Georgetown graduation insult

"In many parts of the world the family is under siege" declared Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, who is the Vatican's president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Cardinal Arinze was addressing one of the Georgetown University's eight different graduations – with First Lady Laura Bush speaking at the school of Nursing and Health studies and CIA Director George Tenet addressing the School of Foreign Service.

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Cardinal Arinze who is regarded as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II, told the college graduation: "In many parts of the world the family is opposed by anti-life mentality as is seen in contraception, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. It is scorned and banalized by pornography; desecrated by fornication and adultery; mocked by homosexuality; sabotaged by irregular unions and cut in two by divorce".

Cox Newspapers and WorldNetDaily reported that theology professor Theresa Sanders walked off the stage while the cardinal was speaking, and was joined by some students who also walked out.

They also quoted the Rev. Ed Ingebretsen, professor of English, as saying:

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The Cardinal's remarks were in line with Catholic doctrine and are exactly what he's paid to say. But it's a graduation. Why he decided to do the pro-family thing, no one seems to know. I am compelled as a writer to post a short apology on behalf of Catholics for Cardinal Arinze's insensitive remarks, which are unChristian.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported 70 faculty members signed a letter protesting the cardinal's speech, which they sent to college dean Jean McAuliffe.

History professor Tommaso Astarita called the message by Arinze "wildly inappropriate for a commencement ceremony," adding that the comments may have been more appropriate had they been made in a different setting, such as an invited lecture. "I personally was rather offended by it," said Astarita, one of 70 professors circulating the protest letter forwarded to McAuliffe. "I thought it was divisive and inappropriate."

In an e-mail to the college's faculty members, the dean said she was "very surprised" by what the cardinal had said, which many interpreted as being anti-homosexual. "I am deeply concerned that students, parents and faculty found parts of the commencement address upsetting to them," McAuliffe wrote. "I'm sure that Cardinal Arinze did not intend to hurt any of his audience, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen."

The president of Georgetown is John J. DeGioia the first non-priest ever to hold that office. In his office, a staffer explained that he is overseas. Nobody in his office or in the university's public-relations office would make any comment at all on the faculty walkout and Father Ingebretsen's insult of Cardinal Arinze.

The only statement that anyone would give was the following four-line statement from Dean Jane McAuliffe:

A number of students and faculty members have been in touch with me to express their reactions, both negative and positive, to Francis Cardinal Arinze's address at the college commencement last Saturday. As an academic community, vigorous and open discussion lies at the heart of what we do and there are many different voices in the conversation.

Said Catholic activist Gary L. Morella: "It is sickening to look at the flap caused by a cardinal of the Church speaking at a supposed Catholic university for doing nothing more than what a good Catholic shepherd is supposed to be doing: witnessing to the truth. If there was ever proof that Georgetown is not Catholic, this needless brouhaha is it! The people who ought to be ashamed are those criticizing the cardinal for giving a Catholic commencement address. But of course, their kind, following the example of one of their "Jesuit educated" heroes, Bill Clinton, are shameless to the core."

Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, told the Journal-Constitution that Arinze has a "deep perspective through his longtime work in the church with many cultures. His message was certainly consistent with Catholic teaching, which seems appropriate since this is a Catholic university," Gibbs said. "Hopefully, new graduates will be inspired by his reminder that happiness does come through God."

Will the head of the Society of Jesus in Rome do anything about this incredible faculty discourtesy? Or have the Jesuits already abandoned hope of keeping Georgetown as a Catholic University?