Posted on 10/19/2004 8:14:42 PM PDT by Captain America
St. Paul, MN (LifeNews.com) -- A Catholic women's college in Minnesota is drawing criticism for allowing a group supporting Senator John Kerry's bid for the presidency to use campus facilities for a fundraising event.
According to an announcement by the event's organizers, Artists for Kerry will hold a rally at the O'Shaughnessy Auditorium at the College of St. Catherine on Thursday, October 21.
St. Catherine's is run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and is the largest Catholic college for women in the U.S. The event is meant "to inspire and mobilize Minnesotans to Get Out the Vote on November 2 and elect John Kerry President," according to the announcement.
According to the college's website, an appearance by Kerry has not been confirmed, although he is scheduled to be in Minneapolis at the time of the event.
Pro-life groups are upset that the Catholic institution would lend its name to supporting Kerry's candidacy -- especially in light of the document approved this summer by the nation's Catholic bishops calling on Catholic schools to do otherwise.
"The College of St. Catherine is willing to compromise its Catholic mission simply to host an event that has nothing to do with academics and everything to do with politics," Patrick J. Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society told LifeNews.com.
"This has the appearance of a Catholic college endorsing a candidate who has pledged to do evil, and it confuses observers about how serious the Church and the College are about protecting innocent human life by refusing to cooperate with those who would do harm," Reilly added.
Meanwhile, Brian Gibson, executive director of Pro-Life Action Ministries said his group would have volunteers present to distribute literature explaining why Kerry should not be endorsed.
Gibson said he spoke with Dr. Patrick McCallig, the school's director of communications, who had said there was little they could do as the group was renting the school's facilities. According to Gibson, McCallig said he welcomed protesters.
"A Catholic College has an obligation to ensure the facilities are used in conformity with the Church's most basic and important issues," Gibson told LifeNews.com. "Officials [at the colleges] are not taking the horrifying nature of abortion seriously."
Leo LaLonde, president of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, also expressed concern over the college's acceptance of the arrangement.
"It is sad irony that the college named for St. Catherine of Alexandria who was beheaded for refusing to renounce her faith, welcomes a man who has renounced his faith by voting repeatedly to continue the practice of abortion; an act that the Catholic Church holds to be a grave moral evil," said LaLonde. "Equally ironic, St. Catherine is the patron saint of lawyers."
In June, Catholic Bishops from all over the country gathered to discuss the issue of pro-abortion politicians within the Church.
While leaving the controversial issue of refusing communion to local bishops, the document the American bishops produced called for Catholic colleges and universities not to give a platform to elected officials who back abortion.
That means such institutions of higher learning cannot bestow honorary degrees on Catholic politicians who back abortion, nor can they be invited to give commencement addresses.
Other Catholic colleges have drawn criticism for allowing pro-abortion politicians to be honored.
Seton Hall University came under fire in April when it gave an award to Judge Maryanne Trump Barry of the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, who issued a ruling overturning New Jersey's ban on partial-birth abortions.
The University of St. Mary, in Kansas, drew opposition when it invited pro-abortion Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to speak at an event honoring Abraham Lincoln. Archbishop James Keleher of the Diocese of Kansas City rebuked the school.
Action Alert: Call Dr. Patrick McCallig, Director of Communications at the College of St. Catherine: 651-690-6829
Kerry's aides said a few days back that he was expected to deliver a speech on faith in the near future. This appears to be it. This is a CATHOLIC college.
It is more than a speech however. It represents Kerry's last ditch attempt to legitimize himself as a Catholic before the election. He is hurting on the Catholic vote and it can and should defeat him two weeks hence.
Freepers can you please...draw on every contact you have in the state of Minnesota or within driving distance of it and rally people to go and protest outside this event? We need thousands in the streets outside. We need signs that say KERRY DEFIES THE CATHOLIC FAITH, I HAVE LITTLE FAITH IN JOHN KERRY, WHERE ARE THE DEEDS SENATOR?, etc.
We need a very strong anti-Kerry presence at this event. Please forward this to anyone you think may be able to help provide it. Thanks and God Bless you all.
Kind of unbecoming for a Catholic women's college to be rallying for a known pro-abortion candidate.
I'll be there.
This may be part of the story Drudge is hinting about.
Indeed it is!
