Sixteen 'Catholic' Colleges Still Allow V* Monolgues on Campus

The Cardinal Newman Society
For Immediate Release
March 20, 2008

2008 V-Monologues in Review: Number of Campuses Hosting Play at Historic Low

Manassas, VA - Thankfully performances of The Vagina Monologues on Catholic college campuses declined to 16 confirmed performances, half of the 32 performances reported in 2003! For seven years, The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), its more than 20,000 members and a growing number of bishops, college presidents, alumni, and other Catholic leaders have urged Catholic colleges to not approve performances of the Monologues on their campuses.

Patrick J. Reilly, President and Founder of CNS, commented on the success of the campaign: "It is wonderful news for all of those concerned about Catholic higher education that more and more Catholic colleges are refusing to host the morally offensive Monologues."

In December and January, CNS obtained the list of campuses hosting the Monologues from the official sponsor's website, vday.org. Letters were sent to the presidents of every Catholic college and university listed, alerting them to the Vday site and asking for confirmation that the play would or would not be allowed on their campuses. On February 6th, CNS released a list of 20 Catholic campuses that were expected to host the play, based on the Vday site listings and information from presidents who responded to the CNS letters.

CNS applauds those Catholic colleges and universities that have refused to host the Monologues. These include St. Louis University, which refused to host the play for a second consecutive year. Although St. Louis University was identified on the Vday site, we learned from an e-mail contact the day after our release that the university was not hosting the play and immediately updated the list. We regret that St. Louis was included in the original CNS list of 20 colleges. And although Vday continues to promote a campus performance at Le Moyne College on March 28, staff at the college indicated to CNS that the Monologues would not be held this year.

CNS has confirmed that 16 of the 19 Catholic campuses hosted or will host productions in February and March. (CNS has been unable to confirm performances announced by Vday at Loyola Marymount University in California and Regis College in Massachusetts.)

The confirmed list of 16 includes Bellarmine University, College of the Holy Cross, College of Mount Saint Vincent, College of Saint Rose, DePaul University, Dominican University of California, Fordham University, Georgetown University, John Carroll University, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University New Orleans, Marygrove College, Saint Mary's College of California, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Notre Dame, and University of San Francisco.

Despite this growing momentum against performances of the Monologues, in a statement on March 10th, Rev. John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, officially approved the return of the play to the Notre Dame campus after a one-year hiatus. The statement was released soon after a committee of U.S. bishops moved an important seminar from Notre Dame because of the planned performances. On March 13th Bishop John M. D'Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend released a strong statement in response to Father Jenkins' position on the Monologues that forcefully explained why it was inappropriate for Notre Dame to host the play.

"Although the return of the play to Notre Dame was disappointing, the downward trend of campuses hosting the Monologues is one more sign of the ongoing renewal in Catholic higher education. While much work remains to be done, there is reason to be hopeful," said Reilly.

This article is also available on the CNS website here.

Catholic College Leaders Expect Pope to Deliver Stern Message

By Jacqueline L. Salmon and Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, March 14, 2008; A01

After years of Vatican frustration over what it views as the failure of many U.S. Catholic colleges to adhere to church teachings, school leaders are intently watching for a rebuke from Pope Benedict XVI during his Washington visit next month.

The pope requested the meeting with more than 200 top Catholic school officials from across the country. The gathering will come amid debate over teachings and campus activities that bishops have slammed as violating Catholic doctrine: a rally by pro-abortion rights Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton at St. Mary's University in San Antonio; a Georgetown University theologian's questioning whether Jesus offers the only road to salvation; and a performance of "The Vagina Monologues" at the University of Notre Dame.

This will be the first papal address in the United States on Catholic education in more than 20 years, and some Vatican watchers predict that it will be the most enduring part of Benedict's visit. Before becoming pope, Benedict was known as "the enforcer" of church orthodoxy, and since taking office, he has said Catholic education must bow to Catholic "truth" and the "rule of life." Such comments have some educators keyed up.

"With people expecting his address on these issues, hopes and concerns are beginning to resurface," said Mathew Schmalz, a religious studies professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., who has researched and lectured about Catholic identity in higher education.

