Catholic Bishop Boycotts Sacred Heart University for Honoring Abortion Advocate
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 6, 2009
Fairfield, CT (LifeNews.com) — Bishop William Lori of the Bridgeport Diocese and the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart University plans to boycott the university’s Discovery Awards and Scholarship Dinner on April 22. There, SHU officials will honor abortion advocate Kerry Kennedy.
The bishop also expressed his disapproval of the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor and host pro-abortion President Barack Obama at its commencement.
Kennedy is the author of Being Catholic Now, a book that supports dissent from the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church.
According to the Connecticut Post¸ she “has disagreed with the Catholic Church’s stance on many issues, including abortion, stem cell research" and other issues.
The Fairfield County Catholic noted Bishop Lori’s plans to boycott the event and also indicated he condemned Notre Dame for honoring Obama and allowing him a platform to speak to its graduates.
“Notre Dame extended this invitation unilaterally, seemingly without regard for the consequences for the mission of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is contrary to the efforts of bishops, parish priests, and laity to resist the anti-life decisions, policies, and legislation promoted by the Obama administration," he said.
Several U.S. bishops opposing the scandalous Obama invite at Notre Dame have recently cited the USCCB 2004 statement, “Catholics in Political Life,” as support for their position.
“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," it says.
Patrick Reilly, the president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a Catholic educational watchdog group, applauded
“The nearly quarter million people who have signed the petition opposing Notre Dame’s honoring of an abortion rights supporter will be thankful for Bishop Lori’s public boycott of Sacred Heart University," he told LifeNews.com.
“SHU and all Catholic colleges must learn from the mistakes at Notre Dame, where defiance toward the U.S. bishops’ speakers and honorees policy has provoked outrage from Catholics nationwide," he added.
Sacred Heart University is a Catholic university located in Fairfield, Connecticut. Bishop Lori was an honoree at the 2004 dinner.
Related web sites:
Cardinal Newman Society – https://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org
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