State's Most Pro-Abortion Judge on the Board of Catholic University

State's Most Pro-Abortion Judge on the Board of Catholic University
By Tim Waggoner

MINNEAPOLIS, July 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews has learned that a notorious abortion advocate and Appeals Court Judge is holding an executive position at a large Catholic university in Minneapolis.

Judge Diana Murphy is the chairwoman of the Executive Committee for the Board of Trustees of the Catholic University of St. Thomas. However, throughout her tenure as a judge with the Eight Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals, she has consistently overturned legislation seeking to further the Culture of Life.

On September 11, 2000, the appeals court judge ruled against multiple legislators, pro-life groups, physicians and citizens, who objected to the State of Minnesota paying for abortions with their tax dollars. The federal government had banned such use of taxpayer funds and so had the Minnesota legislature. Murphy and the State Supreme Court, however, found the State ban on funding to be unconstitutional and ruled the plaintiffs had no standing, preventing the case from being reviewed at higher levels.

On October 25, 2006, Judge Murphy ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood, striking down legislation that would have required doctors to inform women that an abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being.

Judge Murphy is also a donor and Vice Chair of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), which, according to Dr. David Pence of the DocSociety, is intent on severing the university's ties with the Church. According to its website, DocSociety is "a brotherhood of Catholic men working to restore fatherhood and fraternity among Catholic priests and laymen."

Dr. Pence and the DocSociety have been for years closely monitoring the questionable happenings at St. Thomas University.

"Why is a notorious pro-abortionist judge holding a executive position at a Catholic University?" asked Pence in a LifeSiteNews interview.

Pence said that one might expect that given that the chairman and vice-chairman of the university Board of Trustees are the former Catholic bishop of the diocese, Archbishop Flynn, and former Vicar General of the diocese, Rev. Kevin McDonough, the board of the Catholic university would be composed of members who preserve Catholic teachings.

But considering the track record of Archbishop Flynn and Rev. McDonough, Pence said he is not surprised that pro-abortion Judge Murphy is chairing the Executive Committee for the Board.
Archbishop Flynn retired from the diocese after years of complaints by faithful Catholics over his handling of a host of scandals involving homosexual activists both within and without the archdiocesan administration. Under his rule, a notoriously pro-homosexual parish, St. Joan of Arc, was allowed to continue openly supporting the Gay Pride parades and the homosexual lifestyle. The parish's opposition to Catholic teaching was so brazen that it resulted in a 2004 rare direct intervention by the Vatican. Flynn was named by homosexual political activists as one of the US's four most "gay friendly" bishops.

McDonough came under fire in 2006 after he attempted to brush off the rampant homosexuality in the diocese, stating, "I don't believe in this archdiocese there has ever been an active subculture of homosexual priests who were sexually active and justifying their behavior."
McDonough's public assertion was surprising, especially since his own brother William McDonough, a priest (active as such at least until 1998) in the diocese, is on public record going against Church teaching on homosexuality.

To add to the controversy, LifeSiteNews covered a story in November of 2007 that saw the board vote unanimously to remove a 125 year-old bylaw that declared the chairman and vice-chairman of the board should be the sitting Bishop and Vicar General of the Diocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis. The board, headed by Flynn and McDonough, made this strategic move just five months before Archbishop Nienstedt was to be installed as the new archbishop of the Minneapolis diocese, thereby preventing him from assuming the position of chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas University.

The board of directors also voted to re-install Flynn and McDonough as chairman and vice-chairman for an extended five year term. The move was feared to be an effort by the university to override the authority of and possible reforms by Archbishop Nienstedt, Flynn's more orthodox Catholic coadjutor bishop who has since succeeded him as head of the archdiocese.

The vote thereby extended the contracts of chairman Flynn and vice-chairman McDonough for five more years, after which the board could vote in whomever they desire to fulfill the roles - essentially eliminating the Church's and, more specifically, Nienstedt's role in the university.
Archbishop Nienstedt's authentic Catholicity was not welcomed by the Board of Trustees after he said he would not accept a proposed plan by one of the board members that sought to merge the school with a medical association, because the move would involve teaching abortion procedures as part of the curriculum. This happened only weeks before the vote was cast that saw the removal of the bylaw.

The spokesperson for St. Thomas University did not respond to calls by press time.

'No' to Pro-life 'Yes' to Transgender Speakers

Note: Something really wrong is happening here that we've seen at other schools. It appears more and more that radical feminists with a left-wing agenda are getting themselves appointed to decision-making positions at Catholic colleges for the exact purpose of undermining Catholic teaching. St. Thomas is in danger of losing its Catholic identity as a result.

Liberal at Catholic Univ. of St. Thomas Says 'No' to Pro-life 'Yes' to Transgender Speakers
David M. Bresnahan
April 10, 2008

St. Paul, MN - The largest private university in Minn., the Univ. of St. Thomas, has refused to allow Star Parker, a pro-life black woman, to address students on campus about Planned Parenthood in a free and open presentation, even though the university web site claims the Univ. of St. Thomas "educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good."

