This is just so indicative of where the state of Catholic education is -especially on many Jesuit institutions. Students at Lemoyne College have created a petition to have Cardinal Timothy Dolan disinvited as commencement speaker because of his views on gay marriage. They also say it’s because of the Church’s sex abuse scandal but let’s be honest here -that has nothing to do with this.
And get this, Le Moyne College’s president called the student protest a “great call for celebration.”
I think things have gotten a wee bit out of hand. What do you think?
As of Sunday night, the petition had 613 signatures. That’s at a college with only 2,800 undergrads and 800 grad students.
The petition alleges Dolan is unfit to speak at the college because of his role in the Catholic Church’s child abuse scandal and for his views on homosexuality.
“Over the years, Cardinal Dolan has been involved with sexual abuse scandals dealing with clergy of the church, homophobic comments and does not represent the ideals we have come to know Le Moyne to represent,” the petition states.
Missing from the petition are examples of wrongdoing regarding the child abuse scandal or homophobic comments from Dolan.
It does link to a 2013 article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which details child abuse activists’ calls for more open records from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where Dolan was previously archbishop. Yet, the article does not implicate or link Dolan to any wrongdoing.
Despite the lack of evidence, the petition declares that Dolan’s presence at Le Moyne’s commencement “completely opposes what we have advocated against.”
“With the growing attention toward sexual assault on the Le Moyne campus, students have felt that keeping Cardinal Dolan as commencement speaker completely opposes what we have advocated against,” the petition reads.
The petition alleges that opposing Dolan’s address is equivalent to Le Moyne students’ past #BlackLivesMatter protests and their vigil for the three Muslim students shot killed in North Carolina in February.
“We have walked the halls of Le Moyne for the Black Lives that Matter, we have held vigils for the Muslim students gunned down in Chapel Hill and much more,” the petition declares. “We have always come together in hard times. Do not stop now.”
Dolan’s address is slated for May 17, and the college is sticking with Dolan for now. It also praised students’ activism.
“Even as we espouse and uphold the values of the Catholic Church, we also encourage students to be agents of social justice in our society,” campus officials told The College Fix in a prepared statement.
“We are proud that our students are doing so with integrity and in a thoughtful manner, and welcome Cardinal Dolan as a representative of the Church, and as an influential voice in the conversation,” the statement continued.
Le Moyne President Linda LeMura even praised the petition.
“They’re indicating concern for members of society that are historically marginalized,” she told CNY Central. “In reality I see it as a great call for celebration.”
I worked for The Cardinal Newman Society for years and saw a parade of leftist nutjobs speak on Catholic campuses. Interestingly, when their being honored was objected to, we were met with a cold shoulder from most administrations. But now the students are protesting a Cardinal of the Church speaking at a Catholic campus and that’s to be celebrated?
This would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
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