Wednesday, June 04, 2003

Georgetown University faculty is in an uproar over the words of their graduation speaker. It was a Catholic cardinal. Georgetown is a Catholic University. He stressed the importance of religion and family. The faculty found that divisive. One professor got up and walked off the stage in protest. Here is part of what he said: "Happiness is attained by achieving the purpose of our earthly existence. God made me to know him, to love him, to serve him in this world and to be happy with him forever in the next. Saint Augustine found this out in his later age after making many mistakes in his youth. He then cried out to God: "You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you" (St Aug. Conf. I, 1). My religion guides and helps me towards this. My Catholic faith puts me in contact with Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life (cf Jn 14:6). God's grace helps me to live on earth in such a way as to attain the purpose of my earthly existence." You can see why the faculty is unhappy. No mention of humanism, homosexuality, or anti-American sentiment, no criticism of the church. The Cardinal was not from America. Maybe no one told him he was not supposed to act like he enjoyed being Catholic.

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