Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
In order to promote an upcoming talk by an abortionist, a pro-abortion nursing group at the Jesuit-run Seattle University posted flyers depicting a rosary with the crucifix replaced with an IUD.
Reporting for the National Catholic Register, Catholic author Patty Armstrong documents the travesty orchestrated by the Seattle Nursing Students for Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare in order to promote a Feb. 25 talk by a Planned Parenthood abortionist named Sara Pentlicky.
The topic of Pentlicky’s talk was: “Catholicism and Full Spectrum Reproductive Healthcare: One Physician’s Perspective.”
As Armstrong so aptly remarked, “An abortionist speaking on Catholicism is like a cannibal speaking on vegetarianism.”
Obviously, “they have no clue about the beauty of the Church’s teaching on the sacredness of life and sexuality,” Armstrong continues, and laments the group’s Facebook page which reveals that “they too are delusional, thinking they can bring the sexual revolution into a church where the gates of hell shall never prevail.”
The group’s mission is “to engage the university nursing students and support their interests in reproductive justice in order to promote a new generation of health providers who are prepared to protect and deliver full-spectrum reproductive and sexual health care as basic human rights.”
“What is this ‘human rights’ of which they speak? The right to kill humans?” Armstrong asks. “This mouthful of mumbo-jumbo would merely be puffed up stupidity if not so lethal to the soul and to the unborn.”
Thankfully, there were plenty of Catholic students on campus who were outraged by the poster and its message and let school authorities know about it.
In an email interview for the Register, John Ritchie, Student Action Director of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) explained how “Pro-life students on campus and beyond immediately voiced their opposition to the pro-abortion event, especially the sacrilegious fliers posted around campus that attacked the holy rosary in such a vile manner.”
As a result, Seattle University president, Fr. Stephen Sundborg retracted the Student Involvement Office’s approval to put up the posters, and ordered them taken down.
Fr. Sundborg followed this action with a statement to the Cardinal Newman Society on the night of the proposed event.
“The promotional materials associated with this event were outrageous and offensive to the Catholic character of our university. The way the event was promoted is not acceptable as it denigrates Catholicism and the materials should have never been approved. The event will not be taking place this evening and the students involved in the planning will be looking to include additional viewpoints and perspectives before seeking to reschedule it. . . Additional measures will be taken to prevent such materials from being distributed on campus in the future.”
It wasn’t long before the group posted a new message on their Facebook page: “In order to comply with the institution’s request that we represent multiple viewpoints at this event we have decided to postpone. Sorry for the inconvenience. We look forward to continuing this dialog beyond Facebook.”
Only time will tell if the group will follow through with the talk and provide additional viewpoints, but this seems highly unlikely. A group that behaves this insensitively toward differing opinions, to the point of desecrating a sacred object, can hardly be counted upon to produce a balanced view of the subject of women’s health.
We can only thank God for the faithfulness of those students who defended the Church and pray that we won’t be seeing Dr. Pentlicky on this campus anytime soon.
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