"In reality I see [the petition] as a great call for celebration. Our students are questioning decisions we've made. They want to understand the rationale at a deeper level. They're indicating concern for members of society that are historically marginalized. . . . It's a sign of engagement."For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:
-- Linda LeMura, President, Le Moyne College (Syracuse, NY)
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-- From "600+ Le Moyne students sign petition to remove Cardinal Dolan as commencement speaker" posted at WSYR-TV9 (Syracuse, NY) 5/11/15
To put that in perspective, 3,500 students are enrolled at Le Moyne, so more than 20-percent of the student body is calling on the school to change the commencement speaker
The school is aware of students' concerns, but the Le Moyne president says Cardinal Dolan will be speaking at graduation.
"There's absolutely no chance that we would change our speaker moving forward. We're proud to host Cardinal Dolan and we're looking forward to hearing his message," says Dr. Linda LeMura, President of Le Moyne College. "My message to our students and faculty who have expressed concern is to give the Cardinal a chance. Listen to his message of hope and love and I think he will pleasantly surprise our audience."
Students say they will be holding a peaceful protest on graduation day.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Students Say Bishop Too Catholic To Speak At Catholic School" by Blake Neff, Contributor, Daily Caller 5/11/15
The petition also equates opposition to Dolan with other recent protest actions on campus.
“We have walked the halls of Le Moyne for the Black Lives that Matter, we have held vigils for the Muslim students gunned down in Chapel Hill and much more,” [the petition] says. “We have always come together in hard times. Do not stop now. Stand strong, sign and keep it going.”
The petition doesn’t include any specific examples of wrongdoing by Dolan, though it does include a link to a 2013 article about sex abuse victims in the Milwaukee archdiocese calling for more open records. Dolan was Milwaukee’s archbishop from 2002 to 2009, but his involvement in the sex abuse scandal was limited to handling the uproar and aftermath rather than any alleged complicity in actual abuse.
As for the allegations of homophobia, Dolan’s position that homosexual acts are sinful and gay marriage unacceptable are in line with official Catholic doctrine.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Le Moyne students, faculty ask college to remove Cardinal Dolan as commencement speaker" by Marnie Eisenstadt, Syracuse Post-Standard 4/28/15
"Overall, I do not think Cardinal Dolan represents the tenets we value at Le Moyne College," said Katherine M. Bakhuizen, a senior and president of CARE, a group promoting the acceptance of gay and lesbian students on campus. "With sexual assault becoming endemic on college campuses and marriage equality with LGBTQ+ acceptance on the forefront of history, we cannot welcome someone who does not align with our values as a Jesuit institution."
[Joe Della Posta, a college spokesman,] said the college recognizes that not everyone will be happy with the selection of Dolan.
"In selecting a commencement speaker, we consider a number of criteria, including prominence in their field, the ability to deliver a relevant message to our graduates, and the individual's understanding of our role as a Catholic, Jesuit institution," Della Posta said. "Cardinal Dolan is arguably the most influential leader within the U.S. Catholic Church, and we're confident his message will be compelling and impact a wide range of people in the audience."
"Jesus taught love and acceptance, and so does Le Moyne," [senior student Kailey] McDonald said."The Jesuits do not condemn people for the way they love. I have not seen evidence that Cardinal Dolan reflects these teachings, and I hope Le Moyne recognizes that."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Bishop 'too Catholic' to speak at Catholic school" posted at World Net Daily 5/11/15
David McCallum, director of mission and identity for the college, said he was not disturbed by the student protest.
“I think it’s something you hope for in a college setting. You know, that young people are thinking critically about issues and that they’re willing to take stands on things that they believe in and even more so in a Catholic Jesuit setting, where we promote the importance of social justice,” McCallum said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read how Catholic schools are being attacked across America by their own parishioners for firing homosexuals.
That's because the Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists and read Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty
