Pro-Abortion senator prohibited from speaking at Catholic high school graduation

St. Louis, Mo., May 3, 2007 / 12:17 pm

A Catholic all-girls high school withdrew its invitation to Sen. Claire McCaskill to speak at this year’s graduation ceremony because her positions on abortion and stem cell research are not in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Adrianne Marsh, spokeswoman for McCaskill, was quoted as saying that McCaskill, “understands that her positions supporting abortion rights and stem cell research are different from those held by the church.”

Students at St. Joseph's Academy in the St. Louis suburb of Frontenac wanted to have the senator speak at their commencement this month, but the invitation was withdrawn last week. McCaskill’s daughter attends St. Joseph’s Academy.

School president Sr. Michaela Zahner said she reluctantly made the decision after receiving a call from diocesan officials, reported The Associated Press.

While the senator was told that the decision to disinvite her came from the Archbishop, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, Anne Steffens, said the decision was not made by the Archbishop Raymond Burke.

McCaskill said she was disappointed by the decision, but that it did “not diminish my respect and admiration for St. Joseph’s Academy, their faculty, and students."