A Bishop That Won't Let Up

In the rare case where you see a Bishop criticize a speaker at a "Catholic" college in his diocese, that is it. Nothing more, even if the college follows through with the speaker & is unapoligetic about it.

A couple of weeks ago, Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton issued a statement that condemned Misericordia University for scheduling a lecture by gay rights advocate Keith Boykin on 17 February. He said in it that he wanted the Catholics in his diocese to "know of his absolute disapproval of Misericordia University's hosting Mr. Boykin".

Misericordia went right ahead with allowing Boykin to speak. & issued a statement that said the college "is committed deeply to its Catholic mission". & Now, Bishop Matrino is firing back at Misericordia. On Tuesday, February 24, Bishop Martino issued a public statement calling on Misericordia to provide evidence of its fidelity to Catholic teaching. Martino insisted that the university “convey to its alumni, and in fact to all the faithful of the Diocese of Scranton, its efforts to teach Catholic morality regarding sexuality and homosexuality” by “naming courses, content and even catalog numbers.”

The ball is now in Misericordia's court. It will be interesting to see how it responds. Given what I see in their catalog, they will be hard pressed to provide much evidence backing up their claim.

For instance, I am sure they will put forward this class: 116M American Catholicism (3 credits). But, if you read the description of the class, it sounds like it is doing more to undermine Church teaching that uphold it (emphasis mine) "Explores ways in which Americans and American institutions shaped United States Catholic identity and how Catholics contributed, in turn, to the intellectual, political, cultural, and social life of the nation. Particular attention will be given to the influence of Catholic social teaching on American life and to the theological and cultural pluralism which continues to inspire and challenge American Catholic identity. Spring "

Or how about this 1? 113M Theology of the Church (3 credits) "Presents students with the historical, cultural, and theological contexts for understanding the nature and mission of Christian ecclesial communities. Special attention will be given to the Roman Catholic Church from the Reformation to Vatican II and to the recent ecumenical developments. Fall " It sounds more like it is trying to teach what it thinks the Church sould be rather than what it is.

Then there is this: 107G Women and Spirituality (3 credits) "Feminist consciousness and theory will provide the context for this course as it explores biblical texts, and the life and writings of medieval women including Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, and Teresa of Avila. The course will examine the rich and varied expressions of spirituality found in the traditions of African and Native American women healers, their understanding of art as a sacred process, and their reverence for the body and the earth. Fall/Spring" You can bet this class pushes for women's ordination. & is very much New Age in its orientation.

I suspect that the good Bishop will be looking for a lot more solid evidence of authentic Catholic teaching than this.

In addition, Bishop Martino has called for the college to discontinue its Diversity Institute, which co-sponsored Mr. Boykin's appearance. "The Bishop's rationale is that students should learn respect for all races and cultures, but that viewpoints that are in direct opposition to Catholic teaching should not be presented under the guise of 'diversity.' Doing so within a formal structure sanctioned by the institution gives the impression that these viewpoints are acceptable, or that all morality is relative."

The diocesan statement also said: "Bishop Martino said that students attending a Catholic institution should have a clear understanding that while all persons should be treated with dignity, homosexual activity is not condoned by the Church and should never be construed as acceptable behavior."

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Update added at 1:34 AM on 27 February 2009

Just came across the news that Bishop Martino is not only keeping after Misreicordia, he is keeping up the heat under Sen. Bob Casey as well. After Casey's vote to uphold Obama's overturn of the Mexico City Policy, Bishop Martino sent him a letter calling him to task. He told Casey: “Your failure to reverse this vote will regrettably mean that you persist formally in cooperating with the evil brought about by this hideous and unnecessary policy.” (emphasis mine)

Now in an 2nd letter to Sen. Casey he is telling Casey to stop misrepresening that vote on his website. (My interpretation, he is basicly accusing Casey of bearing false witness.) You can read the entire letter by following the link to the diocesan website. But here are some pertanent quotes:

"It is a matter of deep concern that your recent vote against the Mexico City Policy is continually misrepresented by your staff as a pro-life vote intended to promote “contraception and other family planning that avoid unintended pregnancies”."

"The Mexico City Policy is, first and foremost, about abortion, not about family planning."

"Finally, it is never permissible to use immoral means such as artificial contraception to achieve a good end, namely, the reduction of unplanned pregnancies. In fact, the mistaken view that artificial contraception may be used to regulate population growth and the size of families has led to countless evils in America and abroad, including the attitude that having and raising children is a burden to be avoided."

"My letter of January 30 urging you to rescind your vote on the Mexico City Policy was in no way mistaken regarding the nature and the effect of President Obama’s order to rescind America’s long-standing policy to avoid using U.S. tax dollars to support organizations that promote abortion abroad. It is imperative that this fact be made known to the public.

It is also imperative that there be utter clarity when it comes to the teaching of the Church on matters that pertain to the taking of innocent life and the special responsibilities that fall to you, Senator, as a lawmaker to oppose abortion and other clear evils."

In addition the diocesan chancellor James B. Earley has issued another document, OFFICIAL NOTICE: Worthiness to Receive Holy CommunionFebruary 26, 2009. In addition to quoting from the 2004 letter of the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Papa Benedetto) to the Bishops of the United States. (The 1 that was never read in its entirety at the time, remember?), the notice ends with the following:

"Therefore, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, Bishop of Scranton, reminds all ministers of Holy Communion, ordinary and extraordinary, that:
1. To administer the Sacred Body and Blood of the Lord is a serious duty which they have received from the Church, and no one having accepted this responsibility has the right to ignore the Church’s law in this regard;
2.Those whose unworthiness to receive Holy Communion is known publicly to the Church must be refused Holy Communion in order to prevent sacrilege and to prevent the Catholic in question from committing further grave sin through unworthy reception."

It sounds to me like Bishop Martino is putting the onus on Sen. Casey to do what is right. Change your vote, change your website. If you don't, then don't receive Communion. I suspect that if Sen. Casey doesn't do the right thing, Bishop Martino will then have no choice but to publicly ban him from Communion.

Source of update: BREAKING: Bishop Martino sends second letter to Sen Bob Casey; Issues Official Notice on Worthy Reception of Holy Communion

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I know there is a lot to clean up in Scranton. & Bishop Martino is doing his best. But a part of me keeps thinking he is headed for a larger diocese. St. Louis is still open. Maybe there? Remember, if that does happen, you read it here 1st.

Source: Bishop Demands Evidence of University’s Fidelity to Catholic Teaching

Bishop Martino Calls for Dissolution of Misericordia U's Homosexualist "Diversity" Institute