Fordham to honor Breyer

Catholic University to Honor Justice Breyer Who Wrote Majority Opinion Supporting Partial-Birth Abortion

This headline mostly speaks for itself but for the details check out the article here.

The article reminds readers that, "In contrast, New York Archbishop, Edward Cardinal Egan recently lambasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for defending the so-called "right to choose." Egan said: "Anyone who dares to defend that they [children in the womb] may be legitimately killed because another human being 'chooses' to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name."

The Cardinal and Fordham may be on a collision course, we will be following this closely.

In considering this matter, it is important to recall remarks made by Archbishop Michael Miller secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education during a visit to Notre Dame in 2005.

Snippets of an article from Notre Dame's campus paper, The Observer, shed some light on the subject (emphasis added).

"As his papacy progresses, Pope Benedict XVI will likely take the path of "evangelical pruning" - or refusing to maintain institutions that have lost their Catholic identity - Archbishop Michael Miller said Monday at Notre Dame's Hesburgh Center auditorium.

"[The pope] argued that it might be better for the Church not to expend its resources trying to preserve institutions if their Catholic identity has been seriously compromised," Miller said.

"His writings show that a time of purification lies ahead, and this undoubtedly will have some ramifications for Catholic institutions."Past writings indicate that the new pope believes it is a mistake to uphold institutions that lack a solid Catholic identity, Miller said."For [the pope] … the measure of an institution can be judged by its Catholic integrity," Miller said.

"If [secularization occurs], it might be a matter of truth and justice that such an institution is no longer upheld. [Pope] Benedict [XVI] and others may believe that if a Catholic institution is no longer motivated by a Catholic identity, it is better to let it go."

Miller said the Church could take two approaches to confront institutions where Catholic identity has been lost: the pope's "evangelical pruning" or a method of hopeful patience."[Proponents of the latter method] believe that while a part of a university's ecclesiastical identity might well be compromised, it is still better that we be patient because the institution is only 'held hostage' by a generation that will pass," he said.

Some Church leaders would rather put up with a "less than ideal" situation and pray for the amelioration of an institution's Catholic identity than dissolve ties with such places, Miller said.

"[The pope] appears to be more inclined to avoid scandal and lead a path of evangelical pruning, but we don't know," he said. "We await."

And wait, and wait, but I get the feeling that we aren't going to have to wait much longer. Fordham seems to be trying to force the Cardinal to react. If Archbishop Miller's words are any indication, the Pope's policy is clear: Succisa Virescit!