The Rev. Timothy Broglio, archbishop of the U.S. military services, who served in Rome for a dozen years, said Benedict's speech will be direct. "It'll be very clear and distinct ideas," Broglio said. "... There will be no mistaking what he wants to say."

A drumbeat for greater orthodoxy in Catholic colleges has been heard since 1990, when Pope John Paul II issued a call for Catholic colleges and universities to refocus on their religious identity.

Now educators are waiting to see how tough Benedict, a former theology professor in Germany, will be at the April 17 lecture at Catholic University and how his message will be interpreted and carried out by the bishops after he leaves.

Church officials won't give details about the content of the speech, but conservative Catholics are predicting -- and hoping for -- shock waves from Benedict, who before becoming pope was associated with public reprimands of Catholic theologians and blocked appointments of university faculty members he thought were too liberal.

"This is something that's been simmering for so long that it's reached a boiling point," said Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, which works to promote orthodoxy in Catholic higher education. In its recommendations to students, the society says 20 of the 235 U.S. Catholic colleges and universities are sufficiently orthodox. Reilly said a number of bishops and Vatican officials say privately that the speech will "raise a lot of eyebrows."

As pope, Benedict has not been as explicit about the limits of academic freedom as some had expected him to be, and some educators predicted that the talk next month will have a pastoral tone. However, they said, it will make clear that the pope thinks change is necessary.

"One thing the pope will emphasize is the importance for all [Catholic] schools to realize that they aren't independent contractors, they are part of the church," said the Rev. David M. O'Connell, Catholic University's president.

Catholic University is the only U.S. Catholic college founded by the nation's bishops, and it follows the Vatican line more closely than do many other schools. O'Connoll said Rome is concerned about the lack of Catholic faculty at Catholic universities and about rampant "moral relativism" -- the belief that there is no objective right or wrong -- on campuses.

Last fall, Worcester Bishop Robert J. McManus objected to a conference on teen pregnancy held on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross that included speakers from Planned Parenthood and NARAL.

And last month: San Antonio Archbishop Jose Gomez complained about the Clinton rally at St. Mary's University; St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke said St. Louis University basketball coach Rick Majerus should be disciplined for his comments in support of abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research; and Catholic bishops moved a theological seminar off Notre Dame's campus to protest an on-campus performance of the play "The Vagina Monologues."

Bishops have criticized Georgetown for hosting Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and allowing the establishment of a pro-abortion rights student club there. Conservative Catholics are complaining about plans to open a gay resource center soon at the school.

School presidents insist that truth-seeking is part of their institutional purpose.

"Every university is committed to the pursuit of truth," said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia, "and we want to ensure that there is the opportunity for both academic freedom and for the free exchange of ideas and opinions across all issues."

But David Gibson, the author of a Benedict biography, said the pope will ask, "If you're not going to be an authentically Catholic, orthodox institution, why should you exist?"

The lecture will be attended by presidents of most U.S. Catholic colleges and universities. All 195 diocesan education directors are also invited, although the Vatican's focus has been on countering relativism in higher education.

After liberalizing moves by the church in the 1960s and 1970s, Pope John Paul in 1990 issued Ex Corde Ecclesiae, presenting his views of what a Catholic university should be. In 1999, U.S. bishops voted to require theology professors to be certified as teaching in a truly "Catholic" manner.

Since then, there has been a vigorous exchange, with most educators on Catholic campuses agreeing that they want to keep a "Catholic" perspective but disagreeing about how pervasive that needs to be. Does it mean events and courses should always come down on the side of orthodox church teachings? Or can the church's position simply be articulated and discussed? What does academic freedom truly mean under Ex Corde?

Many conservatives have complained that colleges and universities don't take seriously the requirement that people teaching theology obtain a "mandatum," or certificate, from the local bishop indicating that the coursework was approved by the church.

Although Catholic colleges and universities were originally founded by religious orders or by laypeople working with bishops, their campuses have become more diverse, and that diversity affects their mission.

