was a contradiction to Church teaching. I'm willing to bet that fidelity to such teaching was not a part of her application of the trustees vetting of her for the job. Until CNS contacted her, she was likely unaware that she had even done anything controversial. Such is the environment she operates in, the typical Catholic college.

St. Joseph College President Concerned About "Choice"

Manassas, Va. - In an October 9 article, the Hartford Courant reports that Pamela Trotman Reid, president of St. Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn., "sees in [Sen. Barack] Obama a kindred spirit" and is concerned about future Supreme Court decisions affecting "the right of women to make choices about their own health."

The Courant reports that Reid, who is African American, thinks that she and presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama probably had similar experiences of racial bias growing up. Not only does she regard Obama as "a kindred spirit," but she also "expects so much from an Obama presidency, should he win," reports the Courant.

One such expectation appears to support abortion rights: "And the next president is likely going to make appointments to the Supreme Court," Reid told the Courant. "That could affect the right of women to make choices about their own health. These are issues of incredible importance."

Reid is concerned that Obama's message will "be lost in the deluge of sound bites," according to the Courant.

Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society, called on Reid to clarify her statements.

"It is a serious scandal when a Catholic college president appears to publicly dissent on the non-negotiable issue of abortion," wrote Reilly yesterday in a letter faxed to Reid yesterday afternoon. "The Catholic Church expects educators to be role models, upholding Catholic teaching and values."

"Out of concern for the Catholic identity of St. Joseph College and the potential that your statements will mislead Catholics and others toward support for a 'pro-choice' position, we urge you to publicly clarify your support for Church teaching on the intrinsic evil of abortion and your opposition to legalized abortion," Reilly wrote.

Reid's office told The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) that she is out of town until Tuesday and conducted the Hartford Courant interview by phone. CNS has not yet received a response to Reilly's letter.

In November 2007, the U.S. bishops issued the statement "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," including this warning: "A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter's intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil."

Catholic legal scholar Douglas Kmiec and Duquesne University law professor Nicholas Cafardi have argued that Catholics can in good conscience support pro-abortion Barack Obama for president. But both claim personal opposition to abortion and have not cited Obama’s pro-abortion positions as reason to support him.

Cafardi, who declared that "we have lost the abortion battle - permanently," offered his resignation from the Board of Trustees at faithfully Catholic Franciscan University of Steubenville earlier this week. Fr. Terrence Henry, TOR, president of Franciscan University, accepted the resignation.

Fordham Petition Against Honor for Baby Killing Breyer

Fordham Students Rise, Petition University President to Revoke Award Offer to Justice Breyer

Manassas, Va. - Less than two weeks after The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) broke the story that pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is the intended recipient of the Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize, Fordham University students are working feverishly to collect signatures petitioning President Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J. to rescind the honor. The Fordham Respect for Life club penned an open letter to Father McShane, and is now asking the general public to join them in their petition.

At the request of Respect for Life, an electronic petition has been added to The Cardinal Newman Society website. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to add their support. All names and emails submitted will be presented to Fordham President, Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J. by Respect for Life.

A month from today, on October 29, The Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize is scheduled to be bestowed upon Justice Breyer at a dinner in New York City.

In review: Justice Breyer infamously wrote the majority opinion in 2000 for Stenberg v. Carhart, which struck down state laws banning the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion. The Cardinal Newman Society wrote to Father McShane five weeks ago informing him of Justice Breyer's record. No response was given. Since then many have expressed outrage at Fordham's silence.

Patrick J. Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society, highlighted the deep contradiction implicit in Fordham's offer of the award to Justice Breyer. In a CNS press release from Sept. 5, Reilly cited the U.S. Bishops’ consistent opposition to pro-abortion public figures being given awards and platforms.

"If Fordham truly aspires to follow its own mission statement and be 'Guided by its Catholic and Jesuit traditions,' then it must rescind the offer of this award to Justice Breyer," said Reilly.

Student leaders from Fordham's Respect for Life club attempted several times to meet with University administrators, but their requests were met with more silence. The students needed official permission to set up tables to collect signatures for their petition. Without this green light their options have been limited.

Fordham Respect for Life and CNS are therefore appealing to everyone who shares the conviction that Fordham University must rescind the offer of the Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize to Justice Breyer to add their names to the electronic petition.

Fordham Law to Honor Justice Breyer

The article states the specific case Breyer wrote the opinion for. But his overall record is one of hostility to Catholic moral issues, natural law, and the US Consititution itself. His record is hardly one deserving of recognition for "ethics".

Fordham Law to Honor Justice Breyer Who Wrote Majority Opinion Supporting Partial-Birth Abortion

In a brash move defying the U.S Bishops' speakers policy, Fordham University's Stein Center for Law and Ethics announced that proabortion Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer is the 2008 recipient of the Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize. Breyer infamously wrote the majority opinion in Stenberg v. Carhart, which struck down state laws banning the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion.

The Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize is scheduled to be bestowed upon Justice Breyer at a dinner in New York on October 29, 2008.

Three weeks ago The Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick J. Reilly wrote to inform Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., President of Fordham University, of Justice Breyer's record. Reilly urged him to rescind the offer of the Fordham-Stein Ethics Prize to Breyer. No response was given.

"This amounts to nothing less than Fordham University thumbing its nose at the US Bishops, whose opposition to such honors is clear." said Reilly.

Earlier this year The Cardinal Newman Society led a coalition of prominent Catholic organizations and released a statement in support of the US Bishops' speakers policy. In the 2004 statement, "Catholics in Political Life," the Bishops stated: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

In the 2000 decision Stenberg v. Carhart, Supreme Court Justice Breyer wrote in the majority opinion: "this Court, in the course of a generation, has determined and then redetermined that the Constitution offers basic protection to the woman's right to choose."

In contrast, New York Archbishop, Edward Cardinal Egan recently lambasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for defending the so-called "right to choose." Egan said: "Anyone who dares to defend that they [children in the womb] may be legitimately killed because another human being 'chooses' to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name."

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in his dissenting opinion in Stenberg, wrote: "I am optimistic enough to believe that, one day, Stenberg v. Carhart will be assigned its rightful place in the history of this Court's jurisprudence beside Korematsu and Dred Scott. The method of killing a human child . . . proscribed by this statute is so horrible that the most clinical description of it evokes a shudder of revulsion."

"The choice by Fordham University of Justice Breyer to receive this prestigious award," said Patrick Reilly, "is a far cry from an award established to recognize the 'positive contributions of the legal profession to American society.' Justice Breyer did not act objectively in Stenberg, but rather overstepped his authority and legislated from the bench."
“"f Fordham truly aspires to follow its own mission statement and be 'Guided by its Catholic and Jesuit traditions,' then it must rescind the offer of this award to Justice Breyer," said Reilly.

Coalition urges Catholic colleges to avoid hosting pro-abortion politicians

Manassas, Va., Feb 27, 2008 / 03:20 am (CNA).- After some Catholic college campuses hosted campaign events and appearances by pro-abortion political candidates recently, a coalition of Catholic organizations has released a statement urging all Catholic institutions to refuse to host politicians who oppose Church teaching on serious moral issues.

On February 13, St. Mary's University in San Antonio hosted a rally for Senator Hillary Clinton over the objections of Archbishop Jose Gomez. St. Norbert College in Wisconsin hosted a similar rally. St. Peter's College in New Jersey hosted a large rally for Barack Obama on January 9, as did Loras College in Iowa in March. Both candidates favor legalized abortion.

The statement calling for a boycott of politicians in conflict with the Church was organized by the Cardinal Newman Society, a group dedicated to the renewal and strengthening of Catholic identity in higher education. Signatories included the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, Catholics United for the Faith, the Catholic Medical Association and the Society of Catholic Social Scientists.

Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick J. Reilly summarized the need for the statement, saying, "Like any Catholic institution, a Catholic college or university has a distinct and unique responsibility to provide an environment that supports and upholds Catholic values."

While praising Catholic institutions' promotion of peace, charity, justice, individual rights and the common good, the statement criticizes some schools for excessively compromising with moral relativism and secularism.

"Too often, however, some Catholic institutions pursue a misguided engagement with public policy and politics that compromises and even undermines their Catholic mission," the statement said. "Catholic institutions should engage the culture from a faithfully Catholic perspective, not a position of neutrality. Political engagement does not require partisanship or endorsement of particular candidates. But it also does not require secularization, by which Catholic institutions accept moral relativism and simply mirror secular culture."

The statement exhorted Catholic colleges and universities to fidelity to Catholic teaching and respect for human life.

"We call on Catholic institutions to join us in finding opportunities-appropriate to the nature and mission of each institution-to engage in political and public policy dialogue by publicly proclaiming Catholic teaching, especially on issues related to human life and marriage," the statement said.

193 Catholic Campuses Reject Vagina Monologues, But Georgetown and Others Go Ahead

Catholics urged to contact universities, asking them to cancel play

MANASSAS, VA, February 7, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In the seventh year of the Cardinal Newman Society's campaign to rid Catholic colleges of the obscene and offensive play The Vagina Monologues, 20 Catholic campuses will host the play in the weeks surrounding Saint Valentine's Day. The number of performances has declined annually from a peak of 32 in 2003.

"In the holy season of Lent and just weeks before the Holy Father visits the United States, these nominally Catholic colleges will shame themselves publicly in defiance of Catholic morals and basic civility," said Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). Pope Benedict XVI will address the presidents of all American Catholic colleges on April 17, and he is likely to repeat the Vatican's calls for the reform of Catholic education.

