LETTERS

ARTICLES

NEWS

FOLLOW ME

ROAMIN' CATHOLIC






Contents © 1999
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LETTERS
DECEMBER 1999

---

DELIBERATE CONFUSION?

I don't know if you are ill informed or intentionally trying to confuse people but your repeated inability to distinguish between Ex Corde Ecclesiae and the Ordinances currently being redrafted by the U.S. Bishops is very misleading. The mandatum [the current draft explicitly rejects the use of "mandate"] is not a requirement of Ex Corde but of Cannon 812. Either you don't do your homework or you don't tell people the truth. Neither says much about the quality of your publication. Most of us in Catholic Higher Education found Ex Corde to be an inspiring and positive declaration by the Pope on the nature and mission of a Catholic University.

A Jesuit priest
San Francisco archdiocese


EDITOR'S NOTE

In response to our story on Father John Schlegel of the University of San Francisco and Ex Corde Ecclesia [see Will USF Be Catholic?, November, Faith], the Faith received the following correspondence between persons involved with, or affected by, Father Schlegel's possible appointment as the new president of Creighton University in Nebraska.

Apparently the Creighton University governing board is considering appointing Jesuit Father John Schlegel to be the new president. Father Schlegel is quite well known in California as the lead witness in behalf of pro-abortion judge Ming Chin when he was nominated to be an associate justice of California's Supreme Court.

Judge Chin was confirmed in spite of the testimony of many priests and lay people against his confirmation. One of his first actions was to vote with the majority members of the California Supreme Court to rehear a case in which the court held the parental consent law to be constitutional. That law required the consent of a parent for a minor to obtain an abortion.

With the support of Judge Chin, the California Supreme Court voted to overturn by 4-to-3 its previous decision and thus ruled that the parental consent law was unconstitutional. That 4-to-3 vote was made possible by the fact that pro-abortion judge Chin replaced a pro-life judge. Father Schlegel then invited Justice Chin to give the commencement address at the University of San Francisco, a Catholic university.

Joseph W. Moylan
Omaha (Omaha World-Herald, October 28, 1999)


Dear Bishop Curtiss:

On October 12, 1999 we sent an important letter regarding the controversial Fr. John Schlegel, S.J. to Fr. Michael Morrison, president of Creighton University, with a copy to you.

As of today we have not heard from you, but trust that our counsel was welcomed and appreciated. We do have complete, excellent color quality video tape of Fr. Schlegel's testimony on behalf of abortion advocate, Judge Ming Chin, and the services at which Fr. Schlegel honored Ming Chin with the Saint Thomas Award at the University of San Francisco.

In conformity with Ex Corde Ecclesiae, the Vatican has called upon Catholic bishops to reaffirm their authority over Catholic schools and universities within their respective dioceses. This gives you and all bishops a wonderful opportunity to guarantee to the Faithful that Catholic schools will not be dens for dissenters, that Catholic schools will be freed from those who pervert Catholic theology for a political agenda, and that Catholic schools will be led by those who uphold the fundamental teachings of the Church not only in their words but in their actions.

There is no doubt that Fr. Schlegel, S.J. despite the pleas of right to life leaders, willfully and forcefully praised and promoted abortion proponent, Ming Chin, for the office of Justice of the California Supreme Court. The legalized killing of an innocent human being Ñ a small child in the womb Ñ is a paramount issue of overwhelming injustice. Those who would defend Fr. Schlegel's support of Ming Chin by saying that Father Schlegel is good on other issues, only serve to trivialize the injustice of abortion. Such trivialization is reprehensible and unjust in and of itself.

Three priests from California Ñ Fr. Leo Celano, Monsignor Ed Kavanagh, and Monsignor Andrew Coffey all spoke passionately and eloquently in defense of the innocent and advanced Catholic teaching for the sacredness of human life. Each priest witnessed the scandalous testimony of Fr. John Schlegel. Afterwards, Fr. Schlegel hosted a lavish party for Judge Ming Chin at an elegant San Francisco club.

We assume you will be conferring with Fr. Michael Morrison and with other bishops from Nebraska who provide students to Creighton university, and will want all the necessary evidence in order to be fair-minded.

Sincerely yours,

Camille Giglio, Board Member
California Right to Life Committee, Inc.


If I provide a character reference for a valued colleague who is seeking public office, does my support constitute an endorsement of every view held by that person? Of course not. Yet this flawed notion is the underlying premise of Camille Giglio's criticism (October 17 Pulse) of the Rev. John Schlegel, a candidate for president of Creighton University.

Giglio's suggestion that Father Schlegel's support for Ming Chin for a seat on the California Supreme Court equates with support of Chin's purported views on abortion is inaccurate. I have known Father Schlegel for more than 20 years. He has consistently and forcefully advanced, protected and defended Catholic teachings, including respect for human life. Giglio's spiteful, unfair attack on a man who has spent his life promoting the highest standards of the church should not be tolerated by fair-minded persons.

Stephen M. Buckner,

Omaha (Omaha World-Herald, October 29, 1999)

TOP