Georgetown University invites Kathleen Sebelius to speak at commencement

[_Abyssinia]

Archdiocese of Washington slams Georgetown’s Sebelius invite

The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. has condemned Georgetown University’s invitation to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to speak during commencement weekend.

In light of Sebelius’ attempts to drastically redefine religious ministry in a way that threatens Catholic institutions, Georgetown should do more to “speak up for freedom of religion,” the archdiocese said.

In a May 15 statement, it explained that Catholics are understandably shocked by Georgetown’s decision to honor Sebelius, the architect of a contraception mandate that poses a serious threat to religious freedom in America.

It added that it is “also understandable that Catholics would view this as a challenge to the bishops.”

The Archdiocese of Washington said that it had previously “reserved public comment” in order to allow Georgetown University and the Jesuits to have “the opportunity to address the controversy.”

…

More than 35,000 people have signed a petition objecting to Georgetown’s invitation to Sebelius.

A May 10 editorial in The Catholic Standard, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Washington, called the invitation “disappointing, but not surprising.”

The editorial said that Georgetown has become secularized, largely because “the vision guiding university choices does not clearly reflect the light of the Gospel and authentic Catholic teaching.”

…

On May 14, Georgetown president John J. DeGioia responded to the controversy in a public statement. He defended the university’s decision, arguing that the invite is not an endorsement of Sebelius’ views or a challenge to the U.S. bishops.

…

In its response, the archdiocese said that DeGioia’s statement “does not address the real issue for concern.”

It explained that the real problem in choosing Sebelius as a featured speaker is that her “actions as a public official present the most direct challenge to religious liberty in recent history.”

In allowing the invitation to stand, it said, the university has displayed an “apparent lack of unity with and disregard for the bishops” and all those who are fighting to defend religious liberty.

The fundamental issue underlying the mandate is not contraception but religious freedom, the archdiocese said, explaining that the mandate’s narrow definition of religious ministry excludes Catholic schools, hospitals and social service agencies.

It noted that even Georgetown would fail to qualify as a religious institution under the mandate because of its willingness to welcome both Catholic and non-Catholic students.

The archdiocese also pointed out that although it was only finalized in January, the mandate was first published in a problematic form last August, well before Georgetown extended the invitation to Sebelius.

It called on the university to “do more to challenge the mandate” and speak up in defense of religious liberty.

ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=5459#ixzz1v6r9E4sN

 

[Joe_5859]

Msgr. Pope (blogger and Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Washington) wrote a really nice peice about the different approaches that people often recommend in these situations. I thought it was very well done:

Make Haste…Slowly!

 

[CMatt25]

Attempting to squash speech isn’t much of a testament for liberty. I wonder if conservative Catholics would be as vocal in trying to stop someone from speaking who was in favor of capital punishment in more than only the very rare if not non-existent cases in which CCC speaks of. Or stop Paul Ryan from speaking since I seem to recall a thread here where a USCCB committee had serious concerns about the Ryan budget plan and its effect on the poor. The Vatican did not appear to be a huge supporter of the Iraq war. I wonder if as strong a protest by conservatives would have been mounted at the time toward a speaker who was.

Instead of putting so much time and energy into protesting speakers, it is more likely this passion and energy could have a greater effect if it were used to do even more about unwanted pregnancies. Using this energy to do even more to teach abstinance among our youth would seem to have a greater effect than trying to prevent free speech. And if they are still going to have sex as young people have been known to do at times despite pleas for them to not, one could even argue it is better for them to practice birth control rather than to end up with an unwanted pregnancy and perhaps later on an abortion being the result.

 

[St_Francis]

Attempting to squash speech isn’t much of a testament for liberty.

We are Catholic; we believe in the true liberty offered through Christ.

I wonder if conservative Catholics would be as vocal in trying to stop someone from speaking who was in favor of capital punishment in more than only the very rare if not non-existent cases in which CCC speaks of. Or stop Paul Ryan from speaking since I seem to recall a thread here where a USCCB committee had serious concerns about the Ryan budget plan and its effect on the poor. The Vatican did not appear to be a huge supporter of the Iraq war. I wonder if as strong a protest by conservatives would have been mounted at the time toward a speaker who was.