"Most disturbing of all is the return of The Vagina Monologues to the University of Notre Dame," Reilly said. "In the absence of moral leadership, Notre Dame will again thumb its nose at Bishop D'Arcy, who has publicly condemned the play and chastised the university."

Fort Wayne Bishop John D'Arcy has complained that The Vagina Monologues is "offensive to women" and "antithetical to Catholic teaching." Last year the play was moved off Notre Dame's campus, but this year campus performances will be sponsored by the Anthropology and Sociology Departments. CNS has written to Bishop D'Arcy urging him to intervene.

In The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, CNS refused to recommend Notre Dame, noting one professor's chilling comment that "a kid who is struggling with his faith will sink like a stone." But Newman Guide editor Joseph Esposito expressed hope that Notre Dame would strengthen its Catholic identity.

By contrast, 193 Catholic colleges in the United States will not participate in the annual "V-Day" college campaign, which occurs each year around Saint Valentine's Day.

"The nominally Catholic colleges that host this vile play are increasingly marginalized," Reilly said. "The progress is slow, but we're winning the fight against the Monologues."

More than half of the colleges hosting the play in 2008 are Jesuit, a fact with particular significance following recent statements by Pope Benedict XVI urging the Jesuits to fidelity and loyalty to the Church.

The Vagina Monologues is a sexually explicit and offensive play that favorably describes lesbian activity, group masturbation, and the reduction of sexuality to selfish pleasure. In one scene, the lesbian seduction of a teenage girl is described as the girl's "salvatio"" that "raised her into a kind of heaven."

CNS has contacted the president of each host college by mail, urging them to halt the play. CNS is also calling on its more than 20,000 members and other Catholics to convey their concerns about the Monologues to college presidents. The full list is below.

The following Catholic colleges and universities are hosting the lewd play The Vagina Monologues.

Bellarmine University
Dr. Joseph McGowan, President
president@bellarmine.edu

College of the Holy Cross
Fr. Michael McFarland, S.J., President
mmcfarla@holycross.edu

College of Mount Saint Vincent
Dr. Charles Flynn, Jr., President
charles.flynn@mountsaintvincent.edu

College of Saint Rose
Dr. R. Mark Sullivan, President
sullivam@strose.edu

DePaul University
Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., President
president@depaul.edu

Dominican University of California
Dr. Joseph Fink, President
jrf@dominican.edu

Fordham University
Fr. Joseph McShane, S.J., President
president@fordham.edu

Georgetown University
Dr. John DeGioia, President
president@georgetown.edu

John Carroll University
Fr. Edward Glynn, S.J., President
president@jcu.edu

Le Moyne College
Dr. John Smarrelli, Interim President
smarrelj@lemoyne.edu

Loyola Marymount University
Fr. Robert Lawton, S.J., President
rlawtonsj@lmu.edu

Loyola University Chicago
Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J., President
mgaranz@luc.edu

Loyola University New Orleans
Fr. Kevin Wildes, S.J., President
wildesk@loyno.edu

Marygrove College
Dr. David Fike, President
dfike@marygrove.edu

Regis College
Dr. Mary Jane England, President
england@regiscollege.edu

Saint Louis University
Fr. Lawrence Biondi, S.J., President
biondi@slu.edu

Saint Mary's College of California
Br. Ronald Gallagher, President
brg@stmarys-ca.edu

University of Detroit Mercy
Fr. Gerard Stockhausen, S.J., President
gstock@udmercy.edu

University of Notre Dame
Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., President
jenkins.1@nd.edu

University of San Francisco
Fr. Stephen Privett, S.J., President
privett@usfca.edu

More on Fr. McFarland and Holy Cross

From Cardinal Newman Society:

Please Join Us for an Important Talk on...

"Preventing Teen Pregnancy: The Catholic Approach"

What Holy Cross Could Have Done to Address This Critical ProblemFeaturing CNS Love & Responsibility Program Director Dawn EdenTuesday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m.St. Paul's Cathedral, Worcester, Mass.

Please join The Cardinal Newman Society, in cooperation with St. Paul's Cathedral and the Worcester Diocese’s Respect Life Office, on the eve before the College of the Holy Cross hosts a conference on teen pregnancy that includes representatives from Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts.

Despite a strong and courageous statement from Worcester Bishop Robert J. McManus condemning the conference and asking Holy Cross to cancel the event, the college's President has steadfastly supported it and says he will let it take place.

In her talk, Miss Eden will detail how Church teachings on chastity offer a solution to not only the problem of teen pregnancy but also the wider problems of family breakdown-while abortion, contraception, and other "solutions" offered by Planned Parenthood and their allies exacerbate those problems. She will also place the issue, in accordance with Church teachings, into the context of what steps Catholic colleges can and should take to promote Catholic values on life, love and sexuality.

