Saturday, April 28, 2012

Notre Dame enhances support for gay and lesbian students

The University of Notre Dame seems to be willing to bend to the homosexual movement's demands for more "inclusion" and visibility and status on the campus named after the Virgin Mary. 

From an April 25 Notre Dame News release:

Rev. Thomas P. Doyle, C.S.C., vice president for student affairs, added: “The University has made significant progress over the past 15 years in its support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and questioning students, but we’ve always emphasized the desire to continuously improve and to be responsive to student concerns. The conversations between students and the administration both recently and over the past several years have been very important.”

The statement says:

• The University has acted upon several recommendations made by students to improve support for gay, lesbian and bisexual students and will explore others. These will include making ally training more widely available, offering education to First-Year Orientation commissioners, expanding the Safe Space initiative, and improving hall staff training.

• Notre Dame will consider ways of making the “Spirit of Inclusion” statement more explicit and effective. The statement is available on line at: http://dulac.nd.edu/spirit-of-inclusion/.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Protest: Gonzaga University to Honor Pro-Abortion Advocate Desmond Tutu

Gonzaga University to Honor Pro-Abortion Advocate Desmond Tutu

Pro-abortionist presented to Catholic students as a “moral icon”

The notorious pro-abortion Anglican cleric, Desmond Tutu, has been invited to deliver a keynote address at Gonzaga University’s Senior Commencement ceremony on May 13.

Please sign your respectful protest here
Gonzaga president Thayne McCulloh, who plans to give the anti-life figure an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, shockingly claims that “He is certainly among the most prominent moral icons of our time.” (see link)

The decision, however, has upset Catholic students and alumni.  After all, Tutu has consistently opposed the perennial moral teachings of the Catholic Church, particularly regarding the right to life.  As a supporter of abortion, same-sex “marriage,” and socialist policies, Tutu is clearly not qualified to speak at a Catholic university, much less receive honors and accolades.

His continued support for abortion alone is enough to cause grave scandal. In fact, according to LifeSiteNews.com, he supports Marie Stopes International, one of the world’s largest abortion providers.  Laws that protect the unborn, he said, are “immoral” in some cases.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2004 directive, states: “Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” or give “awards, honors or platforms” to such individuals.

Will Gonzaga University reverse its poor decision and disinvite Tutu, or will it throw its Catholic identity out the window in exchange for a fleeting moment of political correctness?

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Catholic university cuts contraception coverage

CINCINATTI, Ohio, April 5, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Xavier University, a Catholic University in Cincinnati, announced Monday that it was abolishing coverage for contraception and sterilization in its health care policy, prompting an outcry from some members of the school’s faculty.

The change, which was announced in a letter from the school’s President, Fr. Michael Graham, will go into effect on July 1, 2012. According to Fr. Graham, the controversy over the HHS mandate requiring Catholic institutions to provide coverage for contraception, abortifacient drugs, and sterilization prompted him to re-examine the school’s healthcare policy. The mandate is set to go into effect in August of 2013.

“As a Catholic priest and as a president of a Catholic University, I have concluded that, absent a legal mandate, it is inconsistent for a Catholic institution to cover those drugs and procedures the Church opposes,” Fr. Graham wrote. However, he noted, coverage would still be provided “in cases of medical necessity, for non-contraceptive purposes.”

Fr. Graham added that “from the Church’s perspective,” Obama’s proposed “accommodation,” which purports to have the insurance companies rather than the employer foot the bill for contraceptive coverage, was “insufficient for a number of reasons.”

More...

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-university-abolishes-contraception-sterilization-coverage-some-fac