USF 2009 Commencement Speakers: Pro-Condom Bishop, Anti-Marriage District Attorney

It’s almost as if dissent from church teaching is a requirement to be a commencement speaker at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco.

This year’s Commencement speakers will include South African Bishop Kevin Dowling. His Excellency will also give the homily at the Commencement Mass. There are over 300 Bishops in the United States, including three right here in San Francisco. Apparently, none of them sufficed so USF had to go all the way to South Africa to fill the slot. But why? What are Bishop Dowling’s special qualifications? What is he best known for?

Well, from the Catholics For Choice website:

“Bishop Dowling, in an interview about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in South Africa said, 'Abstinence before marriage and faithfulness in a marriage is beyond the realm of possibility here. The issue is to protect life. That must be our fundamental goal.' Drawing attention to the especially difficult plight of women in the traditionally male-dominated societies of his diocese he continued, 'My passion is for the women. I'm in that corner.' About the African people, he says, 'They must use condoms,' maintaining his stance despite the Vatican’s continued opposition to such a policy”. Emphasis added.

Dare we say that Bishop Dowling is being honored because of this position, not in spite of it?

Back in 2006, Diogenes had this to say about Bishop Dowling:

"Have you seen any US media coverage of the Bishop of Klerksdorp recently? Or the Bishop of Umtata? Neither have I. Those South African dioceses are actually larger than Rustenberg, but their bishops haven't been getting much press in the US, nor invitations to speak in comfortable suburbs. Only Bishop Dowling-- who, incidentally, is the only South African bishop you can count on to criticize Church teaching. What a funny coincidence!"

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USF will also honor San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris. It is not hyperbole, it is a simple statement of fact to say that any sitting San Francisco District Attorney cannot possibly meet the minimum criteria for a speaker at a Catholic University set forth by the USCCB in “Catholics in Political Life.”

From the Bay Area Reporter:

"On Tuesday, (October 21, 2008) black leaders gathered in Oakland to denounce Prop 8. Those who spoke included San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, (Reverend Amos) Brown, and openly gay Berkeley City Councilmember Darryl Moore."

Here's the District Attorney at the event.

Photo courtesy Rick Gerharter, Bay Area Reporter.

Also from the Bay Area Reporter: on Thursday October 8, 2008, the District Attorney joined Mayor Gavin Newson at a “No on Proposition 8” press conference. At the conference Harris characterized Proposition 8 as an expression of “prejudice” and “hate.”

Here's Ms. Harris at that event:

Photo courtesy Bill Wilson, Bay Area Reporter.

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Of course this is nothing new at USF. From Commencements past:

2004: USF honors Leo T. McCarthy at the May, 2004 commencement. In his long political career, McCarthy was an unwavering advocate for the Culture of Death. From "LifeSiteNews":

"During Senate candidacy campaigns in 1988 and 1992, McCarthy pledged to write the Roe v. Wade ruling into federal law, supported federal funding for abortions and contraceptives and advocated for the distribution of the abortion pill RU-486."

2005: USF honors Episcoplian Bishop William Swing at the December, 2005 commencement. According to one of his priests, the openly “married” homosexual Reverend John Kirkely:

"Bishop Swing has ordained more gay and lesbian clergy than probably any bishop in the history of Christendom..."

2007: At the 2007 Commencement, USF honors pro-abortion, pro-partial birth abortion, pro-same sex marriage, and pro-embryonic stem cell research Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Here's Speaker Pelosi at the event with University President Fr. Stephen Privett, SJ (photo courtesy Associated Press):

Any question where Pelosi got her half-baked Catholic theology?

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Carrie Prejean and the National Organization for Marriage

The NOM has a new ad, featuring Miss California:

Hell Freezes Over

A little, anyway. It sounds as if the San Francisco Police Department may start enforcing decency laws.

From the Bay Area Reporter (Caution: obscene photo):

"SF police crackdown on Dore fair sex

San Francisco police are cracking down on public sex acts at this year's Dore Alley street fair in July and are warning organizers that if they do not control attendees, the event's longevity will be in doubt.

