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April 22, 2005
Clinton to Recieve Honarary Degree From Catholic College
Marymount Manhattan College in New York City wants to give Hillary Clinton an honorary degree when she comes to give the commencement speech this May. However, this college was founded as a Catholic institution and has remained close to the Catholic church and other similar organizations over the years. Their decision to honor someone who has been ardently pro-abortion in the past is upsetting some Catholics.
Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, said it would be a "scandal" for Marymount Manhattan College in New York City to give Sen. Clinton a special degree on Friday, May 20, when she is also scheduled to deliver the school's commencement address.Reilly said his group, which is "dedicated to the renewal of Catholic identity at America's 220 Catholic colleges and universities," specifically objects to the school's plan because Clinton has supported legalized abortion, voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion, advocated expanding embryonic stem cell research and declared contraception "basic health care for women."
In addition, Reilly said the college's actions defy the "Catholics in Political Life" statement that was approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2004.
I'm sure people will whine about the Church poking their noses where they don't belong as they did when there was the debate about John Kerry being refused communion because of his pro-abortion stance, but any church has the right to ask that the people and organizations associated with it are consistent with the church's most basic tenets.
Some might see this as a sign that Clinton has been somewhat successful in convincing religious people that she's not so bad, but the article notes that this college has a habit of inviting pro-abortion speakers.
Reilly also noted that Marymount Manhattan's commencement speaker in 2004 was New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, whom he called "a fervent advocate for abortion rights."
(Check out the Hillary Watch catagory for more stuff Hillary Clinton has been up to.)
Update: Commenter Maureen points out this article about Marymount being declared to no longer be Catholic by the Archdiocese of New York. Apparently they had no objections to this.
Officials at Marymount Manhattan offered no objects to the archdiocesan statement. Like many similar institutions, the college had taken legal steps to distance itself from Church authority and from the religious order (the sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary) that founded the school.
Thanks Maureen.
Posted by illuminaria at April 22, 2005 11:21 AM
Comments
i believe you mean: most basic "tenets"
Posted by: jim at April 25, 2005 11:24 AM
Good point, they probably don't ask require people to follow the example of whoever is living on their land. :)
Posted by: illuminaria at April 25, 2005 12:15 PM
New York college found "no longer Catholic"
Posted by: Maureen at April 29, 2005 03:42 PM
Sorry for the repeat but I can't seem to create the link so here it is :
New York college found "no longer Catholic" ---
Posted by: Maureen at April 29, 2005 03:46 PM