A liberal administrator at the Catholic school, VP of Student Affairs, Jane Canney, is the gatekeeper who seems to be permitting extremist liberal points of view, but denying conservative opinions that are in keeping with Catholic teachings, even though St. Thomas is a dedicated and respected Catholic institution. School policy states that all points of view should be presented.

The school maintains a Center for Catholic studies. "The program was designed to engage students and faculty interested in a study of the Catholic intellectual tradition as a whole and how it shapes our understanding of politics, psychology, history, science, literature, theology and other aspects of contemporary culture," according to the school web site.

The Catholic Church maintains a strong stand in opposition to abortion, so it is surprising to students that their university has banned nationally syndicated columnist Star Parker from a planned presentation on the campus. Parker was expected to speak on "The Origins of Planned Parenthood," which many students and members of the local community would like to hear.

Parker seems to be more than qualified to speak to the students at any college or university. She has testified before the United States Congress, has appeared as an expert commentator on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, and other television programs. She is also frequently quoted in major national publications such as the Washington Times, Christianity Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Parker is the author of three books, and runs a non-profit conservative think tank, CURE, organized to "fight poverty and restore dignity through faith, freedom and personal responsibility."

"Bringing Star to St. Thomas would not only be beneficial for all who hear her, but also enjoyable, educational, and a wonderful inspiration to our Catholic university,"said a report in the independent student newspaper the St. Thomas Standard.

The article explains the many qualifications of Parker, and why students at the university would like to attend the presentation. The article was written by editor Amie Kieffer. The St. Thomas Standard along with the St. Thomas Students for Human Life, and the Young America's Foundation (YAF) are the sponsors of the lecture by Parker.

Kieffer reported to the YAF that she and her sister Katie, founder of the paper, were told by Canney that any speaker sponsored by the YAF is not allowed on campus. Canney ignored efforts to obtain her reaction by phone or by E-mail for this report.

The vision statement of the university says: "We seek to be a recognized leader in Catholic higher education that excels in effective teaching, active learning, scholarly research and responsible engagement with the local community as well as with the national and global communities in which we live."

Interestingly, liberal speakers at St. Thomas receive full support from the school's administration and the Student Life Committee overseen by Canney. During the current school year, Canney has approved the appearances of outspoken liberal commentator Al Franken, as well as a transgendered activist, Debra Davis.

It appears that Canney and school administrators may be ignoring their own policy regarding speakers at the school, which states: "Another factor governing speakers on campus is our concern that a wide variety of issues and viewpoints be given expression. We take pride in the scope and quality of programs on campus during the past years. The value of freedom in the classroom is reflected in the campus forum..."

Most schools have such a tight budget that they seek to find sponsors who will underwrite the cost of bringing informative speakers to their campus. Hundreds of lectures are given at colleges and universities each year that are sponsored by the YAF, but apparently Canney will not approve a speaker who is sponsored by YAF, although she has not responded to requests to confirm or deny this claim by students.

Young America's Foundation sponsors more than 500 lectures annually featuring a wide array of the very best in the conservative movement, including John Ashcroft, Michelle Malkin, Dinesh D'Souza, Sean Hannity, Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Star Parker, and many others.

Catholic university board cuts archbishop's position

Catholic university board cuts archbishop's position

Minneapolis, Dec 7, 2007 / 12:08 pm (CNA).- The board of trustees at the University of St. Thomas has severed a key legal link with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, according to the Star Tribune.

In October, the trustees of the University of St. Thomas voted to eliminate the archbishop's automatic position on the board. For the first time since Archbishop John Ireland founded the university in 1885, a sitting archbishop will not chair the board.

Only the school's Catholic Studies department and law school are said to have maintained a strong Catholic identity. Two archdiocesan seminaries, St. Paul Seminary and St. John Vianney College Seminary, are affiliated with the University of St. Thomas and could be affected by changes at the school.

Some suspect that the impending retirement of Archbishop Harry Flynn was a major factor in the vote. Archbishop Flynn is believed to have done little to resist secularizing trends at the school, but his successor, Archbishop John Nienstedt, has a reputation for standing up to secularization.

"I found this action very, very disturbing -- it was clearly directed at Archbishop Nienstedt," said Tom Mooney of St. Paul, a St. Thomas alumnus and donor. Many St. Thomas alumni are concerned about the "erosion" of the institution's Catholic identity, he said.

"The archbishop is the chief teacher of the faith in the diocese. He ought to be part of the academic community, and respected and regarded as such," said Father Paul LaFontaine, a parish priest.

The outgoing Archbishop Flynn was elected as an individual to a five-year term as chairman. But the university will no longer be required by its bylaws to include the head of the archdiocese in any official role at the university.

University spokesman Doug Hennes said that a secular organization that reviews governing boards recommended the by-laws change in 2002. He said the trustees were concerned the archbishop would be to busy to perform his duties as chairman.

When asked if trustees had asked Archbishop Nienstedt if he would be too busy, Hennes referred the question to the archdiocese. Archdiocesan spokesman Dennis McGrath said he did not know.

McGrath did say in a statement that St. Thomas "always has been and always will be a Catholic university."