Robert Bly: Clearly, Emperor has no clothes
"..Robert Bly, author, poet and translator, is a founder of Minnesota Artists for Kerry. He'll appear at a voter mobilization event with Garrison Keillor, Louise Erdrich and others at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the College of St. Catherine's O'Shaughnessy Auditorium. For tickets call 612-989-5151..."
Drudge has the following:
Action coming around Kerry speech at St. Catherine's College in St. Paul -- ArchBishop Flynn gave OK, sources tell DRUDGE... Developing...
Protest schmotest. STORM THE FREAIN' AUDITORIUM.
Robert Bly: Clearly, Emperor has no clothes
"..Robert Bly, author, poet and translator, is a founder of Minnesota Artists for Kerry. He'll appear at a voter mobilization event with Garrison Keillor, Louise Erdrich and others at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the College of St. Catherine's O'Shaughnessy Auditorium. For tickets call 612-989-5151..."
Drudge has the following:
Action coming around Kerry speech at St. Catherine's College in St. Paul -- ArchBishop Flynn gave OK, sources tell DRUDGE... Developing...
Catholic Ping
This is St Kate's for goodness sake! Why is this a surprise?
Disgusting !
This event has the makings of a PERFECT STORM.
Please one and all get everyone you can there to protest both the college for promoting heresy and the heretic for being...well..John Kerry.
Can you give us a backgrounder on the school, Rev. Bob? Thanks.
Any Twin Cities Catholics out there who can elaborate?
>>>>Any Twin Cities Catholics out there who can elaborate?
You don't go to St. Kates because its Catholic. The saying is you go there to lose your faith and get a girl.
(keep in mind the nature of the student body).
116. We have the duty, as Bishops, to be vigilant that the word of God is faithfully taught. My Brothers in the Episcopate, it is part of our pastoral ministry to see to it that this moral teaching is faithfully handed down and to have recourse to appropriate measures to ensure that the faithful are guarded from every doctrine and theory contrary to it. In carrying out this task we are all assisted by theologians; even so, theological opinions constitute neither the rule nor the norm of our teaching. Its authority is derived, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit and in communion cum Petro et sub Petro, from our fidelity to the Catholic faith which comes from the Apostles. As Bishops, we have the grave obligation to be personally vigilant that the "sound doctrine" (1 Tim 1:10) of faith and morals is taught in our Dioceses.
A particular responsibility is incumbent upon Bishops with regard to Catholic institutions. Whether these are agencies for the pastoral care of the family or for social work, or institutions dedicated to teaching or health care, Bishops can canonically erect and recognize these structures and delegate certain responsibilities to them. Nevertheless, Bishops are never relieved of their own personal obligations. It falls to them, in communion with the Holy See, both to grant the title "Catholic" to Church-related schools, universities, health-care facilities and counseling services, and, in cases of a serious failure to live up to that title, to take it away.
Ex Corde Ecclesiae
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFFJOHN PAUL II ON CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES
Ex Corde EcclesiaeThe Application to the United States
Pope's Encyclical Regarding Bishop's Responsibilities(Executive Summary) Culture of Death on Catholic Campuses: A Five-Year Review
(Full Report) Culture of Death on Catholic Campuses: A Five-Year Review
I, a graduate of Notre Dame Academy, will be there to help with letting him , and all other democratic communistis Catholics know, that there are others who will uphold the teachings of the Church, you think I am kidding! You should only have had the Near Death Experience I had when in a coma, everything we do is recorded up there, it all goes before us and the council, St. Michael the Archangel brought me back, and he protects me, when I demonstrate, the choirs of the little innocents cheer me on, not for a minute will I not confront Satan, it is up to us to get rid of all the left over communists, that in the late 80s resurged their movements in Europe under different window dressing, in 1983 the commies joined the Democratic Party, in 1989 they regrouped, read the book "Commies" You don't have to be Catholic to protest, come and join us, non-Catholics as well are my friends, murder is murder, Kerry is swaying an evil sword, but I have news for him, St. Michaels is stronger!
President
Andrea J. Lee, IHM, Ph.D.
1st Floor Derham
2004 Randolph Ave. #F23
St. Paul, MN 55105
(651) 690-6525
Senior Vice President
Colleen Hegranes, M.S.Ed.
(651) 690-6778
E-mail the President of the College
When I saw the words Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, I laughed that anyone actually believes they are Catholic.
I'm Catholic, and I sure don't.
Sisters of Satan is more like it. I wish Kerry would get a reception in MN like the one he received in Steubenville.
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