The stepped up enforcement against lewd behavior at the South of Market street party, officially known as the Up Your Alley Fair, comes after two individuals filed numerous complaints with the city's Office of Citizen Complaints against the 14 police officers assigned to patrol the 2008 event for not addressing the acts of public indecency.

Police also point to the Web site http://www.zombietime.com/ that documented numerous photos of men performing oral sex, urinating in public, and masturbating from second floor windows overlooking the fair as another reason for their increased vigilance. The site, created by an anonymous local photographer, also questions why the police took no action against the public nudity and sexual behavior at the fair.

'The fair promoters are the ones who have to take charge; this is their event. If they don't run it properly, they will not be having it again,' said SFPD Lieutenant Nicole M. Greely, who oversees street closure issues for the police department's Southern Station.....

The department's stance caught off guard officials with Folsom Street Events, the nonprofit producer of both the Up Your Alley Fair and Folsom Street Fair....

At the hearing, Greely said that the 'public sex last year was very blatant' at Up Your Alley and that people sent the police photos that 'were very demented.'

This is heartening. It's good to see that Lieutenant Greely has enough sense and common decency to recognize perverted behavior when she sees it, and that she knows it must not be "tolerated." I'd acted on this issue before, but it had not occured to me to try and address the issue via the Office of Citizen Compaints. God bless whoever did!

In 2007, I sent letters to Paul Pelosi (son of Nancy Pelosi) who at that time was the President of San Francisco's Commission on the Environment (which gave the Folsom Street Events $19,000 in taxpayers money) and to Kary Schulmann, the Director of "Grants for the Arts" (which gave Folsom Street events $22,000 in taxpayers money). The letter was CC'd to the Mayor, the Police Chief, the DA, the US Attorney, and the City Controller. Also CC'd were: Archbishop Niederauer, Bishop Benjamin of the Orthodox Church; the Verey Reverend Alan Jones of the Episcopal Church, and Rabbi Stephen Pearce of Temple Emanu-El.

The only response was from Ms. Schulmann, who said our beef was with the SFPD (despite the fact that the bylaws of her own organization prohibit funding events that violate local law) and Reverend Jones, who was disturbed by the event, and agreed that it was a degradation of the human person.

On September 12, 2008, we sent a similar letter to the same authorities. We received a response from Deputy Chief Kevin Cashman, which said, in part:

"Inquiries were made with the Captain of the Southern district and several officers familiar with the event in order to best prepare a response to your concerns. We have also reviewed the website you mentioned."

So maybe our letters did have some small effect in preparing the ground when the complaints to the OCC were made. Let's hope this first step back towards sanity is followed up!

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Lila Rose v. the Culture of Death

The young activist from LiveAction.org is getting under their skin!

Abortion supporter Bonnie Erbe is fit to be tied:

"After posting these videos (of Planned Parenthood employees refusing to obey laws requiring the reporting of statutory rape to the proper authorities) on YouTube and campaigning with them throughout the netherworld of the antiabortion movement, Lila Rose has succeeded in getting state and local governments to cut of hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to Planned Parenthood clinics. She has also created a public relations nightmare for the group."

From a recent LiveAction press release:

"Rose commends the Tennessee state lawmakers, led by Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and Sen. Jack Johnson, who have questioned the state's over $700,000 funding of Planned Parenthood. 'Why would citizens tolerate paying the bills of an organization that protects statutory rapists and victimizes young girls? This is the sad result of the careless abortion-first mentality that has persisted at Planned Parenthood for decades.'"

Why indeed?

God Bless the young lady!

Notre Dame: The Fallout Continues

Mary Ann Glendon refuses to accept Notre Dame's "Laetare Medal" because of the University's "honoring" of Obama. God Bless her!

Herer is an excerpt from her letter to Fr. Jenkins:

"First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it."

Thomas Peters has thorough coverage.

