Friday, October 19, 2007
Dawn Eden at St. Paul's Cathedral
Dawn Eden, Director of the Love and Responsibility Program at the Cardinal Newman Society, will give a talk at St. Paul's Cathedral entitled Preventing Teen Pregnancy: The Catholic Approach: What Holy Cross Could Have Done to Address This Critical Problem in response to Holy Cross hosting a Teen Pregnancy conference which features presentations by Planned Parenthood. The talk will be on Oct. 23 at 7pm, the night before the conference at Holy Cross.
Update: Bishop McManus has especially asked young people to attend the talk as a sign of solidarity with the Church. If you are able, please attend the talk and show your support for the bishop as he engages in this battle to preserve our Catholic identity.
Update: Bishop McManus has especially asked young people to attend the talk as a sign of solidarity with the Church. If you are able, please attend the talk and show your support for the bishop as he engages in this battle to preserve our Catholic identity.
Labels: Holy Cross
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Holy Cross battle continued
Dr. Jeff Mirus at CatholicCulture.org notes the battle between The College of the Holy Cross and Bishop McManus of Worcester.
Happily one of the critics is the local ordinary, Bishop Robert J. McManus, who issued a statement on October 10th warning Holy Cross that “it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves ‘Catholic’.” The bishop urged the administration of the College to “unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conference…so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution.” However, Fr. McFarland has thus far defied even Bishop McManus.
Mirus goes on to question whether or not Bishop McManus has the heart for the prolonged battle that may ensue from his confrontation with Fr. McFarland and Holy Cross. From one who has had the chance to see Bishop McManus at work up close, believe me - he does.
Happily one of the critics is the local ordinary, Bishop Robert J. McManus, who issued a statement on October 10th warning Holy Cross that “it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves ‘Catholic’.” The bishop urged the administration of the College to “unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conference…so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution.” However, Fr. McFarland has thus far defied even Bishop McManus.
Mirus goes on to question whether or not Bishop McManus has the heart for the prolonged battle that may ensue from his confrontation with Fr. McFarland and Holy Cross. From one who has had the chance to see Bishop McManus at work up close, believe me - he does.
Labels: Holy Cross
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Will Holy Cross still be able to call itself a Catholic college?
The College of the Holy Cross is causing controversy once again in Worcester. This time they are hosting the 2007 Teen Pregnancy Institute. The problem is that the Institute includes 3 workshops by Planned Parenthood, included one entitled "Learn the latest and greatest of protection methods." In addition, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage Governor Deval Patrick is scheduled to give a talk to the participants and will receive a "Leadership Award." Fr. Michael McFarland, president of Holy Cross, responded to complaints by claiming that since the conference had been booked over a year before it could not be canceled.
Here is the statement from Bishop McManus:
STATEMENT FROM MOST REVEREND ROBERT J. MCMANUS
BISHOP OF WORCESTER
A controversy has arisen at the College of the Holy Cross that has resulted from the College's renting space for a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. The conference involves workshops presented by members of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. Both organizations promote positions on artificial contraception and abortion that are contrary to the moral teachings of
the Catholic Church.
I have received numerous complaints from people who are shocked and outraged that a Catholic institution like Holy Cross would have anything to do with such groups. They have appealed to me to ask Father Michael McFarland, president of the College of the Holy Cross, to revoke the College's agreement to rent space to the Massachusetts Teen Alliance. I have done so.
As Bishop of Worcester, it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves Catholic. This is a duty that I do not take lightly since to be a Catholic institution means that such an institution conducts its mission and ministry in accord with Catholic Church teaching, especially in cases of faith and morals.
The moral teaching of the Catholic Church on respect for life at all stages of its development is manifestly clear. Life is a fundamental good that must be protected and respected from the moment of fertilization to natural death. This teaching is so basic and important that it provides the foundation upon which much of the Church's moral and social doctrine rests. It is beyond modification and compromise.
Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice are notorious for their policies and practices that directly reject the Church's teaching on artificial contraception and abortion. The College of the Holy Cross should recognize that any association with these groups can create the situation of offering scandal understood in its proper theological sense, i.e., an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.
Certainly it is understandable how people of good will could interpret the college's allowing presentations to be made by such groups as truly scandalous.
I strongly contend that the confusion and upset to the Catholic faithful and others that flow from the perception that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross supports positions contrary to the fundamental moral teaching of the Church must be avoided. To deny Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice a forum in which to present their morally unacceptable positions is not an infringement of the exercise of academic freedom but a defensible attempt to make unambiguously clear the Catholic identity and mission of the College of the Holy Cross.
It is my fervent wish that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross will unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution committed to promoting the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic church.
Here is the statement from Bishop McManus:
STATEMENT FROM MOST REVEREND ROBERT J. MCMANUS
BISHOP OF WORCESTER
A controversy has arisen at the College of the Holy Cross that has resulted from the College's renting space for a conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. The conference involves workshops presented by members of Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. Both organizations promote positions on artificial contraception and abortion that are contrary to the moral teachings of
the Catholic Church.
I have received numerous complaints from people who are shocked and outraged that a Catholic institution like Holy Cross would have anything to do with such groups. They have appealed to me to ask Father Michael McFarland, president of the College of the Holy Cross, to revoke the College's agreement to rent space to the Massachusetts Teen Alliance. I have done so.
As Bishop of Worcester, it is my pastoral and canonical responsibility to determine what institutions can properly call themselves Catholic. This is a duty that I do not take lightly since to be a Catholic institution means that such an institution conducts its mission and ministry in accord with Catholic Church teaching, especially in cases of faith and morals.
The moral teaching of the Catholic Church on respect for life at all stages of its development is manifestly clear. Life is a fundamental good that must be protected and respected from the moment of fertilization to natural death. This teaching is so basic and important that it provides the foundation upon which much of the Church's moral and social doctrine rests. It is beyond modification and compromise.
Both Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice are notorious for their policies and practices that directly reject the Church's teaching on artificial contraception and abortion. The College of the Holy Cross should recognize that any association with these groups can create the situation of offering scandal understood in its proper theological sense, i.e., an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.
Certainly it is understandable how people of good will could interpret the college's allowing presentations to be made by such groups as truly scandalous.
I strongly contend that the confusion and upset to the Catholic faithful and others that flow from the perception that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross supports positions contrary to the fundamental moral teaching of the Church must be avoided. To deny Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice a forum in which to present their morally unacceptable positions is not an infringement of the exercise of academic freedom but a defensible attempt to make unambiguously clear the Catholic identity and mission of the College of the Holy Cross.
It is my fervent wish that the administration of the College of the Holy Cross will unequivocally disassociate itself from the upcoming conference sponsored by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy so that the college can continue to be recognized as a Catholic institution committed to promoting the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic church.
Labels: Holy Cross, pro-life
