In the life of any college student, graduation day is the proud highlight of a long and arduous journey of education, as parents, family and friends gather at commencement ceremonies and listen to the wisdom imparted from a commencement speaker.
Locally this year’s graduates at Providence College listened to NBC Today Show Anchor Ann Curry, while the class of 2010 at Salve Regina University was duly inspired by the words of Malaak Compton-Rock, noted philanthropist, author and the wife of comedian Chris Rock.
Last year’s controversial selection of President Barack Obama by the University of Notre Dame, however, brought to light the need for more vigilance in selecting speakers who clearly espouse Catholic virtues and values. Such a guide was issued in 2004 by the Catholic Bishops in the form of a document entitled “Catholics in Political Life,” as a resource for church institutions in their dealings with politicians. The bishops wisely state the need to teach clearly on the sanctity of human life, persuade all people that human life is precious and human dignity to be defended, to act in support of these principles and policies in public life, and called upon Catholic institutions to “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.”
According to the Cardinal Newman Society, this year at least nine Catholic colleges and universities invited speakers and provided honorary degrees to those whose public positions are fundamentally at odds with Catholic teachings. Among the list of dubious speakers was Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric, at Boston College; Mark Shriver, scion of the Kennedy Clan at Holy Cross; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick at Loyola Marymount University; Columnist Clarence Page at Loyola University Chicago; journalist Jan Yanehiro at Notre Dame de Namur University; and Dr. John Sexton, president of New York University, at St. Joseph’s College. Graduates and their families might not even know that this list of notable speakers includes proponents of abortion and gay marriage. But the record of these speakers in opposing fundamental Catholic teachings is quite clear. Immelt last year launched a partnership with Geron Corp to sell products derived from embryonic stem cells. Shriver was a rabidly pro-abortion candidate for U.S. Congress in 2002; Governor Patrick is an enthusiastic supporter of abortion and homosexual marriage; Page has derided the pro-life movement in his columns often describing the pro-life community as ‘yahoos’; Yanehiro recently served as mistress of ceremonies for the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League’s annual “Power of Choice” luncheon; and Dr. Sexton in describing his Catholic faith disparaged the magisterium of the church.
Rather than highlight the Catholicity of their institutions at least nine “Catholic” colleges chose to highlight individuals who are not only adversaries of the fundamental teachings of the church but in some cases active proponents of the culture of death. Graduates from Catholic colleges expect and deserve better. They need witnesses to the culture of life and civilization of love who live their faith both in and out of season. The choice of pro-abortion and anti-Catholic speakers by “Catholic” colleges is not only wrong and contrary to the teaching set forth by the U.S. Bishops; it is outrageously scandalous and shameful. At some Catholic colleges graduation day this year is not to be a day of pride and joy but rather shame and scandal.
