THE BOSTON VIRUS CONTINUES TO SPREAD! WHERE IS THE CDC (OR THE CDF) WHEN WE NEED IT?

BEGINNING WITH THE SCANDAL

OF THE FUNERAL LITURGY

FOR SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY,

I have posted quite a few posts

pointing out the sad state of affairs

in Massachusetts,

especially in Boston.

For years now, it has been apparent that the state of the Catholic Faith

as it is lived and manifested in the public activity of prominent Catholics in Boston

is truly deplorable.

Ordinarily I would not be commenting on the Catholicism of Bostonians

any more than I would comment on the Catholicism of any other

diocese or archdiocese in the United States,

except that a significant number of national leaders

hail from Boston and when they bring their heterodox religious views

to the Nation’s Capitol their influence is magnified

far out of proportion to what it should normally be.

The most recent case in point is the appointment

of Dean John H. Garvey of Boston College Law School

as the new President of the Catholic University of America in Washington.

His appointment was only announced today

and already it has begun to produce negative reactions from

Catholics, clergy and lay, who love and value the role the University

has played in the history of the Church in the United States.

It is beyond my understanding to know how the appointment

could have been decided upon  by the bishops and cardinals

who constitute the Board of Trustees of the University.

Surely the writings, speeches and actions of Dean Garvey

were researched by the Selection Committee and eventually by the full Board.

How is it possible that the Board could have chosen a man

whose views on the nature of the relationship between

a Catholic university and the Church were so questionable.

So many of his views seem to be opposed to

so many of the public declarations of the NCCB and the USCC.

His views seem to be opposed to the spirit of all that

Pope Benedict XVI has said and written about secularism and relativism.

What is particularly baffling is how the assent to the appointment

by the Holy See could have been obtained in view of the fact that

the University if a Pontifical University under the jurisdiction of the Holy See.

It would almost seem that the approval was given by the Secretary of State

or by the Congregation for Christian Education without the knowledge of the Holy Father.

I can only hope and pray that before Dean Garvey is actually installed

as President of The Catholic University of America pressure from

loyal, faithful and concerned Catholics, especially alumni of the University,

will have persuaded either Dean Garvey to decline to be installed,

the Board to withdraw appointment, or the Holy See to withdraw its approval.

……………………

Catholic U’s new president: Law school dean who awarded honorary degree to abortion proponent

CATHOLIC CULTURE. ORG

June 15, 2010

John H. Garvey, the dean of Boston College Law School, has been named president of Catholic University of America. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Law School, Mr. Garvey served as assistant to the Solicitor General during the Reagan administration. He has written numerous articles on legal issues, concentrating on the First Amendment.

Commenting on academic freedom and Catholic identity in a 2002 letter, Mr. Garvey wrote:

On several occasions I have heard people express concern that the Catholic identity of Boston College and the Law School will require a certain orthodoxy, or suppress unorthodox opinions, among its faculty and students. No school that regulates ideas can justly call itself a university. Indeed, it is precisely because we are committed to the search for truth in an atmosphere of academic freedom that the Law School can render a useful service to the Church and the cause of justice. It is natural that we should have a particular interest in the intersection of law and religion. (Though this is not our only focus.) But when people address that subject here they do not speak for (or against) the church hierarchy. They follow where their inquiries lead them.

In 2007, Mr. Garvey was criticized by the Cardinal Newman Society when the law school awarded an honorary degree to Rep. Edward J. Markey, an abortion proponent with a 100% ‘pro-choice’ voting record. “Congressman Ed Markey is one of the most distinguished graduates of Boston College Law School, whose career of public service reflects the very best values and traditions of the School,” said Mr. Garvey. “I don’t believe Boston College has ever had a better friend in the United States Congress than Ed Markey.”

In awarding an honorary degree to Rep. Markey, Boston College Law School failed to heed the 2004 US bishops’ document “Catholics in Political Life,” which stated, “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.”

“I’m very grateful that he’s an accomplished scholar, and I think he brings from his legal scholarship a lot of wisdom about the Church’s place in contemporary society,” said Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit, who led the search for the new president of the university, which was founded by, and is sponsored by, the bishops of the United States. “He’s a very thoughtful man, very measured. He tries to bring light and insight to matters about which there’s a lot of argument.”

In a 2002 Commonweal essay, Mr. Garvey said that he assented to Catholic teaching on the immorality of divorce but disagreed with Pope John Paul’s statement that “professionals in the field of civil law should avoid being personally involved in anything that might imply a cooperation with divorce.” However, by the conclusion of his article, in which he quoted additional papal remarks, Mr. Garvey appeared to be in agreement with the Pope.

In a 2000 essay on Mario Cuomo– the New York governor who supported legalized abortion– Mr. Garvey concluded, “The point is that most of us, not just Catholics, see nothing wrong with relying on authority to decide moral questions. And if that is so, there is no reason to disqualify religious authorities.”

According to federal election records, Mr. Garvey made three donations to Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, whose support for abortion led 14 bishops to state during the 2004 presidential campaign that they would deny him Holy Communion. In June 2002, Mr. Garvey donated $250 to the Kerry Committee; in March 2003, he donated $1,000 to John Kerry for President, Inc.; and in April 2004, he donated $500 to John Kerry for President, Inc.

Mr. Garvey succeeds Vincentian Father David O’Connell, who has been named coadjutor bishop of Trenton.