Boston College attracts praise and hostility for placing crucifixes in classrooms (CNA)

[JimG]

I went to a Jesuit University many decades ago. Every classroom had a crucifix on the wall, and most classes were begun with a brief prayer. No one thought it unusual, not even the non-Catholic students. It was after all, a Catholic university.

I haven’t checked back lately to see if they have taken the crucifixes down.

Now I can understand that it might cause a brouhaha to place crucifixes in all the classrooms at UCLA. But a Catholic university?? The response seems a little over the top.

 

[dixieagle]

As a Boston College student I am very proud of our administration for putting crucifixes in every room (most rooms had them before though).

BC has a reputation for being a very secular school, and it’s about time we reclaim our Catholic identity. Boston College does have groups on campus for Catholic students who are serious about their faith. St. Thomas More Society (adoration and rosary once a week, followed by a theology discussion), Sons of St. Patrick (men’s group with evening prayer followed by theology discussion), Gratia Plena (Catholc women’s group), and the Pro-Life Club (not strictly Catholic, but attends the March for Life each year) are some of the popular groups

There is also confession available on a daily basis, 5 chapels/churches on campus (St. Mary’s is absolutely beautiful), and several daily Masses each day (and many on Sunday).

It is also a good day for the Observer, the more conservative newspaper on campus who essentially broke this story about two weeks ago, and was just picked up by the Boston Globe today.

BC isn’t perfect by any means, but this is a step in the right direction. And if anyone could say a few Hail Marys for us that would be great

I’m an alum, coming up on my 35th reunion (yikes!) and have been most upset at the direction taken the past several decades. I am delighted at this turn of events, and know there are some terrific, Catholic students such as yourself there. (One of the brilliant Presidential Scholars is a friend of ours, and a more Catholic young lady would be hard to find.)

Hang in there and keep speaking up. Hail Marys on the way!

 

[Catholic_Press]

Boston, Mass., Feb 13, 2009 / 04:00 am (CNA).- Crucifixes and icons were recently placed in all Boston College classrooms at the request of the Jesuit school’s president, Rev. William P. Leahy, SJ. The move has generated a variety of both enthusiastic and hostile responses.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catholicnewsagency/dailynews/~4/538739278

Full article…

 

[DelicateMelody]

So appearantly it’s evil to hang crucifixes in a Catholic College, a Jesuit College. Poor Boston College.
Boston College has one of the largest Jesuit Community . The Weston Jesuit School of Theology is afflilated with them : Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.

"Patrick Reilly, head of The Cardinal Newman Society, said he was “thrilled” by the action of Boston College, which too often “seemed to shy away from any overt affiliation as Catholic.”
“Catholic colleges across the country will be grateful for Boston College’s taking such a clear stand in support of its Catholic identity,” he said.
Many students agreed.
“Boston College welcomes students, faculty and staff from all religious persuasions with welcome arms,” said senior Patrick Fouhy, 21. “But at the end of the day, we are still a Jesuit, Catholic university and that is a core part of our identity. Putting crucifixes up is a nice reminder of that.”
But sophomore Alex LoVerde, 20, believes a crucifix “pushes the Catholic religion” and does not belong in a classroom. “I think the Jesuit tradition is more of openness and tolerance,” LoVerde said. “I think that an overt display of crucifixes is not what the Jesuits would have had in mind.”

 

[freudmacher]

I really wish I had an article to prove this but I don’t.

While I was attending Loyola University Chicago a few years back, a bunch of students got together to try to have the crufixes removed from the business school classrooms. Loyola has them in all rooms. Thank goodness we had the administration we did, they flat out said no more of this talk. One of the priests wrote an article in the news paper and said it absolutly will not happen. He even wrote why they wouldn’t remove them. After that, I never heard anything else.

 

[Scottgun]

Uncle Di at Catholic Culture is less impressed:

Never mind that virtually every major heresy gets a sympathetic hearing from the theology department. Who cares that a weekend of campus would leave Rabelais speechless. What does it matter if professors trot over to the state house to testify in favor of same-sex marriage and assisted suicide? Boston’s downtrodden Catholic community is rejoicing that at last, BC took a stand in favor of Catholicism. The alumni are delighted, and if the contributions keep coming in, the school might be able to endow a new chair for the Professor of Transgender Wiccan Studies.

 

[Bennie_P]

Boston College attracts praise and hostility for placing crucifixes in classrooms

Fr. John Paris, SJ, was pleased with the display of the Christian imagery, saying to the Boston Globe “Christian iconography and symbols permeate this place and always have.”
He said the notion that a crucifix impedes the ability of students or faculty to think critically was “offensive” to him and described such criticism as “the narrow and bizarre musings of a few disgruntled folks.”
“This is a small problem for those with small minds," Paris continued, denying the issue is a serious controversy.

I love Fr. Paris thoughts on this… It does seem to be the ones with small minds that have the most problems on seeing Christian symbols.

 

[JReducation]

Let’s get the fact right from the first step.

1. Boston College is not a college of the Catholic Church. It is a Jesuit college. There is a big difference.
2. Did I forget to mention that the Society of Jesus is a Catholic society? Yep, it is. Therefore, they have the right to display Catholic iconography on their campus.
3. The problem is that some people are believing that the Jesuits are going to demand that they think Catholics in an academic enviornment. This is small mindedness, as the good Father said. The academic envioronment is a place where all positions are heard, weighed and taught. The Jesuits have been operating institutes of higher learning since they were founded and have never been afraid to have open academic discussions on contraversial issues. Why should they start being afraid now? What would make people believe that they are going to give up what is on their charisms, academic curiousity?

Therefore, I conclude that this reaction is nonsense. The crucifixes are up not to censure, but to remind students and professors that the Catholic Church considers academic discourse to be important. Therefore the Church will make herself present.

I had a similar experience in a Catholic institution where I once worked. I was the Director of Pastoral Care. I insisted on the crucifixes going up again. They did. Some people complained about it. As the months passed, no one noticed they were there.

People can be very silly at times.

JR