Those are all prudential matters on which people can disagree; they do not reach the level of abc and abortifacient drugs, which are intrinsic evils.

Imagine Greenpeace honoring the president of a coal-burning plant who refused to clean up the emissions from his plant, or Code Pink honoring Dick Cheney, or GLTB groups honoring Fred Phelps. Don’t you think that would be a little strange?

Instead of putting so much time and energy into protesting speakers, it is more likely this passion and energy could have a greater effect if it were used to do even more about unwanted pregnancies. Using this energy to do even more to teach abstinance among our youth would seem to have a greater effect than trying to prevent free speech.

]Instead of putting so much time and energy into protesting budget cuts to the poor, it is more likely this passion and energy could have a greater effect if it were used to make sandwiches and hand them out to poor people. Using this energy to do even more to feed people directly would seem to have a greater effect than trying to change the government’s mind.

And if they are still going to have sex as young people have been known to do at times despite pleas for them to not, one could even argue it is better for them to practice birth control rather than to end up with an unwanted pregnancy and perhaps later on an abortion being the result.

Oh, that’s good, advocate a sin which will result in more sin as well as additional sin. Good one, Matt!

 

[CMatt25]

We are Catholic; we believe in the true liberty offered through Christ.

Those are all prudential matters on which people can disagree; they do not reach the level of abc and abortifacient drugs, which are intrinsic evils.

Imagine Greenpeace honoring the president of a coal-burning plant who refused to clean up the emissions from his plant, or Code Pink honoring Dick Cheney, or GLTB groups honoring Fred Phelps. Don’t you think that would be a little strange?

]Instead of putting so much time and energy into protesting budget cuts to the poor, it is more likely this passion and energy could have a greater effect if it were used to make sandwiches and hand them out to poor people. Using this energy to do even more to feed people directly would seem to have a greater effect than trying to change the government’s mind.

Oh, that’s good, advocate a sin which will result in more sin as well as additional sin. Good one, Matt!

Yes but you as Catholics in the US live in a society where you also have its laws of liberty to abide by such as free speech, where changing government’s mind is part of the electoral political process while at the same time handing out food, and where you coexist with people of many plural beliefs, with differing beliefs as to what is evil and sin.

 

[St_Francis]

Yes but you as Catholics in the US live in a society where you also have its laws of liberty to abide by such as free speech, where changing government’s mind is part of the electoral political process while at the same time handing out food, and where you coexist with people of many plural beliefs, with differing beliefs as to what is evil and sin.

How is refraining from *honoring *someone who is very much against what you stand for a violation of her free speech? Again, do you think the fact that Code Pink refuses to honor Cheney and allow him to make a speech in that context is a violation of his free speech?

 

[CMatt25]

How is refraining from *honoring *someone who is very much against what you stand for a violation of her free speech? Again, do you think the fact that Code Pink refuses to honor Cheney and allow him to make a speech in that context is a violation of his free speech?

Georgetown invited the secretary to speak. Peace.

 

[St_Francis]

Georgetown invited the secretary to speak. Peace.

Yes. The issue is, *is it right for an institution well-known for being “Catholic” to invite someone such as K Sebilius to speak when that invitation is an honor? *

You are criticizing people for criticizing the decision on the basis that it would somehow affect her free speech. I am saying that you are wrong. I think it was wrong for GT to invite her (what were they thinking???); I think they should rescind the invitation, and I do not think that doing so would violate her freedom of speech.

And I say all this based on *my *freedom of speech. But I doubt that GT will ask me to speak at a ceremony, and I don’t think that their lack of invitation is violating my free speech.

