Abortion Issue Sets Off Dispute at L.A. College

LA TIMES ^ | 05/07/03 | William Lobdell

[gubamyster]

Group insists speakers at a Catholic school should back church's positions.

By William Lobdell, Times Staff Writer

Traditionalists have ignited a debate among Catholics over the selection of Congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sanchez — both of whom favor abortion rights — as Saturday's commencement speakers at a Catholic college in Los Angeles.

The two have been targeted by the Virginia-based Cardinal Newman Society, which also this year has challenged Catholic college graduation speakers around the country — including a governor, a Supreme Court justice and a host of a political talk show — who hold views contradictory to church teachings.

Members of the society and antiabortion Catholic groups plan to picket Saturday's graduation ceremony at Mount St. Mary's College, a 74-year-old school for women with campuses in Brentwood and near downtown Los Angeles.

"I cannot believe they did not know the position of the Sanchez sisters on abortion," said Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, whose stated mission is to strengthen Catholic identity at Catholic colleges. "It's part of their political persona. The Catholic universities and colleges, if they consider themselves Catholic, must be consistent with church teachings."

[green team 1999]

Amen

[kstewskis]

This is an outrage. Not only as a Catholic, but an alumni of MSMC. I see things have not changed there, that is why they have not gotten one dime from me since I graduated.

I was pretty po'd back in '88 when the student "powers that be" conveniently "left" me out of the decision process as to who to bring in for our own graduation speaker. (I was our class rep). I had been to a couple of the meetings and voiced my suggestions on who to get.

They (my "fellow" senior students) knew I had a stong opinion, and met secretly....came up with some far left wacko-bimbo CBS journalist, who proceeded to blather/screech throughout the talk about how we should "give away our services/skills" (after paying through the nose in tuition, and looking at years of paying off student loans). What a maroon, and she did not get a loud applause.

Needless to say, I had my headphones on during all of graduation, listening to the Laker playoffs. Hmmph.

MSMC has lost it. Or, they will, at least many $$$$$ in alumni donations if these pro-abortion speakers go on.

/rant

[John Beresford Tipton]

an "alumni"
as to "who" to bring
on "who" to get.
What a "maroon"

*listening to the Laker playoffs* --perhaps you might have done a bit too much of that during school?

[John O]

the first three may be grammatical errors but the last one is vintage bugs bunny.

BTW who appointed you grammer policeman for the day?

[John Beresford Tipton]

"grammer"

Is that "how an alumni of MSMC" spells?

[John O]

No, that's just how a person who's too busy to pick nits (and wants to annoy an unofficial grammarian) spells it.

[coton_lover]

What do you expect from L.A.? Most of the Catholics in CA are liberals. I feel like an outsider whenever I go to mass. I get criticized or snubbed off just because I won't shake hands and have a jolly ol' time at the 'Sign of Peace,' which I do participate in by just bowing to people and saying what should be said. Just look at Cardinal Mahoney and that will just tell you the state of the Catholic Church in CA. He sent out a letter telling his people that the war in Iraq was not doing God's will, in so many words.

Cardinal Mahoney does have some amibitions to becoming the next pope--God help us!

[dead]

Traditionalists have ignited a debate among Catholics...

They use the word "traditionalists" as if a Catholic against abortion is somehow archaic, like those who favor witch burnings.