Posted on 05/22/2003 6:19:56 AM PDT by madprof98
WASHINGTON -- A Roman Catholic cardinal seen as a top contender to succeed Pope John Paul II has sparked student and faculty protests at Georgetown University with a remark he made about homosexuals in a commencement speech.
A letter protesting the speech by Cardinal Francis Arinze was signed by about 70 faculty members at the Jesuit university and delivered Wednesday to Jane McAuliffe, dean of the university's school of arts and sciences.
McAuliffe, a specialist in Islamic studies, invited Arinze -- president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue -- to speak on Christian-Muslim relations at the school's graduation ceremonies last Saturday.
Instead, the Nigerian prelate told the graduates that happiness is found not in the pursuit of material wealth or pleasures of the flesh, but by fervently adhering to religious beliefs.
Arinze then spoke of the importance of family to the Roman Catholic Church.
"In many parts of the world, the family is under siege," Arinze said, according to a transcript of his remarks provided by the university. "It is opposed by an anti-life mentality as is seen in contraception, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. It is scorned and banalized by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions and cut in two by divorce."
Theresa Sanders, a professor of theology at the university, protested by leaving the stage where Arinze was speaking. Other students upset with the comments also reportedly left, according to e-mails on a subscription list used by many of the university's gay and lesbian students.
Sanders did not return a phone call to her office.
Ed Ingebretsen, a professor of English at Georgetown and a priest in the American Catholic Church, said Wednesday that Arinze's remarks are in line with Roman Catholic doctrine, but nonetheless seemed out of place at the commencement ceremony.
"These things are exactly what he's paid to say," Ingebretsen said. "(But) it's a graduation; why he decided to do the pro-family thing no one seems to know."
Ingebretsen said he was compelled, as a writer, to post a short apology on the e-mail subscription list "on behalf of Catholics" for Arinze's "insensitive remarks." Ingebretsen said the remarks were "un-Christian."
Tommaso Astarita, a professor of history at Georgetown, called the message by Arinze "wildly inappropriate" for a commencement ceremony. Astarita said the comments may have been more palatable had they been made in a different setting, such as an invited lecture.
"I personally was rather offended by it," said Astarita, one of the professors circulating the protest letter forwarded to McAuliffe. "I thought it was divisive and inappropriate."
In an e-mail to college's faculty members, the dean said she was "very surprised" by the content of Arinze's speech.
"I am deeply concerned that students, parents and faculty found parts of the commencement address upsetting to them," McAuliffe wrote. "I'm sure that Cardinal Arinze did not intend to hurt any of his audience, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen."
McAuliffe has set aside at least two hours in her office Friday to talk to any faculty members or students about the cardinal's remarks.
On Wednesday, she issued a two-sentence statement acknowledging that she had been contacted by several students and faculty "to express their reaction, both negative and positive" to the cardinal's address. "As an academic community, vigorous and open discussion lies at the heart of what we do, and there are many different voices in the conversation."
Arinze, 70, is widely mentioned as one of the candidates to succeed John Paul II, which would make him the first African pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
Arinze ascended through the ranks of the church's hierarchy in Africa, where Catholicism is flourishing. He was called by John Paul II in 1984 to work in the Vatican.
Arinze is known for his strict conservative adherence to Catholic law, while many Catholics in the United States and Europe push for more contemporary policies.
Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Catholic archdiocese of Washington, said Arinze has a "deep perspective" through his longtime work in the church with many cultures.
"His message was certainly consistent with Caholtic teaching, which seems appropirate since this is a Catholic university," "Gibbs said. "Hopefully new graduates will be inspired by his reminder that happiness does come through God."
This is what's left of Christian faith at the school which hosts The Kennedy School of Ethics.
Imagine if he had told them that they are condemned sinners, doomed on their own, in need of salvation and to repent and ask God for his grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
They would have blown a gasket.
I am glad people were "upset". They need to have their noses constantly rubbed in their absurdity. To say that marriage is being mocked by 'mos is very accurate. A good analogy would be that it is akin to satanic rituals that mimic catholic Mass.
Mr. Ingebretsen, please do not include an apology on my behalf, as the Cardinal's words were completely true, totally in line with the Church's teachings (which you seem to need a brush-up on) and are only insensitive to those who stand opposed to the family and the truth.
What is the "American Catholic Church"?
Because Georgetown, and BC, and Notre Dame, and Holy Cross, have perfected the "wink and a nod" school of Catholicism, where you say that you are faithful to the Church at the appropriate times-but everyone knows you are not.
For chronic and habitual liars, the truth is always shocking.
If Arinze agreed to speak on Christian/Muslim relations, then he fibbed, didn't he, especially if the University promised the students that's what he was going to speak about?
Most college students don't remember a single word of what's said in a commencement address, and it appears the same is true in this case. All the comments are from professors.
Denying the Creator's handiwork with your mouth and denying it with your flesh are two versions of the same act.
When we accept, out of hand, the validity of a "Gay" identity, we, unwittingly, embolden those who insist that when anyone characterizes homosexuality in a negative light they are engaged in the violation of rights.
The point is, we are all endowed with rights via our humanity, not any particular behavior. Thus the criticism of behavior by virtue of one's own moral code DOES NOT VIOLATE ANYONE'S HUMAN RIGHTS!
Being invited into someone's house and agreeing to speak about one thing, then speaking about something else is, technically, lying.
Also, "rubbing people's noses" in anything is generally counterproductive, as this incident perfectly illustrates.
Verb choice on purpose???? :-}
Duh, professor Ingbretson. What would a more 'appropriate' graduation speech be -- an anti-war diatribe, perhaps?
And note the not-so-subtle denigration of the cardinal's sincerity of belief in that remark, "[That's] what he's paid to say."
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