 

[MotoCatholic]

With all do respect CMatt25…to even attempt to cloak this as an issue of free speech or “conservative Catholics” is more than a little uninspiring. I’m not sure if you’re drawing a distinction between conservative and liberal Catholics or conservatives and liberals in general? There are, unfortunately, many divergent “liberal vs. conservative” views WITHIN the Church. But on this issue, the Obama adminisdtration and Mrs. Sebelius have succeeded in doing something quite remarkable - uniting all American Bishops behind this grave injustice…uniting all the protestant christians (that I know) behind the Catholic Church.

I’m all for free speech - even and especially the free speech of debate withing the Church and with our protestant brothers and sisters. But if you don’t see the basic flaw in your logic in this case, where a supposedly Catholic University is honoring the very person responsible for this current HHS scandal, honoring the very person who is in open and blatant violation of Church teaching on the evils of abortion…well I’m not sure what else to say.

If Mrs. Sebelius were invited to speak at Democrat party function, well we wouldn’t be talking about this. Catholics would have every right to be puzzled and upset by her openly undermining the Church - her Chrurch, but we wouldn’t be discussing this here or on newscasts around the globe.

As Catholics and other Christians have certainly known for over 2000 years, there certainly is a clear distinction between right and wrong. This is clearly, self-evidently, and profoundly wrong. To say it’s “inappropriate” is being very charitable.

And as far as what we as Catholics spend our “time and energy” doing, I’ll borrow something from a Catholic speaker and writier that I like, Matthew Kelly -“Every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, and clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to do.”

God Bless!
Moto

 

[JimG]

Would there be criticism if Harvard invited Dick Cheney or Cardinal Dolan to speak at a similar event?

I think, YES! There would be faculty and student protests and media outrage.

 

[dfp42]

Is this event still happening tomorrow? Anyone know if it will be broadcasted online?

 

[SusansChoice]

With all do respect CMatt25…to even attempt to cloak this as an issue of free speech or “conservative Catholics” is more than a little uninspiring. I’m not sure if you’re drawing a distinction between conservative and liberal Catholics or conservatives and liberals in general? There are, unfortunately, many divergent “liberal vs. conservative” views WITHIN the Church. But on this issue, the Obama adminisdtration and Mrs. Sebelius have succeeded in doing something quite remarkable - uniting all American Bishops behind this grave injustice…uniting all the protestant christians (that I know) behind the Catholic Church.

I’m all for free speech - even and especially the free speech of debate withing the Church and with our protestant brothers and sisters. But if you don’t see the basic flaw in your logic in this case, where a supposedly Catholic University is honoring the very person responsible for this current HHS scandal, honoring the very person who is in open and blatant violation of Church teaching on the evils of abortion…well I’m not sure what else to say.

If Mrs. Sebelius were invited to speak at Democrat party function, well we wouldn’t be talking about this. Catholics would have every right to be puzzled and upset by her openly undermining the Church - her Chrurch, but we wouldn’t be discussing this here or on newscasts around the globe.

As Catholics and other Christians have certainly known for over 2000 years, there certainly is a clear distinction between right and wrong. This is clearly, self-evidently, and profoundly wrong. To say it’s “inappropriate” is being very charitable.

And as far as what we as Catholics spend our “time and energy” doing, I’ll borrow something from a Catholic speaker and writier that I like, Matthew Kelly -“Every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, and clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to do.”

God Bless!
Moto

Well said!

 

[Santi2]

Exorcist’ Author, Georgetown Alumni Preparing Canon Lawsuit

Georgetown University alumni, students and others are preparing a canon law suit to be filed with the Archdiocese of Washington and the Vatican, seeking remedies “up to and 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.”

…

blog.cardinalnewmansociety.org/2012/05/18/exorcist-author-georgetown-alumni-preparing-canon-lawsuit/

Is this likely to succeed?

 

[jwinch2]

Is this likely to succeed?

Probably not, but it is possible that it could force the issue to some extent. If prominent alumni (aka donors) start raising a stink, it might cause Georgetown to reconsider the direction of the university to some extent.

 

[LisaA]

Georgetown invited the secretary to speak. Peace.

