Georgetown University invites Kathleen Sebelius to speak at commencement

[_Abyssinia]

Noted author announces canonical lawsuit against Georgetown

A prominent Georgetown University alumnus has announced plans for a canonical lawsuit in a bid to restore the school’s Catholic identity.

William Peter Blatty, the author of The Exorcist, is asking Georgetown alumni, faculty, students, and friends to join in his canonical case, in which he will ask the Archdiocese of Washington and the Holy See to take action “up to including the possible removal or suspension of top-ranked Georgetown’s right to call itself Catholic or Jesuit in its fundraising and representations to applicants.”

In his plea for support of the canonical case, Blatty argues that Georgetown has failed to comply with the standards set forth in Ex Corde Ecclesiae for the conduct of Catholic universities. He lists a series of offenses, leading up to this week’s decision by Georgetown to honor Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services. “Georgetown is being dishonest” by presenting itself as a Catholic institution, the author argues. “Together, we need to end that!”

Blatty—who won an Oscar for the screenplay of the film based on his best-selling novel—is a member of Georgetown’s class of 1950, and a recipient of the university’s John Carroll Medal for alumni achievement. In presenting his argument for action against Georgetown, he emphasized his own debt to the school and his desire to bring Georgetown back into line with its Catholic heritage.

Blatty has enlisted the Cardinal Newman Society and the St. Joseph Foundation to assist with his canonical case.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/...?storyid=14338

[LisaA]

Originally Posted by CMatt25

I saw Lisa and perhaps others have basically made the same comments in reply to me. I haven't gotten thru all the posts yet. But you're right they probably wouldn't ask either of you or me or any of us. I'm thinking they were just thinking to let her speak. It's a big world out there the graduates are about to embark on. They'll meet many different people and viewpoints and beliefs. All the protesters you can muster won't be able to shield them forever.

CMatt the point isn't "let her speak" because no one is stopping her from speaking in the general context. The issue is the appropriateness of a supposedly Catholic institution inviting someone who as an individual and as a member of the administration is literally at war with the non-negotiables in Catholic social teaching. There is NOTHING that trumps the life issues.

I am not concerned about the graduates and what they get from the speech. They have already demonstrated they have skulls full of mush and I hope when they get into that big world you speak of, they get in touch with reality. The issue is the INVITATION by a "CATHOLIC" institution and what message it sends to the greater world. For those who don't know Catholic teaching, hearing Pelosi, Biden, Sebelius and other unorthodox spokespersons for our faith, it distorts Catholicism, creates a false impression of acceptance of these heresies and demeans our staunch support of life issues.

Look I used to be a heathen and knew nothing of Catholic teaching. From that perspective I would have accepted the words of Pelosi et al because they claim to be Catholic. This kind of false information is destructive to society and the Church.

I will agree that heckling and loud protests during a speech tend to be counter-productive. I know how I felt about Code Pink and other looney tunes distrupting President Bush or his administration. I do think that a peaceable assembly of those protesting Ms Sebelius' appearance along with legal action as noted above is the best course of action. I wish there were a way of simply stripping the word "Catholic" from organizations that use the faith for money, prestige and political clout but kick her under the bus when informed their actions are in direct oppostition to the Church's most strongly held teaching.

Lisa

[Megan7]

Originally Posted by _Abyssinia

Response of students at a Catholic university to cheer a politician who supports abortion, HHS mandate which could close down Catholic hospitals, clinics and other institutions is indicative of a poor education in Catholic formation at Georgetown. Archdiocese of Washington has said:

'Over time ... Georgetown has undergone a secularization, due in no small part to the fact that much of its leadership and faculty find their inspiration in sources other than the Gospel and Catholic teaching.'

Thank you Abyssinia! That is what I was trying to say!!!

The entire thing is just too sad.....

I have relatives, who happen to be Georgetown University graduates and I can tell
you in 1 case, they went in as a practicing Catholic, but when they graduated, it was
another story What happened in those 4 years of undergrad, what happened in Law School?? 7 years at Georgetown U and what ??
Its like they were brainwashed!!! What is interesting is that the relative who only
went to their Law School, came out so so....not a total loss....

Another sad note, is that some parents send their children to Georgetown U. thinking its a Catholic institution.

If I remember correctly, William F. Buckley JR. (R.I.P) wrote about this in his book,
"God & Man at Yale" He basically said, "Look I am not expecting people to come
out with vocations, when they graduate from 1 of these institutions. However, what I have a problem, is when there is an agenda out to destroy faith & everything that is of God in every class you take......"
And he noticed this way back in his youth, when he was in his 20's after graduating
from Yale. And if I remember correctly he passed away a couple of years ago in his late
80's, not sure...So, this has been going on for years, decades, and we are seeing
the worst of it now....
The book I have is the 50th anniversary edition.