"Our schools are not made up of all Catholic students or Catholic faculty and administrators," said the Rev. Charles Currie, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, who has spoken out against the mandatum and quotas on non-Catholic board members and faculty members. "And so the institution has to be respectful of differences at the same time they're trying to foster a [Catholic] identity."

Some are skeptical that anything will change.

"Whatever he says, I think, for the most part, it will fall on deaf ears," said Derry Connolly, president of John Paul the Great Catholic University. "Universities are tough institutions to turn around, and faculty are very powerful. ... I don't think it will have much of an effect."

Gay Magazine Contrasts Holy Cross (Good) vs Boston College (Bad) for Gays

Warning: The link for this article is to a gay magazine with obviously offensive material.

But the real warning is for good Catholics planning to attend Holy Cross. They have taken a course far away from Catholic teaching on compassionate treatment of gays and into advocacy for activities clearly outside Catholic mortal teaching. It is indeed a fine line.

The ultimate goal of ministering to gays has to be to help them find Christ, to conform their lifestyle with Catholic moral teaching. This is not much different than the Church's and Catholic colleges' responsibility to all students who are called to lead chaste lives outside marriage.

Instead, colleges like Holy Cross have abandoned this mission and left the students in grave peril of damnation and sinfulness by promoting anti-Catholic teaching and organizations like gay clubs and planned Parenthood. The supposed role model at the college, an apostate Jesuit Priest, has much to answer for. Indeed Christ had stern words for those who would scandalize the 'little ones". Something about a millstone. No, the mission of a Christ-centered college would be in direct opposition to something so self-centered as a club that promotes a lifestyle and human definition based on sexual attraction.

A few excerpts:

Keeping the Faith :: GLBT students face adversity at Catholic colleges
by Scott Kearnan
EDGE Boston Contributor
Wednesday Nov 21, 2007

Seen through the eyes of a campus visitor or a promotional brochure,
it would seem that Boston College and College of the Holy Cross share a number
of similarities. Both are competitive schools, ranked among the best
Northeastern colleges by the Princeton Review. Both have beautiful campuses;
acres ofmanicured green grass and gothic architecture. And both have an
esteemed Catholic background, one that is particularly attractive to students
seeking a liberal arts education informed by Jesuit tradition.

But for gay students, these universities are separated by more than the
30 miles between Chestnut Hill and Worcester, Mass. Though Catholic colleges
are united under a common religion, one that is frequently inhospitable to the
needs of the GLBT community, gay students at BC and Holy Cross voice
personal experiences that are worlds apart.

From 2000 to 2004, BC ranked every year on the Princeton Review's list
of schools where "alternative lifestyles are not an alternative," though it
has been absent from the list since holding the No. 5 spot in 2006. And it was
only in 2005, after years of heated debate and an overwhelmingly supportive
student referendum, that Boston College finally added "sexual orientation" to
its official non-discrimination statement.

Note: I'm starting to re-think some of my negative perceptions of BC based on this article. But they may just be lagging and eventually succumb to the pressure tactics like Georgetown and now Holy Cross before them.

Corbman and Kropowensky are co-chairs of Holy Cross' ABiGaLe (Association of
Bisexuals, Gays and Lesbians). At the start of November, the organization hosted
a Rainbow Alliance Week--a series of socials, panels, and even a lecture by a
transgendered speaker--amidst fanfare and support. "We got all of our funding
from the school without question," says Joshua Rodriguez, 19.

Rodriguez is a member of the college's Allies organization,
which cosponsored the series of events. He says that even when the college
interjects Catholicism, it is respectful and within reason."

We had to have a religious faculty member present [at certain events],"
he explains of the limited intervention. "In case people had questions
afterwards."If anything, some suspect that the college's supervision is actually
for the benefit of GLBT students."

The administration is extremely supportive, and always has our back,"
says Corbman of ABiGaLe's experience with university officials. "I think they
have to document what they're doing so that they can defend us...and bring up why it's good."

Note: Holy Cross has gone over the line from compassion and ministry to overt support of clubs based on sexual attraction. Their actions are clearly dangerous to these young peoples' spiritual growth and physical well-being. They condemn them to a life of failure, disease, stigmatization, disappointment and childlessness. Christ offers life. GLBT or whatever they call it offers only death. And Holy Cross has much to answer for it.

