...class of 1976
Posted on 07/01/2009 11:44:38 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities could have started a rift with the nation's Catholic bishops but appears to have avoided it. In it's last newsletter, the association called for the bishops to withdraw their guidelines saying Catholic colleges should not allow pro-abortion speakers.
Now, ACCU officials have deleted that language from its Summer 2009 newsletter.
The language originally had the group saying, "ACCU's directors informally concluded that it would be desirable for the USCCB to withdraw 'Catholics in Political Life.'"
"A successor document, if any, should distinguish between 'honors' and 'platforms' and should acknowledge more clearly the differing roles of campus authorities and bishop," the original language, reported on earlier this month by LifeNews.com, indicated.
"Catholics in Political Life," is the document the nation's Catholic bishops adopted almost unanimously in 2004 that, in part, urged Catholic colleges and universities to not give a platform to pro-abortion speakers.
"The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions," it said.
Many of the 80 bishops who condemned pro-abortion President Barack Obama's appearance and honorary degree at the University of Notre Dame relied on the document to help form their opposition.
“Why is it so hard for Catholic college leaders to understand that a Catholic institution does great harm when it honors or gives speaking platforms to those who work against core Catholic values?” Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, told LifeNews.com earlier.
“Catholic colleges and universities would like all of the privileges of being Catholic, but none of the responsibilities of being high-profile witnesses for the fullness of the Catholic faith,” Reilly said.
“Lobbying the bishops to back off a perfectly reasonable policy would be a shameful action by the Catholic higher education establishment, and hardly an appropriate response to Notre Dame’s betrayal of the nation’s bishops and the university’s own Catholic mission, he continued. “The lesson of the Notre Dame scandal is clear: even our leading Catholic universities have lost their way."
The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities represents more than 200 Catholic institutions.
Why would a Catholic college have a problem with barring anti-life/pro-abortion speakers?
It’s called “funding.” ND did lose a lot of money from donors because of the Obomanation, and the others are scared.
These groups are mostly lay-run and outside the direct control of the bishops, who can only forbid them to collect money as Catholic institutions; but that, apparently, is enough at the moment to make them reconsider.
What’s an embryo or three?
http://www.lifenews.com/bio2882.html
“Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — General Electric Company is teaming up with Geron, a biotech firm that engages in human cloning, to form what could be the largest embryonic stem cell research conglomerate. The team wants to use the controversial research to determine whether some medicine are toxic.
Embryonic stem cells can only be obtained by destroying human life and pro-life advocates oppose that.
They also point to the successes seen in adult stem cell research and iPS cells, adult stem cells which are reverted to an embryonic-like state. Unlike embryonic stem cells, these cells have been successful in helping patients with a myriad of conditions.
GE and Geron will use existing embryonic stem cell lines to develop sample human cells that drug companies can use to test the toxicity of new drugs in the development process before animal testing or human trials.
“This could replace, to a large extent, animal trials.”
*see tagline. It’s wonder God doesn’t say tmo, “That’s all folks!”
Precisely! They're uncomfortable with the pro-life message, because that makes them look 'un-sophisticated' to their liberal friends.
**the association called for the bishops to withdraw their guidelines saying Catholic colleges should not allow pro-abortion speakers.**
If the bishops withdraw this support we will all be screaming at them. Let me say that more humanely — offering our constructive criticism of said action.
Catholic Ping!
...class of 1976
Lame.
Guidelines? Like as it the 10 Guidelines? No mandates as in Commandments? Now I get it.
Sure proves what they are all about--modern-day Judases who are selling Jesus for 30 pieces of silver all over again.
The Jebbie schools ought to be cut loose, but that is only symbolic of the collapse of the order. Haven’t seen such infaithfulness in a religious order since the Augustinians during Luther’s time.
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