Anyway, Abyssinia, thanks for all of your links, and for helping out with this sad fight

I still cannot understand how anyone can call themselves Catholic and vote for Obama

God Bless you Abyssinia!

Praying for all involved!


PAX


Megan

[_Abyssinia]

Originally Posted by Megan7

Thank you Abyssinia! That is what I was trying to say!!!

The entire thing is just too sad.....

I have relatives, who happen to be Georgetown University graduates and I can tell
you in 1 case, they went in as a practicing Catholic, but when they graduated, it was
another story What happened in those 4 years of undergrad, what happened in Law School?? 7 years at Georgetown U and what ??
Its like they were brainwashed!!! What is interesting is that the relative who only
went to their Law School, came out so so....not a total loss....

Another sad note, is that some parents send their children to Georgetown U. thinking its a Catholic institution.

If I remember correctly, William F. Buckley JR. (R.I.P) wrote about this in his book,
"God & Man at Yale" He basically said, "Look I am not expecting people to come
out with vocations, when they graduate from 1 of these institutions. However, what I have a problem, is when there is an agenda out to destroy faith & everything that is of God in every class you take......"
And he noticed this way back in his youth, when he was in his 20's after graduating
from Yale. And if I remember correctly he passed away a couple of years ago in his late
80's, not sure...So, this has been going on for years, decades, and we are seeing
the worst of it now....
The book I have is the 50th anniversary edition.


Anyway, Abyssinia, thanks for all of your links, and for helping out with this sad fight

I still cannot understand how anyone can call themselves Catholic and vote for Obama

God Bless you Abyssinia!

Praying for all involved!


PAX


Megan

Thank you! Pray for Georgetown, that its Catholic identity may be formed again.

[St Francis]

Originally Posted by CMatt25

I saw Lisa and perhaps others have basically made the same comments in reply to me. I haven't gotten thru all the posts yet. But you're right they probably wouldn't ask either of you or me or any of us. I'm thinking they were just thinking to let her speak. It's a big world out there the graduates are about to embark on. They'll meet many different people and viewpoints and beliefs. All the protesters you can muster won't be able to shield them forever.

It's not a question of shielding the students--my 11-year-old knows about these issues! It's a question of whom it is appropriate for an institution which calls itself Catholic to honor.

That is why we keep asking you what you would think if and anti-war organization were to honor someone who worked against what they were working for, like Cheney. What would you think of an anti-war organization which gave Cheney an award?

[St Francis]

Originally Posted by Megan7

...If I remember correctly, William F. Buckley JR. (R.I.P) wrote about this in his book,
"God & Man at Yale" He basically said, "Look I am not expecting people to come
out with vocations, when they graduate from 1 of these institutions. However, what I have a problem, is when there is an agenda out to destroy faith & everything that is of God in every class you take......"
And he noticed this way back in his youth, when he was in his 20's after graduating
from Yale. And if I remember correctly he passed away a couple of years ago in his late
80's, not sure...So, this has been going on for years, decades, and we are seeing
the worst of it now....
The book I have is the 50th anniversary edition. ...

PAX

Megan

Yes, this was going on in the 1960's; we knew people there (classmates of Bill Clinton, as it turned out!)

Bishop Sheen warned parents: “... to send their teenage children to a secular college, where they will have to fight for their faith, rather than to a Catholic college where it will be stolen from them.”

[CMatt25]

Originally Posted by St Francis

It's not a question of shielding the students--my 11-year-old knows about these issues! It's a question of whom it is appropriate for an institution which calls itself Catholic to honor.

That is why we keep asking you what you would think if and anti-war organization were to honor someone who worked against what they were working for, like Cheney. What would you think of an anti-war organization which gave Cheney an award?

I wouldn't agree he deserved an anti-war reward but that would be between the organization and him. I certainly wouldn't be in such turmoil about it as it appears some are with G-town. In any case she spoke. I didn't see the speech but apparently many cheered. It's over with. The students have graduated. The world hasn't come to an end so I'm moving on from the topic of this thread.

[gcharles]

What do you expect from Jesuits? The Catholic Church in a state of rebellion. Can a majority overrule the teachings of Jesus? Revelations says Jesus rules with a rod of iron. Hell was created for the fallen angels but now people like Kathleen Sebulius have managed the door for other perverted people. Weeping and gnashing of teeth for them. Only idiots don't fear god!

