Georgetown University invites Kathleen Sebelius to speak at commencement

[jwinch2]

Georgetown University's newspaper reports Kathleen Sebelius as one of their commencement speakers this year.

http://www.thehoya.com/news/commence...3#.T6SWh-htp2A


The National Catholic Register has some commentary.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pat-a...-commencement/


Frankly, I don't see why Georgetown would do something like this. Immediately following the HHS situation and the Sandra Fluke ridiculousness they actually did the right thing by announcing that they would not alter their insurance coverage to include contraception and abortive drugs. Then, right afterwards, they do this. Unreal.

Unfortunately, there is virtually zero chance that Cardinal Wuerl will step in here.

[buffalo]

Sign the petition here.

[Nec5]

Originally Posted by jwinch2

Frankly, I don't see why Georgetown would do something like this. Immediately following the HHS situation and the Sandra Fluke ridiculousness they actually did the right thing by announcing that they would not alter their insurance coverage to include contraception and abortive drugs. Then, right afterwards, they do this. Unreal.

It makes sense. Like most "Catholic" universities, this one is not sincere.

[YoungTradCath]

Surprise! Oh wait... not really.

[Dale_M]

Although she was selected commencement speaker for the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, she will not receive an honorary degree.

http://www.georgetown.edu/news/comme...-speakers.html

[JReducation]

The president of the university and the Board of Trustees should have the decency to explain to the Catholic community how they justify holding up Ms. Sebellius as a model citizen when she authored the HHR mandate, which violates religious freedom and promotes services that are contrary to absolute moral teachings on human sexuality and reproduction while calling Georgetown a Catholic university. Ms. Sebellius' actions and attitude have done nothing more than cause unnecessary distress for people of faith in the United States as well as the Holy See.

I have already registered my concern to the university administration as superior general of Franciscans of Life. Unfortunately, there is not much more that we can do, because the university is not owned by the Church or the Jesuit Order. The Jesuits have lost control of their schools in an effort to make them bigger and better by surrendering them to lay boards and corporations that are unfaithful to the Catholic faith. I can't see how they can legally pull Georgetown away from its current leadership.

The only thing left is for Catholics to directly bombard the Office of the President with a demand for an explanation.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

[Teelynn]

Originally Posted by JReducation

The president of the university and the Board of Trustees should have the decency to explain to the Catholic community how they justify holding up Ms. Sebellius as a model citizen when she authored the HHR mandate, which violates religious freedom and promotes services that are contrary to absolute moral teachings on human sexuality and reproduction while calling Georgetown a Catholic university. Ms. Sebellius' actions and attitude have done nothing more than cause unnecessary distress for people of faith in the United States as well as the Holy See.

I have already registered my concern to the university administration as superior general of Franciscans of Life. Unfortunately, there is not much more that we can do, because the university is not owned by the Church or the Jesuit Order. The Jesuits have lost control of their schools in an effort to make them bigger and better by surrendering them to lay boards and corporations that are unfaithful to the Catholic faith. I can't see how they can legally pull Georgetown away from its current leadership.

The only thing left is for Catholics to directly bombard the Office of the President with a demand for an explanation.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

You are right on in this regard. I actually consider some of these Universities Catholic in name only. If they are run by secular people, what do they think the results might be? And the problem being, I don't see much the Church is able to do about it at this point. Her hands seem to be tied. The Bishops CAN however speak out, and speak out loudly. As can the laity. It's just about the only avenue we have.

I do agree with Jwinch.......what in the world are they thinking? After the HHS blow up (and BTW is STILL blowing up) it's perceived to be a peace offering to the administration for doing the correct thing after the Sandra Fluke display. Playing both sides of the fence so to speak. Not that this is the motive, but common sense tells one........


Oh.....and just another interesting point..........Kathleen Sebelius did a not so good job defending the legality of the mandate before Congress. More than half of the reasonable questions asked, she had no answer for. And I wonder which part of "model citizenship" or even "model legislator" her testimony would have displayed?

[JReducation]

Originally Posted by Teelynn

You are right on in this regard. I actually consider some of these Universities Catholic in name only. If they are run by secular people, what do they think the results might be? And the problem being, I don't see much the Church is able to do about it at this point. Her hands seem to be tied. The Bishops CAN however speak out, and speak out loudly. As can the laity. It's just about the only avenue we have.

I do agree with Jwinch.......what in the world are they thinking? After the HHS blow up (and BTW is STILL blowing up) it's perceived to be a peace offering to the administration for doing the correct thing after the Sandra Fluke display. Playing both sides of the fence so to speak. Not that this is the motive, but common sense tells one........


Oh.....and just another interesting point..........Kathleen Sebelius did a not so good job defending the legality of the mandate before Congress. More than half of the reasonable questions asked, she had no answer for. And I wonder which part of "model citizenship" or even "model legislator" her testimony would have displayed?

I'm glad that I'm not the Provincial Superior of the Jesuits, because there is not much that he can do, except the same as everyone else, protest. I think that 50 years ago, when many religious orders handed their colleges over to lay administrators, they were promised that this would bring needed revenue to the schools and that the administration could keep the schools Catholic and satisfy the requirements of government and secular supporters by being lay.

Unfortunately, board members come and go. They are not always replaced by the same well-meaning people of faith who began the work 50 years ago. I'm not a lawyer, but I imagine that it must be very difficult to pull out of such an arrangement. The only thing that I can see religious doing is pulling their people out of these schools. I don't think that would be a good idea. They'd be abandoning the students. What a mess people have made of this.

