Another day, another speaker controversy at a Catholic university.This time the school is St. Francis University in western Pennsylvania, and the speaker is syndicated columnist and author Ellen Goodman -- who is also a well-known liberal and abortion rights advocate. According to a story from Ann Rodgers in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Saint Francis University in Loretto has canceled a lecture on civility by syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman after an advocacy group called attention to her strong public support for abortion rights.
"After careful consideration, the University feels that the body of your work has reflected statements that are not in close enough alignment with some Catholic teachings and with the values and mission of the university as required for an event of this stature," Saint Francis provost Wayne Powel wrote to the retired Pulitzer Prize winner.Ms. Goodman, who had been scheduled to speak Oct. 12 at the Cambria County campus, replied, "Imagine my disappointment at having my plea for civility returned with a pie in the face."On Sept. 13 the Cardinal Newman Society, a lay group in Virginia that monitors the adherence of Catholic colleges to church teaching, posted an objection to her appearance, citing her writings on abortion. On Tuesday, it praised the cancellation.
This raises two minor questions and, to my mind, a larger and more important issue.First, how is it that no one at St. Francis knew beforehand anything about Ellen Goodman's record? To be "shocked, shocked, I say," that she is pro-choice seems disingenuous.Second, how is it that a fairly fringe group like the Cardinal Newman Society gets to call the shots on who a Catholic university invites?Most important, though, Goodman was coming to talk about civility, not to preach the gospel of abortion rights. It seems that a university (and a church) should be able to develop a culture that allows for genuine dialogue on tough issues, or at least a dialogue on the value of discussing tough issues in a civil way, and how to do that.How does cancelling Ellen Goodman's talk advance that?