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Meanwhile Fr. Euteneuer went to work over the weekend (excerpt):

"Let's be honest: all the hand wringing and justification for Fr. Jenkins' decision is just fluff. Despite the unprecedented tour de force of close to fifty US bishops objecting to this travesty, Fr. Jenkins's claim that his decision is "consistent" with the bishops' 2004 directive on speakers at Catholic colleges - simply because Barack Obama is not a Catholic - is, well, absurd on its face. No person in his right mind buys it.

And that's the point - Notre Dame leadership is not "in its right mind" any more. The ones who made or endorsed this decision are not thinking with the mind of the Church let alone the Mind of Christ. This doesn't just apply to Fr. Jenkins either. It also applies to his superior, Fr. Hugh Cleary, who has an obligation to demand Jenkins' immediate resignation from his post to end this scandal but who chose instead to make a sappy, glowing, politically-correct statement which dares call this hurtful fiasco a "teachable moment."

No, Father Cleary - a "teachable moment" would be your removing Fr. Jenkins from office to show the world that the Church really means what she says in calling abortion an "abominable crime." (Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 51)

As far as I am concerned, a thunder of judgment has just been shaken down on Notre Dame, its Board of Directors and any faculty, students or alumni who endorse the decision to bring Barack Obama to Notre Dame's campus to sully Our Lady's good name and our deepest loyalties."

No Room For Mothers or Fathers in Iowa?

It used to be a political joke: "Opposing (fill in the blank) would be like opposing motherhood!" but I guess it's not a joke any longer.

Today the Associated Press has a story about the legalization of counterfeit "marriage" in Iowa, and its predictable consequences:

"Public health officials are reworking paperwork to give couples options beyond the tradition "bride" and "groom." Agency spokeswoman Polly Carver-Kimm said officials are considering other changes, including the designations of "mother" and "father" on birth certificates."

Sure. Once you've let equality and non-discrimination become your ordering principles, you've got to get rid of "bride" and "groom", "Mother" and "Father."

It's "equality" at the expense of sanity.

President Lincoln and Abortion Abolitionists

We are the new Abolitionists.

“John Paul II says you cannot simply live comfortably with an immoral legal system, any more than you could live comfortably with slavery, and therefore you have to work to change the law. It's a society-dividing issue, and on this issue, we're with Abraham Lincoln and he (President Obama)'s with Stephen Douglas, and he doesn't like to hear that, but that's where he is." -Cardinal Francis George, April 21, 2009. 2009 Louisiana Priests Convention.

"The question of slavery, at the present day, should be not only the greatest question, but very nearly the sole question. Our opponents, however, prefer that this should not be the case." -President Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Kalamazoo, Michigan, August 27, 1856.

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"We believe that there are self-evident truths about the dignity of each human life, and that this dignity derives from our having been fashioned in our Creator’s likeness. In this new century, these beliefs make us the counterculture. One does not need to be a Catholic to appreciate that abortion involves the brutal taking of innocent human life. To argue that this is a Catholic truth, or even a religious truth, is to overlook what science and sonograms tell us – and to insult the Protestants, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and, yes, even some atheists, who appreciate that a civilization which sanctions abortion as a human right is in some essential way writing its death warrant." - William McGurn, "A Notre Dame Witness to Life," April 23, 2009.

"Near eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for SOME men to enslave OTHERS is a ``sacred right of self-government.'' These principles can not stand together. They are as opposite as God and mammon; and whoever holds to the one, must despise the other." -President Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Peoria, Illinois, October 16, 1854.

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"…In the past few weeks, we have read more than once the suggestion that to oppose this year’s speaker and honorary degree is to elevate politics over the proper work of a university. In many ways, we might say that such reasoning lies at the core of the confusion. As has become clear with America’s debates over the destruction of embryos for scientific research, over human cloning, over assisted suicide, and over other end-of-life issues, abortion as a legal right is less a single issue than an entire ethic that serves as the foundation stone for the culture of death." - William McGurn, "A Notre Dame Witness to Life," April 23, 2009.

