Catholic Lawmaker Debate Ensnares Colleges

[CShine]

An election-year dispute over Roman Catholic politicians and their obedience to church teaching has extended to Catholic colleges, as U.S. bishops collectively warn schools against honoring dissenting lawmakers. The admonition, in the bishops' statement last week on the duties of Catholics in public life, puts new pressure on Catholic colleges and universities as they decide which speakers to invite to campus. Conservative Catholic watchdog groups like the Cardinal Newman Society say the prelates' statement is their strongest yet on the topic.

"Never has it in any formal way been addressed by the bishops as a whole," said Patrick Reilly, the society's president.

The bishops said lawmakers who support abortion rights and other policies contrary to core church teaching should abstain from Holy Communion and "should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions" from Catholic institutions. The issue is a central one for the schools, which have long struggled to balance their Catholic identity with academic freedom and a desire to place themselves at the center of American life. It is a particularly sensitive problem during a presidential race.

The University of Notre Dame traditionally invites the Democratic and Republican nominees to speak on campus and has no plan to abandon that practice this year, university spokesman Matt Storin said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=718&e=4&u=/ap/20040623/ap_on_re_us/catholic_bishops_colleges

[JDPriestly]

1. Non-Catholic Alumni of a Catholic Schools

I am a non-Catholic alumni of a Catholic graduate school. When the Catholic Church issued a policy against hiring non-Catholics in prominent positions, I stopped donating to my alma mater. I hope others -- including liberal Catholics -- will also stop contributing to schools that appear to be enforcing these edicts against academic freedom. If the Catholic Church wants its schools to become second-rate institutions, that's their problem, but I want no part of it.

[xchrom]

2. the evolution of religous intolerance

happening before our very eyes.
only a severe backlash by liberal catholics could possibly stop this -- but now i'm beginning to doubt even that.

[mom cat]

3. Bet war profiteers are spared.

[Don_G]

4. The Better Work On Their Priests First

Another one in my area got 8 years for molestation to serve concurrently with a prior conviction.