Boycott Amnesty International on Catholic Campuses

Ivory Tower Heretics Blog is calling on Catholic Colleges and Universities to discontinue affiliation with Amnesty International over their policy to support abortion.

Amnesty International supports abortion. In their twisted logic, they believe abortion should be available due to violence against women in cases of rape and incest.

The Catholic Church teaches that ABORTION IS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN! Not only is the procedure itself harmful to women, causing elevated risks of infertility, bleeding, breast cancer and psychological trauma, but in many countries abortion is used for sex selection, with females the intended victims. Abortion is murder of an innocent human baby, plain and simple.

The Vatican and Catholic Bishops have condemned AI's position and have even resigned from their board over this issue.

Note: Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said that Catholics worldwide would boycott AI if it didn’t reverse the position at their biennial meeting."If in fact Amnesty International 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," he said.

Amnesty International seems to propose that only some types of abortion can be advocated while excluding others such as forced abortions and sex selection. This is intellectually dishonest since there is no evidence that once the abortion industry sets up camp, greed isn't the prime motivator. In our own country, it is actually the rapist and family abuser who benefits most from the abortion industry as seen in Kansas where a lawsuit alleges that Planned Parenthood has covered up abortions of minors where rape and incest likely occurred. In fact, this seems to be standard procedure for Planned Parenthood as a core constituency is husbands, fathers and boyfriends who force women and girls into abortion as their "free choice".

Amnesty International was founded by a devout Catholic but has turned its back on Catholic faith and morals as the basis for human rights. They should have no place on Catholic college campuses.

We'll be listing Catholic colleges and universities in the coming days that have active AI chapters or affiliations. Here is the list today:

Georgetown University
Notre Dame
Boston College
Catholic University of America
DePaul University
Seton Hall University
Villanova University
St. Louis University
St. John's University
Santa Clara Law
University of San Francisco
Holy Cross College
Duquesne University
Creighton University
Providence College

Explosive ALL Video From Holy Cross

American Life League Video Exposes Holy Cross Heresy

In the video from American Life League students react with mostly apathy and puzzlement about the pro contraception and abortion conference at Holy Cross. One student says basically its no big deal and is entirely consistent since the college has "ABIGAIL," an organization of Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders, etc. on campus (with college sponsorship I'm sure). Makes sense. Once you stoop to promote sodomy, contraception and abortion aren't a stretch.

Another student exposes the completely misleading statements of Fr. McFarland, president of Holy Cross, who claimed previously that the college was only "renting space" and had not endorsed the conference. It defies logic that Planned Parenthood and NARAL couldn't find equivalent accommodations in the second largest city in New England. In the video, another student claims everyone received an email telling them to feel free to attend the conference. I'm not saying Fr. McFarland sent the email but he was surely aware of it.

It sad to see so many young people with so little regard for the Church and her teaching. But why would they be any different? With such lukewarm leadership by these college presidents, they're left to the four winds.

One student in the video gets it and even used the word "heretical." I hope the controversy this created opened the eyes of others like her. More likely, she'll be ostracized on campus. Sad.

Attention Cardinal O'Malley!!

Boston was once a major center of Catholic life and education. It flourished with strong support from the Irish, Italian, French and many other ethnic groups.

And now? It is a center of apostasy and shame. The state of Catholic Colleges is so bad that not one local Catholic college makes either the Cardinal Newman Society College Guide or the one put out by National Catholic Register. Indeed recent events and developments suggest these colleges are leading a full apostasy against the Church.

As reported in this blog, Merrimack College was the first stop for newly-elected secular progressive Governor Deval Patrick. His policies include support for gay marriage, abortion on demand without parental notification, expanded limitless embryonic stem cell research and cloning of humans, casino gambling and every other vice that the Church is against.

Boston College has likewise become a pit of immoral living. Seen on national TV was a proud group of BC women at the pro abortion rally in Washington DC wearing "Boston College Students for Choice" t-shirts and loudly proclaiming their support for abortion. On campus they maintain a link to Planned Parenthood and have hosted V* Monologues. Their dissident theologians are always summoned by major left-leaning main stream media for anti-Catholic opinions.