"The question of slavery, at the present day, should be not only the greatest question, but very nearly the sole question. Our opponents, however, prefer that this should not be the case." -President Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Kalamazoo, Michigan, August 27, 1856.

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"With the idea that one human being has the right to take the life of another merely because the other’s life is inconvenient, our culture elevates into law the primacy of the strong over the weak." - William McGurn, "A Notre Dame Witness to Life," April 23, 2009.

"If A. can prove, however conclusively, that he may, of right, enslave B.—why may not B. snatch the same argument, and prove equally, that he may enslave A?—

You say A. is white, and B. is black. It is color, then; the lighter, having the right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own.

You do not mean color exactly? You mean the whites are intellectually the superiors of the blacks, and, therefore have the right to enslave them? Take care again. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with an intellect superior to your own.

But, say you, it is a question of interest; and, if you can make it your interest; you have the right to enslave another. Very well. And if he can make it his interest, he has the right to enslave you." -President Abraham Lincoln,

Fragment on Slavery, c.1854.

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"The discord that this year’s commencement has unleashed – between Notre Dame and the bishops, between members of the Notre Dame community, between Notre Dame and thousands of discouraged Catholic faithful – all this derives from an approach that for decades has treated abortion as one issue on a political scorecard." - William McGurn, "A Notre Dame Witness to Life," April 23, 2009.

"The question of slavery, at the present day, should be not only the greatest question, but very nearly the sole question. Our opponents, however, prefer that this should not be the case." -President Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Kalamazoo, Michigan, August 27, 1856.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

More Respect, Not More Condoms

A  response to: Cardinal Pell Responds to Media Criticism of Pope

As an Archbishop, dealing on a daily basis with people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, I know that the Pope is speaking the truth. I suspect that those who were so vociferous in condemning the Pope have never touched an HIV infected person, let alone rendered any care and attention. It is so much easier to distribute gadgets, especially at other people's expense.

What reduces infections is less casual sex, not more condoms. That is the truth.
Those who accuse the Pope of being "unrealistic," that young people will have sex anyway, have no respect for the young people. When they are given true orientation, they freely respond with far greater sexual responsibility that the armchair social experts can ever imagine.

As an African Archbishop, it is my nephews and nieces that are in danger of dying of HIV/AIDS. Let no one ever suggest that they are more concerned about them than I am. The condom distributors should listen to the truth coming not only from the Pope and Bishops, but even from impartial and serious scientific research. The facts are there, as Cardinal Pell has briefly illustrated. To ignore these facts is the greatest disservice anyone can do to the future of Africa. The struggle continues, and we are overcoming!

Archbishop John Onaiyekan
Archdiocese of Abuja, Nigeria

Homosexual Politician Fantasizes About Killing Miss California

From the Sun:

"Shadow leader of the House of Commons Alan Duncan was appearing on BBC comedy show "Have I Got News For You" when he made the gaffe.

Mr Duncan, who had earlier in the show revealed his ambition to become Home Secretary, was discussing American Beauty Queen Carrie Prejean's belief that same sex marriages were wrong.

And the MP called her a 'silly bitch' and said 'If you read that Miss California is murdered you will know it was me'."

The link above has video of this outrage. It is actually worse than it looks on paper--it is not a "gaffe" at all.

Miss Prejean is a "Miss California" we can be proud of. God Bless her!

h/t American Thinker

No Room for Graduate Theology at USF

It's all falling into place quite nicely up at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco.

Just as the President of its Faculty Association says USF is no longer Catholic (see previous post), Catholic San Francisco reports (page 5) that the one-time "Catholic" university of the Archdiocese of San Francisco will no longer be offering a graduate program in Theology.

"USF ends graduate theology

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco is ending its masters program in theology to focus its resources on undergraduate theology and religious studies. This semester, there was demand for only three courses, with an average of six students in each, USF spokesman Gary McDonald said. The Jesuit-run university will continue classes for all current students in the Master’s program in theology but will not accept any new students. USF is working with both Santa Clara University and the Jesuit School of Theology to help accommodateany student who may be interested in pursuing an advanced degree in theology. USF will continue to offer theology and religious studies programs for undergraduates, including a major and minor, a required class for all undergraduates, an interdisciplinary minor in Catholic Studies and Social Thought and the St. Ignatius Institute Great Books program grounded in the tradition of Christian humanism."

