Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Should a Catholic University Host a Clinton Campaign Event?

In the news:

Clinton is set to hold a campaign rally at Greehey Auditorium of St. Mary’s University, a Catholic institution ... St. Mary’s said it granted a permit to a student group to use the auditorium for the Clinton rally.

“As a Catholic tax-exempt university, St. Mary’s does not endorse political candidates or their positions on issues and acknowledges the fundamental differences between those of the presidential candidates at the Catholic Church,” President Charles Cotrell said in a statement.

The local archbishop is none too pleased:

“It is clear that the records of Senator Clinton and some of the other candidates for President on important life issues are not consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church,” Gomez said.

“Our Catholic institutions must promote the clear understanding of our deep moral convictions on an issue like abortion, an act that the Church calls ‘an unspeakable crime’ and a non negotiable issue.”

I’m inclined to come down on the bishop’s side. From the DOCTRINAL NOTE on some questions regarding The Participation of Catholics in Political Life:

When political activity comes up against moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or derogation, the Catholic commitment becomes more evident and laden with responsibility. In the face of fundamental and inalienable ethical demands, Christians must recognize that what is at stake is the essence of the moral law, which concerns the integral good of the human person. This is the case with laws concerning abortion and euthanasia (not to be confused with the decision to forgo extraordinary treatments, which is morally legitimate). ...

In recent years, there have been cases within some organizations founded on Catholic principles, in which support has been given to political forces or movements with positions contrary to the moral and social teaching of the Church on fundamental ethical questions. Such activities, in contradiction to basic principles of Christian conscience, are not compatible with membership in organizations or associations which define themselves as Catholic.

And from the APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II ON CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES:

… a Catholic University, by institutional commitment, brings to its task the inspiration and light of the Christian message. In a Catholic University, therefore, Catholic ideals, attitudes and principles penetrate and inform university activities in accordance with the proper nature and autonomy of these activities. In a word, being both a University and Catholic, it must be both a community of scholars representing various branches of human knowledge, and an academic institution in which Catholicism is vitally present and operative.” ...

Catholic teaching and discipline are to influence all university activities, while the freedom of conscience of each person is to be fully respected. Any official action or commitment of the University is to be in accord with its Catholic identity.

In drawing a distinction between endorsing and hosting, President Cotrell seems to have lost sight of the distinctiveness of a Catholic university.