This event is open to the public and The Cardinal Newman Society encourages a strong showing of support for Bishop McManus's principled stand.

Click here to download the event flyer.

Culture of Death at Catholic Colleges in U.S. (Part 1)

3/22/2007 From Catholic Online

Patrick Reilly on the Threat of Pro-Abortion AdvocatesMANASSAS, Virginia, JULY 20, 2004

(Zenit) - The trend of Catholic colleges hosting abortion-rights advocates has grown so much that the U.S. bishops' conference has asked Church-related institutions to refrain from honoring those who act in defiance of Church teachings.

Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, co-authored a five-year study with the group's Erin Butcher investigating inroads made by advocates of abortion, contraception, premarital sexual activity and physician-assisted suicide on Catholic college campuses.

Reilly shared with us the importance of the U.S. bishops' statement and the danger of Catholic schools welcoming high-profile persons who publicly oppose the Church's fundamental moral principles.

Part 2 of this interview will appear Wednesday.

Q: In the recent statement, "Catholics in Political Life," the bishops' conference stated: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." What was the significance of the U.S. bishops warning schools against honoring dissenters?

Reilly: The statement is laudable, formally endorsing Cardinal Newman Society's long-held position against Catholic institutions honoring or inviting abortion-rights advocates.
Archbishop James Kelleher had already instituted this policy in Kansas City, but most other diocesan policies against pro-abortion honorees and speakers apply only to parishes and Church-owned facilities, as if the Catholic identity of those facilities has different implications than the Catholic identity of legally independent agencies.

The bishops' statement affirms that Catholic teaching and expectations are the same not only for all Catholic individuals -- with no exceptions for politicians -- but also for all Catholic institutions. We hope that diocesan policies will now formally reflect this national statement, which had near-unanimous support in the bishops' conference.

The ban on honors and speaking platforms is far-reaching, applying not only to pro-abortion Catholic politicians but to anyone who acts "in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
Its reference to "platforms which would suggest support for their actions" could include campus lectures and commencement addresses, especially by politicians in the midst of campaigns, regardless of the speaking topic -- a direct challenge to the prevailing radical notion of academic freedom, which ignores Christian concerns about the truth and the common good.

Q: What is the danger of Catholic schools welcoming high-profile persons who publicly oppose Church teachings?

Reilly: There is always the danger that these individuals could use a platform at a Catholic institution to attack or at least erode support for Catholic teachings, even when invited to speak on a seemingly benign topic.

There are recent instances of public advocates spewing their venom on Catholic campuses, including NARAL's Kate Michelman at Boston College, National Organization for Women president Kim Gandy at Loyola University of New Orleans, pornographer Larry Flynt at Georgetown University, radical feminist Gloria Steinem at Fairfield University, and researchers engaged in human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research at Assumption College and the College of the Holy Cross.

More commonly, speakers and honorees do not challenge Catholic teaching while on campus. Colleges select these speakers and honorees because of their legitimate expertise and accomplishments, which are unrelated to their more-harmful activities. Cannot a pro-abortion politician give a campus lecture on taxes or the military? The argument put forward by many college officials is that such an event is proper because no one explicitly advocates immorality.

Take this to the extreme, of course, and a Catholic college could invite Hitler to speak on the merits of German music and art. It is doubtful that any Catholic college would host or honor Louis Farrakhan or David Duke because of their views on race, regardless of the speaking topic.

How did Catholic college leaders come to so easily disregard speakers' public advocacy of abortion, homosexual activity or "marriage," fetal experimentation, physician-assisted suicide and a host of other serious problems?

An award or speaking platform places an individual in an honored and respected position, regardless of what they discuss on campus. Honorees and lecturers differ from college faculty only in degree: despite the brevity of their presence on campus, they temporarily share professors' special status as educators and models for students. Canon law rightly insists that Catholic institutions expect "probity of life" outside the classroom for professors, and the same might be expected for lecturers and honorees.

The primary concern is scandal. Once an individual has publicly acted "in defiance of our fundamental moral principles,""that person is identified with that action regardless of the reason for the campus visit.

When a Catholic institution freely chooses to invite that individual to lecture or receive special honors, the institution publicly declares a lack of intensity in its commitment to Catholic teaching, disregards those who have been harmed by the individual's actions, undermines efforts to expose and oppose the individual's harmful behavior, and confuses students about the responsibilities of faithful Catholics.

When asked "Why not?" I cannot help but ask "Why?" The simplest argument against hosting honorees and lecturers who advance the culture of death is that humanity has not sunk so low as to necessitate such invitations. On any lecture topic, experts can be found who do not raise these concerns.

When choosing prominent commencement speakers and honorees, there are thousands of good options. Whereas college leaders tend to characterize any restriction on their freedom to select speakers and honorees as a death knell for quality scholarship, there is no such plight.