Katherine Kersten, writing in the Star Tribune, urged the preservation of Catholic identity at the university for the sake of students. "We need a few places where they can be called to pursue something higher: a transcendent vision of faith and morality," she wrote.

Catholic St. Thomas University Votes to Sever Historic Ties with St. Paul Archdiocese

My Take: This is really unfortunate for the good Catholics who chose a Catholic college as an expression of their faith and fidelity to their religion. It is also a wake up call to the alumni and donors to the college that it has gone off the rails and is headed for a complete break with its founding and traditions. At a time when the Vatican and many bishops have expressed a need to reinvigorate the authentic teachings of the Church on Catholic campuses, this is a move in the wrong direction. Quick and forceful action by students, alumni and donors to reverse this action should be taken including a plea to the Vatican.

On another note, if Archbishop Flynn had any humility or fidelity left in his soul, he'd repudiate the move and defer to the previous arrangement.

Local Catholics stunned by move that appears designed to limit influence of new, faithful Archbishop

by Hilary White

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, November 21, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Minnesota's St. Thomas University has voted to remove the bylaw that maintained the sitting archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis as the Vicar General and Priest President of the University. The board of directors voted unanimously to change the university's bylaw and install soon-to-retire Archbishop Harry Flynn as chairman for a five year term. The move is feared to be an effort by the university to override the authority of and possible reforms by Archbishop John Nienstedt, Flynn's more orthodox Catholic coadjutor bishop who will fully succeed him as head of the archdiocese next year.

The surprise move has alarmed some Catholics who attend St. Thomas, the only Catholic university in the US founded directly by a bishop, who fear that the break with its historic ties to the archdiocese presages the "complete secularization" of the university, widely known as one of the US' more doctrinally liberal Catholic schools.

A memo from the board of directors said, "Implementing a process the Board Affairs Committee began last February, the board also elected Archbishop Flynn to a five-year term as chairman of the board after making appropriate changes to the university's bylaws which heretofore had stipulated that the ordinary (head) of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis serve ex officio as chairman."

Archbishop Flynn is due to offer his retirement to the Vatican next year when he turns 75, and his coadjutor bishop, John Nienstedt, is known to be a strong supporter of Catholic moral teaching and an opponent of the homosexual political movement and dissenting trends in the Church.

The university describes itself in its recently revised mission statement as "inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition," and was founded in 1885 as a Catholic seminary by Archbishop John Ireland. St. Thomas currently enrols more than 11,000 students, making it Minnesota's largest independent university.

At a meeting following the decision, about a hundred concerned students vowed to petition the university to reverse the decision. A student organiser wrote in a circular email to supporters, "By removing the ex officio position of the Archbishop, the University largely purges itself of a continual, institutionalized connection with the Church."

"With the ecclesial connection lost, we lose the presence of a continual conscience of the Board, and we can be confident of rapid secularization over a number of years," he added.

Archbishop Flynn retires after years of complaints by faithful Catholics over his handling of a host of scandals involving homosexual activists both within and without the archdiocesan administration.

Under his rule, a notoriously pro-homosexual parish, St. Joan of Arc, was allowed to continue in open support of the Gay Pride parades and homosexual lifestyle. The parish's opposition to Catholic teaching was so brazen that it resulted in 2004 in a rare direct intervention by the Vatican.

Flynn was named by homosexual political activists as one of the US's four most "gay friendly" bishops. When he publicly supported the orthodox Catholic teaching on marriage, gay activists in the Rainbow Sash Movement were furious at what they saw as a betrayal by a friend of their cause.

Nienstedt, who came to St. Paul-Minneapolis this year from the diocese of New Ulm, is well established as a defender of orthodox Catholic teachings in his diocese, especially on homosexuality. He supported the Minnesota constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage" and in 2004, joined the eight other Catholic bishops in spearheading a campaign for a constitutional amendment defining marriage strictly as between a man and a woman.

Contact:

University President
Father Dennis Dease
2115 Summit Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105

DJDEASE@stthomas.edu

Minneapolis Catholic College Requires Reading of Sexually Explicit Anti-Catholic Novel - A Handmaid's Tale

No surprise really. We previously reported that at St. Anselm College they use similar texts in English classes. Feminism has replaced the classics as required reading at Catholic Colleges and nothing seems to be done about it. Intellectual pursuit has been set aside in favor of feminization.

From Lifesitenews article:

"Atwood is known in Canada as a major figure in the ultra-feminist, anti-religious and largely state-funded literary establishment. When it was first published by McClelland and Stewart in 1985, the book was heavily criticized, largely outside Canada, as an anti-Christian screed relying for its appeal on the titillation provided by its frequent expletives and graphically depicted sex-acts, and a heavy-handed feminist ideology.

Despite this, the book remains at the top of charts in literary circles and has received and been nominated for numerous literary awards, including the prestigious Booker Prize. It is featured as part of the high school literature curricula in the UK, the US, Germany and Australia. It has been listed as No 37 on the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000" by the American Library Association, as parents continue to object to its anti-Christian and sexual content."