Insert laugh track here

Unfortunately, it's not a laughing matter. LifeSite reports:

Catholic University of America (CUA) has invited former presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry to speak on environmentalism and the Iraq war this semester despite initial opposition by the office of University Center, Student Programs and Events (UCSPE).

The laughable quote:

Mark Arnone, chairman of the College Democrats who invited Kerry to speak at CUA, defended the decision saying Kerry "expresses remarkable dedication to the doctrine and principles of Catholic social teaching established in Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical 'Rerum Novarum'" Arnone cited Kerry advocacy "for affordable and accessible health care…minimum wage reform" and the environment.

Well, that's the College Democrats. What does the Catholic Church say? (After all, it is the Catholic University of America, and not the Democratic University of America.) The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church states:

The first right presented in this list is the right to life, from conception to its natural end, which is the condition for the exercise of all other rights and, in particular, implies the illicitness of every form of procured abortion and of euthanasia. [par 155]

Concerning the “methods” for practising responsible procreation, the first to be rejected as morally illicit are sterilization and abortion. The latter in particular is a horrendous crime and constitutes a particularly serious moral disorder; far from being a right, it is a sad phenomenon that contributes seriously to spreading a mentality against life, representing a dangerous threat to a just and democratic social coexistence. [par 233. emphasis added]

When — concerning areas or realities that involve fundamental ethical duties — legislative or political choices contrary to Christian principles and values are proposed or made, the Magisterium teaches that “a well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political programme or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals”[1191]. In cases where it is not possible to avoid the implementation of such political programmes or to block or abrogate such laws, the Magisterium teaches that a parliamentary representative, whose personal absolute opposition to these programmes or laws is clear and known to all, may legitimately support proposals aimed at limiting the damage caused by such programmes or laws and at diminishing their negative effects on the level of culture and public morality. In this regard, a typical example of such a case would be a law permitting abortion[1192]. The representative's vote, in any case, cannot be interpreted as support of an unjust law but only as a contribution to reducing the negative consequences of a legislative provision, the responsibility for which lies entirely with those who have brought it into being. [par 570]

The latter paragraph is especially interesting in light of this, from the LifeSite piece:

Kerry, who still receives Communion regularly, has 100 per cent pro-abortion voting record according to NARAL Pro-Choice America. During the 2004 presidential debates, Kerry claimed that he was "personally against abortion", but would not "take what is an article of faith for me and legislate it for someone who doesn't share that article of faith."

For a refesher, if needed, on Kerry's rather tenuous grasp and application of Catholic teaching, see this November 2004 CWR article by Philip Lawler. And if you have any doubts about how much I abhor the thinking of John Kerry, go here.

Comments

[Rory]

Alas - doesn't seem that too much has changed since I walked the halls of CUA in the 80's ... which was during the upheavals concerning Fr. Curran.
I recall that when I was getting ready to go there, my hometown pastor enjoined me, "to remain Catholic while I'm there." I thought that was an odd statement at the time. Sheesh! was he on the money with that.
Good ol' CUA - the only North American university with a papal charter ... and the fun never seems to stop.

[Ed Peters]

You know, it's not even like Kerry is an intersting speaker, or a guy with brains. He's really a dolt. A pampered, pointless dolt who married big money, and simply mouths the kinds of things the East coast establishment liberals, esp. in the media, want to hear. Wonder what he's getting paid to embarras CUA?

[MMajor Fan]

Sometimes I think I'd like to be John Kerry's spiritual director.

[Carl Olson]

He's really a dolt.

Dolts everywhere are insulted. Really, I cannot fathom how a man so lacking in any apparent talent or character could become such a successful politician. Oh, wait, nevermind...

[BillyHW]

Well, it is Massachusetts.

[Rich Leonardi]

Arnone most likely lifted his talking points from Catholics for the Common Good, an organization founded by a former Kerry staffer to give cover to pro-abortion politicians. Spouting nonsense about Rerum Novarum is one of their trademarks. It's a shame; I'd heard CUA was on the rebound from sillier days.

[Brian John Schuettler]

It could be worse, he could have been elected.
Yeah, what is it about Massachusetts? Something in the water, I guess.

[Jackson]

Rory, he should have given you Schall's Another Sort of Learning before you went. I think it was published in 1988. You went before this?

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