A dozen years have gone by since the U.S. bishops specifically instructed Catholic institutions, including colleges and universities, to “not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” with awards and platforms. College administrators continue to do so anyway, issuing bland disclaimers about not supporting the views of those whom they chose to honor — as if this excuses their actions. The student body and the wider public are expected to just ignore all the evils perpetuated by these individuals.
With commencement season right around the corner comes anticipation for a new round of scandal in doling out honors of various sorts to public figures. Last year The Cardinal Newman Society identified at least eight Catholic colleges that honored individuals at commencement who publicly advocate against Church teaching, and at least 20 colleges did so in 2014. The Society is currently monitoring this year’s commencement speaker announcements.
Colleges choose commencement speakers and honorees who are notable in some way to send off their students with one final lesson that, one assumes, is meant to have a positive impact on their lives. But every year a number of Catholic colleges honor individuals who openly attack, mock and work against the Church in their pursuit of worldly success.
Such is the case at the University of Notre Dame this year, which is honoring abortion and same-sex marriage advocate Vice President Joe Biden with an award “in recognition of outstanding service to the Church and society.” Public concern about the scandal prompted Bishop Kevin Rhoades to respond with a very poignant critique of Notre Dame, and a superb reflection on the defense of Catholic identity when bestowing honors.
Bishop Rhoades encouraged Catholic colleges to “raise the bar” in their granting of honors, suggesting that more reflection is needed “on the meaning and significance of the bestowal of honors in relation to the Catholic identity and mission of our institutions.” By raising the bar, not only can Catholic colleges avoid scandal, they can inspire the young people in their care to imitate those who give an authentic witnesses to the faith.
“I believe a higher standard is needed,” he stated. “There are many important values which we seek to teach, uphold, and live in our Catholic colleges and universities. These are the values we should look for in the lives of those we wish to honor.”
The bishop suggested honoring those who defend human life and dignity from conception to natural death; respect marriage and the family; and promote peace, justice, religious freedom, solidarity, the integral development of the poor, the just treatment of immigrants, and care for creation.
And while some individuals may be exemplary in one of these areas, if they are “gravely irresponsible in another,” colleges still run the risk of provoking scandal by granting them awards and honors.
In the case of Notre Dame, Bishop Rhoades pointed out that the University’s intention to honor Biden for some particular good he might have done while attempting to ignore the moral evils Biden has promoted over decades in public office is not “realistically possible or intellectually coherent.”
Good old “Lunch Bucket Joe” may seem like a nice guy, and he says that he personally accepts the Church’s teaching on the dignity of human life, but he’s still an advocate for keeping child murder legal. “We should not honor those who claim to personally accept Church teaching, but act contrary to that teaching in their political choices,” Bishop Rhoades wrote.
The bishop suggested that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” could be a helpful guide in discerning criteria for bestowing honors on public servants. In the document, the U.S. bishops call on all Americans to be politically engaged, “shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable.”
Americans are warned to never “neglect or deny fundamental moral truths or approve intrinsically evil acts.” This should go without saying in every area of life, not just political engagement. But every year thousands of students at Catholic colleges are given the impression they can be a “good Catholic” and oppose the moral teachings of the Church when they see honors being given to those who do so.
The problem with Catholic colleges honoring controversial speakers doesn’t end when the speaker sits down at the close of his or her remarks. It’s not just “a scandal” when a Catholic college honors an individual who advocates against Church teaching. Especially when the controversial speaker is a Catholic, both the college and the individual fall into the sin of scandal.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the sin of scandal is “grave” when given by those in a position to teach and educate others. We are also reminded in the Catechism that the sin of scandal prompted Jesus to utter the curse: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Students shouldn’t be taught to pursue success and achievement at the expense of their eternal souls.
Despite the attempts to whitewash these scandals, it’s not any type of worldly bias that animates legitimate criticisms of Catholic colleges that continue to engage in publicly honoring opponents of Church teaching, but ultimately, concern for the souls of the students and the greater community.
Adam Cassandra is the news editor at The Cardinal Newman Society (www.cardinalnewmansociety.org), which promotes and defends faithful Catholic education. Follow him on Twitter: @adamcassandra.