Catholic Xavier University in Ohio Under Fire for Hosting Pro-Obama Event
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 4, 2008
Cincinnati, OH (LifeNews.com) — Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, a Catholic college, is coming under fire for holding a pro-Obama event on the night before the presidential election. The university hosted a Countdown to Change get-out-the-vote event sponsored by the organization Obama for America.
Patrick Reilly, the president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a Catholic group that serves as a watchdog for colleges and universities, sharply criticized Xavier for allowing the event.
“Allowing the Obama campaign to come onto a Catholic campus and encourage students to vote for a vehemently pro-abortion candidate on the eve of the election is a scandal,” Reilly told LifeNews.com.
“If Xavier University wants to engage students in politics, it could have encouraged them to vigorously oppose the destruction of innocent human life," Reilly added.
Reilly said he is surprised a Catholic university would host an Obama event when the presidential candidate stand sin stark contrast to Catholic pro-life teaching.
"Obama has stated that his first act as president of the United States will be to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would abolish all limitations and restrictions for the so-called ‘right’ to an abortion," he said.
Reilly told LifeNews.cfom that Xavier is also in violation of the document the nation’s Catholic bishops approved in 2004 called Catholics in Political Life.
The document says the "Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."
According to an announcement on Xavier’s web site, the University is not supporting the event, but Reilly says the college is still guilty of allowing its resources for it. Xavier is providing the event’s venue and worked with the Obama campaign coordinate logistics.
This event falls within Xavier’s commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and to the orderly discussion of issues confronting society," Xavier said.
Related web sites:
Cardinal Newman Society – https://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org
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