May 9, 2005 / 22:00 pm
A national organization has blown the whistle on 13 Catholic colleges and universities, which have disregarded a directive of the U.S. bishops and invited commencement speakers and honorees who publicly oppose Catholic teaching.
Last year, the Cardinal Newman Society protested against 25 inappropriate speakers and honorees. This year’s list includes: California Secretary for Education Richard Riordan at the Dominican University (CA); former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani at Loyola College (MD); U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitchell Landrieu at Loyola University of New Orleans; and former U.S. Rep. Amory Houghton at St. Bonaventure University (NY).
In late April, officials of the Archdiocese of New York declared Marymount Manhattan College to be nonsectarian, after years of formally recognizing the historically Catholic college in The Official Catholic Directory. The college had scheduled pro-abortion Senator Hillary Clinton as its commencement speaker.
"If the bishops are able to enforce their policy where it is violated, then we may witness the beginning of a new renaissance in faithful Catholic higher education," said the society’s president, Patrick Reilly.