And then there's our recent story about the close ties between Emmanuel College in Boston and pharmaceutical giant Merck. The college even leases land to Merck for their Boston branch.

So corrupt are these once Catholic colleges that their sin cries to heaven for vengeance. But where is the local Bishop, in this case Cardinal Sean O'Malley? Is he not as strong as his neighbor bishop McManus of Worcester who recently warned Holy Cross College that their Catholic identity was in jeopardy? Why is this behavior allowed. Are these leaders not aware that they are alienating an entire generation of devout believers? Where is a parent to take their child if they want an authentic Catholic experience? Ohio? Virginia? When will O'Malley act in favor of Catholics? Is he too busy closing parishes and paying off abuse victims to restore Catholic identity to his archdiocese? Does he even care?

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.

The Bishop and the Jesuit: Robert McManus vs. Holy Cross

Commentary from CatholicCulture.com:

One could fill a book with the ways in which schools "in the Jesuit tradition" have deliberately and defiantly undermined the Catholic faith of their students over the past forty years. The most recent example is the decision of Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts to host a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy.

The Conference will include workshops by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, both of which represent positions fundamentally at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church (not to mention the requirements of human integrity, the family and a healthy social order). Lest there be any confusion that the hosting of the conference might have happened inadvertently, Holy Cross president Fr. Michael C. McFarland, SJ has personally defended it against numerous critics.

Happily one of the critics is the local ordinary, Bishop Robert J. McManus, who issued a statement on October 10th warning Holy Cross that "it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves 'Catholic'." The bishop urged the administration of the College to "unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conferenc...so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution." However, Fr. McFarland has thus far defied even Bishop McManus.

Read the rest here.

Bishop Warns College May Lose Catholic Name for Not Cancelling Pro-Abortion Groups in Conference

Jesuit priest president of College of the Holy Cross ignores bishop, defends inclusion of Planned Parenthood and NARAL workshop

By Meg JalsevacWORCESTER, Massachusetts, October 11, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Worcester's Catholic bishop, Bishop Robert J. McManus, has issued a frank condemnation of the decision by the local Jesuit-run College of the Holy Cross to rent their facilities for a conference featuring NARAL and Planned Parenthood workshops.

Bishop McManus has issued a scathing statement confirming that he has requested that college President, Rev. Michael C. McFarland rescind the invitation based on the conference's fundamental differences with Catholic moral teaching.

As previously reported by LifeSiteNews.com, the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy is scheduled to use the conference facilities at the Catholic college for their annual Teen Pregnancy Institute on October 24. The conference schedule includes workshops featuring a Planned Parenthood representative discussing "protection methods" and a similar NARAL update on initiatives to provide teen access to "low-cost, confidential health services and Emergency Contraception." Pro-abortion Governor Patrick Deval will be honored with a leadership award at the conference.

According to the local chancery, hundreds of complaints were received from Catholics around the country voicing outrage at Holy Cross' facilitation of a conference which so openly opposed the basic moral teachings of the Catholic Church on the sanctity of human life.

The bishop's statement maintained that the complaints were justified since, "The College of the Holy Cross should recognize that any association with these groups can create the situation of offering scandal understood in its proper theological sense, i.e., an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. Certainly it is understandable how people of good will could interpret the college's allowing presentations to be made by such groups as truly scandalous."

"The moral teaching of the Catholic Church on respect for life at all stages of its development is manifestly clear. Life is a fundamental good that must be protected and respected from the moment of fertilization to natural death. This teaching is so basic and important that it provides the foundation upon which much of the Church's moral and social doctrine rests. It is beyond modification and compromise.

"Holy Cross officials have replied that they will not rescind the invitation despite a host of complaints flooding their offices from alumni and others across the country. Officials explained that "Holy Cross in no way supports or endorses Planned Parenthood, NARAL, or other organizations that engage in or promote practices contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church." However, the bishop's statement denied the possibility of this position saying, "I strongly contend that the confusion and upset to the Catholic faithful and others that flow from the perception that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross supports positions contrary to the fundamental moral teaching of the Church must be avoided."

