Chicago, Ill., Sep 16, 2004 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Loyola University Chicago, a Jesuit institution, has ignored a request by Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, that they cancel this year’s granting of the Saint Robert Bellarmine award to avowed pro-abortionist Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

In a statement issued on September 15 the university affirmed that the award will go to Attorney General Madigan who “has indeed distinguished herself as a public servant.”

The statement then goes on to insist on the university’s Catholic identity and emphasises it’s “many efforts to nurture our students’ faith.”

The university’s decision, however, ignores not only Cardinal George’s request but also the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ July 2004 statement on Catholics in Political Life which states that: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should 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.”

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