Catholic universities seek purification, perfer not to discuss and debate

Rolling back the clock to at least 1619 (when they told Galileo to shut up), the Catholic church has decided that the mission of it's universities has nothing to do with science, scholarship or debate. Instead, it's about being doctrinaire.

Basically, "agree with us or go to hell, literally". The option of the rack is, unfortunately, no longer available - seeing as Vice-President Torquemada Cheney no longer holds power.

It seems that Catholic Bishops are having a stroke (not the kind with altar boys) over President Obama speaking at Notre Dame's commencement, going so far as to have a special mass to apologize to God.

At least 55 bishops have publicly denounced or questioned Notre Dame in recent weeks, employing an arsenal of terms ranging from "travesty" and "debacle" to "extreme embarrassment."

Apparently letting torturers like Bush and Cheney speak isn't an issue, but Obama and his pro-choice stance is. Makes sense, as the church has never been accused of being abortionists. Torture is, however, right in their wheelhouse.

In news closer to home, local enforcer of doctrine Bishop Joe Martino is again rattling his sabre at Senator Bob Casey and King's University. Martino has previously called for the closing of the Diversity Office at Misericordia university because they had a gay, gay-rights speaker in to talk to the students. He threatened to cancel Scranton's St. Patrick's Day Parade if any pro-choice marchers were allowed. He asked the region's 4 Catholic university's for proof that they don't distribute birth control in their health offices.

Now he's having a crack-up because Senator Bob Casey will give the address at King's College.

“I do not believe he has the moral stature to stand before the graduates of a Catholic college to address them about their futures and the challenges they will face when on the most important issue of the day — the sanctity of human life — he cannot muster the courage to oppose the pro-abortion agenda, which is currently being promoted in Washington,” the bishop said in the statement.

He called Mr. Casey’s planned commencement speech May 17 at King’s “sad and disappointing in view of his recent alignment with anti-life forces in the Senate and the highest offices of our government.”

Mr. Casey opposes abortion and has repeatedly said he would vote to overturn the 1973 Roe vs. Wade U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion. But he has angered Bishop Martino with a series of recent votes, including one voting this week to confirm former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The bishop accuses Mrs. Sebelius of supporting pro-abortion policies as governor.

Doesn't he have a church scandal (and subsequent monetary crisis) to clean up?  Or just maybe, wouldn't he want the university to be the crucible where the faith of these adult Catholics is tested?  Aren't they called to be "in the world"?  Or do the bishops so fear the world that the only way they can hold on to their flock (and their flock's money) is to hide them from the world?