"To deny Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice a forum in which to present their morally unacceptable positions is not an infringement of the exercise of academic freedom but a defensible attempt to make unambiguously clear the Catholic identity and mission of the College of the Holy Cross."

President McFarland explained his decision to continue to allow the conference to take place while also attempting to explain that Holy Cross "fully affirms and promotes" the sanctity of human life. He continued to justify his decision in opposition to the bishop's statement saying, "Beyond the contractual obligation, it is important to emphasize that the college believes a meeting of adult professionals pooling resources, engaging in a dialogue and exchanging information is a beneficial way of grappling with pressing issues related to the health and well-being of Massachusetts teenagers and children."

"As an institution of higher learning, we are dedicated to the open exchange of ideas. As a Jesuit college, Holy Cross is committed to its mission of engaging with the larger culture on even the most problematic and divisive of moral and spiritual issues."

As the leader of his flock, Bishop McManus issued a warning to the Catholic college saying, "As Bishop of Worcester, it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves 'Catholic.' This is a duty that I do not take lightly since to be a Catholic institution means that such an institution conducts its mission and ministry in accord with Catholic Church teaching, especially in cases of faith and morals."

"It is my fervent wish that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross will unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution committed to promoting the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic Church."

Read Bishop McManus' entire statement:http://www.worcesterdiocese.org/bishopsoffice/HC-conf-stmt-1...

Read Previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:Holy Cross College Hosts on-Campus Planned Parenthood Workshops, Awards Pro-Abortion Governorhttp://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/sep/07092808.html

CHAIRMAN OF BOARD AT HOLY CROSS ALSO IS CHANCELLOR AT SCHOOL USING EMBRYOS

The chairman of the Board of Trustees at a major Catholic college in Massachusetts is also chancellor for a medical school that dabbles with human embryonic stem cells.

The chancellor, Dr. Michael F. Collins, was named chairman in 2002 and will head the board at the College of Holy Cross until 2008. It is his full-time job as interim chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, however, that has drawn notice. That occurred last May.

As an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts acknowledges candidly, "We employ a variety of embryological, cellular, molecular and genetic approaches. These include lineage analysis, chimeras, and embryo culture as well as time-lapse imaging, tissue specific knockouts, wholemount in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence. We also utilize embryonic stem cells for gene targeting."

The use of human embryos for stem-cell research has been condemned by the Vatican as tantamount to abortion, resulting as it does in the death of a human, albeit in the earliest stages.

Holy Cross College Hosts on-Campus Planned Parenthood Workshops, Awards Pro-Abortion Governor

Yet another Jesuit run college violating Catholic Church teaching

By Peter J. Smith WORCHESTER, Massachusetts, September 28, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Jesuit-run Holy Cross, the oldest Catholic college in New England, is hosting the 2007 Teen Pregnancy Institute with Planned Parenthood promoting teenage contraception.

The Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy presents the conference every year, but by hosting the conference the Holy Cross Jesuits are sending the message that they have no qualms with its promotion of contraception and the presence of Planned Parenthood, which are intrinsically inimical to the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church.

At this year's conference - scheduled October 24, from 8AM - 4 PM - "Messages that Matter: Strengthening Prevention and Supporting Young Families," Planned Parenthood is scheduled to give 3 "workshops"; one of which includes a seminar on how to "Learn the latest and greatest of protection methods."
(see copy of brochure http://www.massteenpregnancy.org/pdfs/2007_conf_brochure.pdf)

In addition, pro-abortion Governor Deval L. Patrick will appear at the conference to receive a "Leadership Award" and speak to the conference attendees.

Unfortunately Holy Cross has a history of tolerating vociferous promoters of abortion under its President, Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. In 2003, McFarland defended not only Holy Cross' invitation of pro-abortion political commentator, Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC's "Hardball," to speak at that year's commencement, but also bestowed on him an honorary degree despite his univocal statements on several occasions "I am pro-choice." McFarland falsely stated Matthews's views were "a matter of practical judgment" and "allowable in Catholic thought," because he felt abortion was immoral, but disagreed that the government should stop it.

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.