And THAT is the issue, CMatt, not “free speech.” No one is telling Sec Sebelius she must refrain from speaking about the HHS Mandate, support of George Tiller, the Planned Parenthood scandal she managed to dodge, or her complete ineptness in responding to Congressman Gowdy regarding the issue of freedom of religion, the Constitution, and even the recent Hosanna Tabor case where the Administration’s case was destroyed with a 9 to 0 decision. She can speak all she wants and where she wants. No one is stopping her…heck the more she opens her mouth the more ridiculous she appears and the more she damages Obamacare, the HHS Mandate and the extreme pro abortion stance she holds.

The issue is Georgetown’s incredible lack of thought in inviting someone like Sec Sebelius. But look at universities such as Columbia that invited Ahmadidnijad to speak. They don’t call these institutions the Ivory Tower for nothing. The real problem is that Georgetown likes to tout its Catholic identity when it’s time to generate donations, attract top students, and professors. But it doesn’t LIVE the faith it uses to gain stature and money.

The real damage done is with respect to non-Catholics or even lukewarm Catholics who look at “Catholics” like Sebelius and believe they represent faithful adherence to our Church’s teachings. Leading people astray is a particularly evil act and Georgetown’s invitation to a woman who as an individual and as a member of an administration has done much to battle Catholic teaching and remove US from speaking and acting as faithful Catholics is particularly egregious.

I saw Fr Jonathan Morris this morning and he said when asked Georgetown had incredibly idiotic excuses for this debacle. One that they “invited debate” but the reality is that Ms Sebelius was NOT invited to debate, nor will the opposing view be featured. But she is in effect being HONORED at the Georgetown commencement. When that dopey reason fell flat Georgetown then claimed “The kids MADE us do it! They WANTED Sebelius.”

Imagine being a parent who mortgaged his home to send his child to university and hear this kind of baloney coming from the highest level of the administration.

Georgetown looks very very bad and I hope that next time they think before they act

Lisa

 

[_Abyssinia]

Pro-Life Protestors Interrupt Sebelius’ Georgetown Address

lifenews.com/2012/05/18/pro-life-protestors-interrupt-sebelius-georgetown-address

Disgusting that people cheer after the pro life protesters stop. God bless those pro life protesters.

 

[jwinch2]

Pro-Life Protestors Interrupt Sebelius’ Georgetown Address

lifenews.com/2012/05/18/pro-life-protestors-interrupt-sebelius-georgetown-address

Disgusting that people cheer after the pro life protesters stop. God bless those pro life protesters.

I agree to a point.

I am 100% against Sebelius speaking there and pretty much against most of what she stands for.

However, I think a more powerful witness would have been to get a group to pray a Rosary or Chaplet of Saint Michael outside of the building where people could see, rather than disrupting the proceedings inside. Those students who are graduating and have worked hard for their degrees and the families that have supported them do not deserve to have their day interrupted.

 

[Joe_5859]

I agree to a point.

I am 100% against Sebelius speaking there and pretty much against most of what she stands for.

However, I think a more powerful witness would have been to get a group to pray a Rosary or Chaplet of Saint Michael outside of the building where people could see, rather than disrupting the proceedings inside. Those students who are graduating and have worked hard for their degrees and the families that have supported them do not deserve to have their day interrupted.

Yes, heckling is not the only form of protest.

I had to chuckle when I saw that Randall Terry was the instigator. Why does that not surprise me?

 

[Califman831]

which groups have planned a local protest against her? I will pray for their sucess.

 

[LisaA]

Msgr. Pope (blogger and Catholic priest from the Archdiocese of Washington) wrote a really nice peice about the different approaches that people often recommend in these situations. I thought it was very well done:

Make Haste…Slowly!

Thanks very good treatment of the subject. I believe the Newman Society has plans to or is suing Georgetown to remove its Catholic identification. Sad it has come to this. I believe the powers that be at Notre Dame are regretting the invitation to Obama a couple of years ago. Hopefully these two unfortunate events will make other Catholic affiliated schools think about their speakers before issuing invitations. There are many wonderful faithful Catholics as alternatives to the likes of Sebelius.

Lisa