A Cardinal Arinze-Georgetown-homosexuality followup in Rome

National Catholic Reporter ^ | 5/30/2003 | John L. Allen

[sinkspur]

I had the pleasure of attending a reception on the terrace of a Rome hotel on Monday, May 26, hosted by Georgetown University’s President John DeGioia for alumni and friends of the university.

I was especially struck by the presence of Cardinal Francis Arinze, since the Nigerian prelate’s last experience of Georgetown was a bit rocky. Arinze had been invited to speak at Georgetown’s May 17 commencement ceremony on the subject of Christian-Muslim dialogue. In the course of his remarks, Arinze spoke about threats to the family in modern culture, triggering protest.

“In many parts of the world, the family is under siege,” Arinze said. “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.”

According to news reports, Theresa Sanders, a professor of theology, left the stage when Arinze mentioned homosexuality, prompting other students to walk out. A letter of protest over Arinze’s remarks signed by 70 faculty members was later drafted.

I jokingly said to Arinze at the reception that he was brave to show up at another Georgetown event. He smiled graciously and said, in effect, that the affair was no big deal. “Had I known what effect it was going to have, I would have used another word,” he said.

Though I didn’t press him, my guess is that Arinze did not mean to attack homosexual persons. In Vatican parlance, when one mentions homosexuality in connection with the family, the reference is usually to issues such as same-sex unions and the definition of marriage. One can debate whether they amount to “mockery” of the family, but this is not hate speech. (See more about the story in the June 6 issue of NCR.)

Other ecclesiastical VIPs at the Georgetown reception included Archbishop Giuseppe Pittau, a Jesuit and secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education; Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; and Archbishop John Foley, an American and president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

[billorites]

"I had the pleasure of attending a reception on the terrace of a Rome hotel on Monday..."

It must suck to be you.

[sinkspur]

It must suck to be you.

I didn't write this, jerkweed. I posted it.

Your brain-dead comment, however, reflects a juvenile-sitting-in-horse-dung attitude that we've come to expectfrom you around here.

[Incorrigible]

“Had I known what effect it was going to have, I would have used another word,” he said.

Darn, after reading the "Had I known" part, I was getting ready for "I would have expanded on the damage homosexuality has had on the Church as a whole."

Oh well, he's being polite.

[spunkets]

"“Had I known what effect it was going to have, I would have used another word,” he said."

Sounds like he's scared. If he thought it wasn't a problem in the first place he wouldn't have mentioned it. Looks like Georgetown's going to pander to lil' missy sanders band of pouty liberals.

I wonder what the other ecclesiastical VIPs at the Georgetown reception thought's on the subject are?

[FBDinNJ]

Oooooh boy! What a surprise, a bunch of overly sensitive Liberals at Georgetown got upset when they were confronted with the truth. The horror, the horror!

< /sarcasm >