I'm so glad that my community does not run schools. THANK YOU JESUS.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

[jwinch2]

http://causafinitaest.blogspot.com/2...ishops-at.html

Additional commentary on the situation.

A snippet from the article:

(For the sake of clarity, this is not the university’s general commencement.) Is this better or worse than the Notre Dame scandal from a few years ago in which President Obama was invited to speak at the general commencement? I leave that to those who want to attempt a more formal analysis of the two situations. For my own part, there are at least three reasons why this event at Georgetown stands out even from Obama’s infamous “common ground” speech in which he promised to work with the Catholic Church.

First, this event comes after the Notre Dame speech. For the first time in a recent memory, the United States Episcopacy spoke out vigorously against a University that would invite a speaker who is in public and direct conflict with the teachings of the Church and the message of Jesus Christ. The impressive thing about the response was its form, not as a generic letter from the USCCB, but as individual letters from over 80 bishops. The message was clear: those opposed to basic teachings on life and liberty should not be invited to spread their message at a Catholic institution. Moreover, they should not be bestowed degrees of honor. In light of this, there is no other way to interpret Georgetown’s invitation to Ms. Sebelius: this is a deliberate statement that the administration at this Catholic university cares not what the American episcopacy thinks or teaches. They have no intention of listening to their Church, but rather will continue to act as they see fit. In other words, they are attempting to usurp the bishops and make themselves a separate magisterium.

Second, Secretary Sebelius’ invitation comes in the context of the HHS debacle. If the response to Obama’s presence at Notre Dame was impressive, consider that 191 bishops representing 100% of dioceses in the United States issued a personal statement agains the HHS mandate. To make it worse, the invitation was extended to the individual who is largely responsible for the mandate. Once more, there is no other interpretation: the Georgetown administration is in direct conflict with the entire American episcopacy, saying to them that the staunch rejection of the HHS mandate matters not. They are an independent university, and they will invite who they will.

Third, Sebelius is Catholic. While President Obama’s lack of membership in our Church does not give him license to violate the basic principles of natural law in his private opinions or public policies, the Catholicism of the Secretary of Health and Human Services does seem to add a bit more weight to the scandal. This is an individual that has persisted in grave, public, and manifest sin by supporting policies in contrary to her own Church, and for this reason she has been instructed not to present herself for communion in both her home diocese of Kansas City and the diocese of Washington D.C. While she has not been formally excommunicated, what does it say that a Catholic institution would invite to speak an individual who has consciously separated herself from full communion with the Catholic Church? If Kathleen Sebelius is guilty of scandal, how much more is the administration at Georgetown?

[anp1215]

How sad. I weep for our Catholic universities.

[Teelynn]

Originally Posted by JReducation

I'm glad that I'm not the Provincial Superior of the Jesuits, because there is not much that he can do, except the same as everyone else, protest. I think that 50 years ago, when many religious orders handed their colleges over to lay administrators, they were promised that this would bring needed revenue to the schools and that the administration could keep the schools Catholic and satisfy the requirements of government and secular supporters by being lay.

Unfortunately, board members come and go. They are not always replaced by the same well-meaning people of faith who began the work 50 years ago. I'm not a lawyer, but I imagine that it must be very difficult to pull out of such an arrangement. The only thing that I can see religious doing is pulling their people out of these schools. I don't think that would be a good idea. They'd be abandoning the students. What a mess people have made of this.

I'm so glad that my community does not run schools. THANK YOU JESUS.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

You are sadly correct. They are in a heck of a pickle. Who could have foreseen 50 years ago the sad state of the secular morality (or should I say lack of) that we find ourselves in today? Prayer, prayer and yet more prayer. .......Mary undoer of knots comes to mind. We need the Blessed Mother interceeding here.

[JReducation]

Originally Posted by Teelynn

You are sadly correct. They are in a heck of a pickle. Who could have foreseen 50 years ago the sad state of the secular morality (or should I say lack of) that we find ourselves in today? Prayer, prayer and yet more prayer. .......Mary undoer of knots comes to mind. We need the Blessed Mother interceeding here.

If I were the superior, I'd be having a very bad headache right about now.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

[GraceSofia]

Originally Posted by JReducation

.... I think that 50 years ago, when many religious orders handed their colleges over to lay administrators, they were promised that this would bring needed revenue to the schools and that the administration could keep the schools Catholic and satisfy the requirements of government and secular supporters by being lay.

Unfortunately, board members come and go. They are not always replaced by the same well-meaning people of faith who began the work 50 years ago. I'm not a lawyer, but I imagine that it must be very difficult to pull out of such an arrangement. The only thing that I can see religious doing is pulling their people out of these schools. I don't think that would be a good idea. They'd be abandoning the students. What a mess people have made of this.

I'm so glad that my community does not run schools. THANK YOU JESUS.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

I agree. I would not like to see the Jesuits abandon the students-- or the university; better to fight for it.

I wonder (having no idea what the agreement was all those years ago) if the Jesuits could sue Georgetown admin -- for violation of the spirit of the agreement or something?

[JReducation]

Originally Posted by GraceSofia

I agree. I would not like to see the Jesuits abandon the students-- or the university; better to fight for it.

I wonder (having no idea what the agreement was all those years ago) if the Jesuits could sue Georgetown admin -- for violation of the spirit of the agreement or something?

I'm not a civil lawyer. That kind of lawsuit would fall under civil law. Maybe the Jesuits can consult one of the lawyers at Georgetown Law School. It's one of the best in the world.

That would be ironic.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

[baylee]

All I can muster is...this is disgusting.
When will this sort of embarrassment stop?