About time. It's not surprising, given that the university has:

• Fr. Donal Godfrey serving as Executive Director of Campus Ministry;

• Reverend Vincent Pizzuto of the "Celtic Christian Church" serving as Assistant Professor of what they call Theology and Religious Studies;

• hosted the "Religion and Sexuality: What's the Connection" seminar, featuring the President of the Clergy Network for Planned Parenthood and the Chaplain of Planned Parenthood Golden Gate;

• honored Shannon Minter and Therese Stewart (the attorneys who overturned California's Proposition 22, which recognized that marriage can only be between one man and one woman)

• at least eight faculty members who donated to the "No on Proposition 8" campaign fund;

• stuck their thumb in Archbishop Niederauer's eye (and not for the first time) by hosting a performance of the play "Be Still and Know," adapted from a book by homosexual activist Alex Sanchez, after His Excellency had forbidden the play to be performed at Most Holy Redeemer parish;

• etc., etc . . . We could go on and on and on, but it would take too long--for a chronological report of USF's misdeeds go here.

Obviously such an organization has no room for Catholic Theology. It would be a standing reproach, and is in direct contradiction to practically everything else they do. It's actually surprising such a place could attract the few graduate students they have.

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*For the origin of the "Gay Rome" tag, go here. It's at about 1:14 into this audio of USF's "Queer Perspectives" seminar, sponsored by the Lane Center, and held at (where else?) Most Holy Redeemer.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Is The (Jesuit) University of San Francisco a Catholic University?

Not according to the Faculty Association President.

Valerie Schmalz over at Our Sunday Visitor has the latest news on USF's paying for abortions. On December 12, 2008, she reported that USF's Health Plan covered abortions for students, then on March 20, 2009, she reported the good news that the University had dropped any that coverage.

But at that time she also reported:

"A separate problem reported by OSV was that the university's two health insurance plans for employees provided abortion coverage. The USF administration says it can't do anything about a Kaiser health plan for faculty that offers abortion because it is included in a contract that was extended for three years in November. But it has changed its Blue Cross coverage, effective March 1, and has notified faculty that Blue Cross will no longer cover abortion in any form, including the drug RU486."

From Ms. Schmalz's article of today:

"If you work for the Jesuit University of San Francisco, no matter which USF health insurance you choose, it will pay for an abortion, sterilization, artificial contraception and some infertility treatments. And that is unlikely to change anytime soon, despite a report here earlier this year.

The USF Faculty Association president, Elliot Neaman, said today that if the university tries to remove the abortion benefit, it would file an unfair labor practice complaint.

Whether abortion involves the killing of a child is “not relevant,” Neaman told OSV. “You are mixing up morality and contractual obligations,” he said...

Neaman said the Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion is irrelevant, Neaman said, because USF is not legally a Catholic university. 'A long time ago, to get federal funding, the Jesuits divested themselves of the university so it is basically run by the board of trustees. They cannot apply for an exemption as a Catholic university because they could lose federal funding because of that,' he said."

Heaven forbid USF should lose federal funding!

Nightmare Presidency

Carl Olsen over at Ignatius Insight has a post called "No Wheeling and Dealing When It Comes to Killing"

Carl is responding to this assertion in the New York Times:

“It’s hard to think of a place where he’s (President Barack Obama) taken a really hard position.”

Carl answers:

"It's not hard at all. Here's a clue: it begins with an "a" and end with murder. It just happens to be the one issue on which Obama has always taken a really hard position."

He then links to a National Catholic Register article detailing all of Obama's pro-abortion actions. Of course we were well aware of these things; still, to see it all on one long webpage is instructive.

The Register will update the list periodically, as Obama enlarges his "begins with an 'a' and ends with murder" agenda.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney