A Pox On Both Your Houses

When Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was invited by Boston College to give the Commencement Address and receive an honorary degree on May 22, George Weigel jumped to her defense. Why? In Weigel’s column (Catholic San Francisco, July 14), he noted that many professors objected to her presence, saying that Condi (as National Security Advisor) supported the invasion of Iraq and that this was contrary to the Just War doctrine of the Catholic Church. Indeed, it is contrary (see our May 2006 Editoriab~ Moreover, Condi is also pro-abortion. She is a full-fledged member of the Culture of Death, for abortion is murder just as unjust wars are murder.

The title of Weigel’s column is “The Boston College Follies,” indicating that Condi was fully entitled to deliver the Commencement Address and receive an honorary degree.

Many of the professors at Boston College apparently only objected to her pro-war stance. Had she been anti-war and pro-abortion, that would probably be fine with them. Weigel defended Condi because she is pro-war, and passed over her pro-abortion stance, as if it didn’t matter. The Cardinal Newman Society did object to Condi because she is pro-abortion (but not because she is pro-war).

America is polarized (Bush-lovers vs. Bush-haters), and the Catholic Church reflects that polarization. Political ideology reigns. Why is it so hard for Catholics to think with “the mind of the Church”?

For ourselves, we believe that at Catholic colleges and universities there should be no commencement speakers or honorary degrees given to those who are pro-abortion or pro-Iraq war. Obviously, we’re in the tiny minority.