Xavier University Earns Graduation Boycott Over Pro-Abortion Speaker Brazile

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 29, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Xavier University Earns Graduation Boycott Over Pro-Abortion Speaker Brazile

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 29
, 2009

New Orleans, LA (LifeNews.com) — Xavier University has earned a boycott from Archbishop Alfred Hughes who said last week that he will not attend the Catholic college’s commencement because it will feature pro-abortion speaker Donna Brazile. The college is both allowing the pro-abortion political activist to speak and will reward her with an honorary degree.

Hughes, Archbishop of New Orleans, has made public his letter to Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, announcing that he will boycott the university’s May 9 commencement exercises.

In the letter, Hughes cites instances in which political commentator Donna Brazile has expressed pro-abortion points of view as the reasons for his boycott.

"It is with regret that I make the decision not to participate in the commencement exercises this year at Xavier University," he said. "Brazile has a public record in support of keeping abortion legal."

Although Brazile has helped the people of Louisiana and though she is a Catholic, Hughes says "her public statements on the abortion issue are not in keeping with Catholic moral teaching."

"She has supported President Obama’s decision to reverse the Mexico City policy allowing federal funds to organizations that provide abortions overseas by saying that this policy will ‘save lives,’" he explained. "She has also relativized the importance of the fundamental life issues on national television suggesting that there are more important things for the American people to discuss than abortion."

"She has supported and worked for the election of candidates who support contraceptive practices and abortion on the basis that this stance is pro-woman," he continued.

Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, applauded Archbishop Hughes and his standing for pro-life principles.

“Catholic universities have a serious responsibility to uphold the Catholic identity with which they are entrusted,” he told LifeNews.com. “Catholics nationwide will be grateful to Archbishop Hughes for his defense of Xavier’s Catholic mission.”

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