[MotoCatholic]

gcharles-I agree with the sentement. I am totally ignorant of the Jesuit/Dominican/Fransican thing......I know nothing about the disitinctions. But I totally agree - what do we expect? Like my post about Notre Dame-once a university starts down the path of dissobediance, there's virtually no turning back. Or at least it's very, very difficult. Once the forces of anti-magisterial political correctness start to get a foothold and some confidence......well look out. That university will be a shadow of its former self.

One thing I've noticed about Catholic Answers - most of the wonderful hosts and "powers that be" are converts. These are people that were tremendously serious about their faith, probably overtly anti-catholic, came to see the truth, were moved by the Holy Spirit to convert, and endured the pain of conversion (family, friends etc). They KNOW what the Catholic Church is and what it means to be Catholic. They're serious about it.

Then take the Catholics closest to me - cradle Catholics - people that I know and love. Most of whom have little to no idea what it means. They argue with me over issues like allowing women in the Priesthood, the Church officially recognizing homosexual marriage, allowing anyone (non-Catholics included) to receive the Eucharist, openly deny many teachings from the Catechism.......but say they couldn't imagine themselves as anything but Catholic. I'm uneasy saying this, but this is the kind of completely uncatechized and "wishy-washy" Catholicism that's practiced on campuses like Georgetown and Notre Dame. That's where the "it doesn't matter, get over it" attitude comes from. When many of us are left wondering "how could this not matter."

I pray that we can start to turn this around. And I'll say this again and again - I think we are. There is a sense of "awakening the sleeping giant" about all of this? Like the famous transcendentalist RW Emmerson said, we need to awake from our "spiritual slumber."

Moto

[St Francis]

Originally Posted by MotoCatholic

gcharles-I agree with the sentement. I am totally ignorant of the Jesuit/Dominican/Fransican thing......I know nothing about the disitinctions. But I totally agree - what do we expect? Like my post about Notre Dame-once a university starts down the path of dissobediance, there's virtually no turning back. Or at least it's very, very difficult. Once the forces of anti-magisterial political correctness start to get a foothold and some confidence......well look out. That university will be a shadow of its former self.

One thing I've noticed about Catholic Answers - most of the wonderful hosts and "powers that be" are converts. These are people that were tremendously serious about their faith, probably overtly anti-catholic, came to see the truth, were moved by the Holy Spirit to convert, and endured the pain of conversion (family, friends etc). They KNOW what the Catholic Church is and what it means to be Catholic. They're serious about it.

Then take the Catholics closest to me - cradle Catholics - people that I know and love. Most of whom have little to no idea what it means. They argue with me over issues like allowing women in the Priesthood, the Church officially recognizing homosexual marriage, allowing anyone (non-Catholics included) to receive the Eucharist, openly deny many teachings from the Catechism.......but say they couldn't imagine themselves as anything but Catholic. I'm uneasy saying this, but this is the kind of completely uncatechized and "wishy-washy" Catholicism that's practiced on campuses like Georgetown and Notre Dame. That's where the "it doesn't matter, get over it" attitude comes from. When many of us are left wondering "how could this not matter."

I pray that we can start to turn this around. And I'll say this again and again - I think we are. There is a sense of "awakening the sleeping giant" about all of this? Like the famous transcendentalist RW Emmerson said, we need to awake from our "spiritual slumber."

Moto

[Joe 5859]

Originally Posted by ringil

Yes, Terry who has done SO MUCH good for the Pro-Life movement. . . .

No disrespect was intended to Mr. Terry by my comment. Were it not for him, none of us would have ever heard the name Terri Schiavo. It's a simple fact that he certainly doesn't shy away from the blunt approach. Many people like that about him (though, of course, others do not...even within the pro-life movement). It doesn't surprise me that he would crash the speech to boo at Sebellius. We're talking about the same guy who arranged for an aborted baby to be shown to Clinton.

[St Francis]

Originally Posted by CMatt25

I wouldn't agree he deserved an anti-war reward but that would be between the organization and him. I certainly wouldn't be in such turmoil about it as it appears some are with G-town. In any case she spoke. I didn't see the speech but apparently many cheered. It's over with. The students have graduated. The world hasn't come to an end so I'm moving on from the topic of this thread.

Oh, give me a break. If you were actually involved with the group, giving of your resources to them, then I don't think you would be so calm about it.

[Follower]

Viewed in light of today's news -- 12 different lawsuits filed in federal courts around the country by a total of 43 plaintiffs, including the Archdioceses of Washington and New York, the Catholic University of America, and Notre Dame University, all challenging the HHS contraceptive/abortifacient mandate as unconstitutional -- Georgetown's action in honoring HHS Secretary Sebelius - the official who issued this very mandate -- looks even more ham-handed. One can't help coming away with the impression that Georgetown is not only out of communion with the Church; it's out of communication with the Church as well!