The following comes from a July 16 Cardinal Newman Society article by Justin Petrisek:
The Jesuit president of the University of San Francisco (USF) has removed the University’s controversial social media post celebrating the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling last month, and he assured The Cardinal Newman Society that USF supports Catholic teaching on marriage—a position, however, that contradicts a long history of LGBT activism at USF that has included advocacy for same-sex marriage and honors for its leading proponents.
On Friday, June 26—the same day as the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges—the University of San Francisco sent out a message celebrating the decision, as previously reported by the Newman Society. The tweet, which was originally distributed by the University’s Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, was then retweeted on the official USF Twitter account.
The message read in full:
“Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage nationwide in the wake of #SFPride: sco.lt/55xpGz – @UST_LTMC #LoveWins”
The hashtag “SFPride” was used in reference to the San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade which followed the Supreme Court decision on June 27 and 28 and, according to pictures posted by the University, included USF students sporting t-shirts and stickers with the University logo. The USF mascot also made an appearance at the Pride Parade.
The University removed the post as of Friday, July 10, following multiple communications from the Newman Society. Father Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., who became president last August, has explained to the Newman Society that the initial social media posting was inappropriate and was posted in error by an inexperienced staff member. He also said that the University’s official position supports the Church’s teaching that marriage must be between one man and one woman.
Fr. Fitzgerald’s official statement to the Newman Society reads:
A social media post concerning the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage was posted on the University of San Francisco Twitter account in error. This post does not represent the views of the University of San Francisco, a Jesuit Catholic university.
While the university deeply respects and promotes the innate dignity of all gay and lesbian students, faculty, staff, and alumni as they are created in the image and likeness of God, it does not endorse views on marriage that are inconsistent with the teaching of the Church.
The university regrets any misunderstanding caused by the erroneous post and will provide closer oversight over posts on official social media platforms in the future.
However, the Newman Society has found another tweet that has not been taken down by the University, despite seeming to align USF with LGBT activists and the recent Supreme Court ruling. The tweet on the University’s official account states:
Perfect timing for #SFPride! Supreme Court rules same-sex marriages are legal in ALL states! ow.ly/OQwUy
The Newman Society asked USF if Fr. Fitzgerald’s statement on traditional marriage represents a new position for the University—given its history of hosting LGBT activism and honoring public leaders who support same-sex marriage—and whether other social media posts would be removed.Anne-Marie Devine, the University’s senior director of media relations, declined to comment further.
Referencing the statement from Fr. Fitzgerald, Devine said that the “information in the message sent on Friday is the final statement on this matter. Moving forward, we are educating our colleagues more fully on Church teaching and understanding, as well as reviewing policies and procedures of what is posted on social media.”
In the past, the Newman Society has reported instances of USF honoring and providing platforms to same-sex marriage advocates. Last spring, USF granted an honorary degree to Norman Mineta, a past U.S. transportation secretary, congressman, cosponsor of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) and reportedly one of the first elected officials to publicly support same-sex marriage. And the USF School of Law presented an honorary degree to its commencement speaker, the Honorable John Roos, a former United States ambassador to Japan and a public supporter of same-sex marriage.
The prior year, the University chose USF alumna and San Francisco Supervisor London Breed to speak at its winter commencement ceremony, despite her support for same-sex marriage: “I opposed California’s Proposition 8, and spend a considerable amount of personal time communicating to voters in the African American community why this proposition must be defended,” boasted Breed in a candidate survey. “My Pastor, Rev. Amos Brown and I met with members of the African American Community to make it clear that we both support marriage equality.”
In 2012, the Jesuit university hosted an array of scandalous commencement speakers, including Mayor of San Francisco Edwin Lee, Congressman Lynn Woolsey and Justice Goodwin Liu, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California—all publicly in support of same-sex marriage. Woolsey received an honorary degree. Liu was infamously nominated to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2011 by President Obama, but the Senate rejected the nomination because of the extreme nature of Liu’s views.
In addition to honorary degrees and commencement speakers, the University’s Public Interest Law Foundation has frequently honored supporters of same-sex marriage with its Public Interest Excellence Award—sometimes explicitly citing their marriage activism as reason for the honor. These include San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2004; Kate Kendall, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, in 2006; Elizabeth Cabraser of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, in 2007; Shannon Price Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and San Francisco Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart in 2008; retired California supreme court justice Carlos Moreno in 2009; San Francisco assistant district attorney Victor Hwang in 2011; and attorney David Boies, “marriage” supporters Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and David Boies, the attorney who famously led the court fight to overturn California’s Proposition 8 and redefine marriage, in 2012.
For the University’s 100th anniversary of its law school in 2012, it also invited Boies to a convocation ceremony with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who helped produce a video for the “New Yorkers for Marriage Equality” project in which he said traditional marriage laws are “the last vestige of institutionalized bigotry that’s left in this country.”
In 2010, USF hosted “The Future of Same-Sex Marriage” Symposium, dominated by activist attorneys for LGBT causes and advocates of marriage redefinition including Brad Sears, director of The Charles R. Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA and Molly McKay, media director for Marriage Equality USA.
The Newman Society has reported many other concerns at USF related to LGBT issues. In 2011, a USF theology professor and a USF campus ministry leader publicly charged the Church with being “homophobic” and touted the University’s employee benefits for same-sex couples. Student activities have included a University-sponsored LGBT Community Celebration at a basketball game, LGBTQ t-shirts for the San Francisco Pride Parade, a University-sponsored film festival promoting abortion and same-sex relationships, and annual Lavender graduations.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that same-sex attracted persons are “called to chastity” and “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” The Catechism further explains that marriage is designed for one man and one woman and that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” as they are “contrary to the natural law” and “close the sexual act to the gift of life.” Furthermore, “[t]hey do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.”
For more on USF’s twitter scandal, see One Mad Mom‘s July 6 blog post.
So perhaps if members of the California Catholic Daily community had attended and listened to the “LGBT activist attorneys” who went to USF to tell you what the “future of same-sex marriage” was going to be, perhaps you wouldn’t have been so shocked by last month’s Supreme Court decision. Just a thought :p
Nobody I know was shocked by last month’s ruling. The real meaning of marriage died with the severing of jurisprudence with the Natural/Moral law, and that happened a long time ago.
Was there ever a conjoining of jurisprudence with so called natural law? I’m not aware there ever was, but I’m asking honestly to fill a void in my knowledge.
YFC, take a look at the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, among the current Supreme Court Justices, only Justice Thomas is a natural law guy.
Here is an example of the then-General Washington acting upon the natural law:
https://cnsnews.com/news/article/george-washington-drummed-out-soldier-infamous-crime-attempted-sodomy
YFC– Yes, if you read in history, civil law originated in Church Law, and Church Law is based on Biblical Law, which is based on Natural Law, and the Mosaic Law, given by God to the Jews. Of course, I am simplifying things here, to make it easier! If civil law is not grounded firmly in Natural Law, based on the Divine Creator– then, it is a LIE!! Our Nation originally was firmly established on a solid, objective, Judeo-Christian Biblical foundation– NOT on immature, subjective, immoral, individualistic whims, of unstable, unbalanced, Godless, liberal, radical instigators, who demand everything for their own selfish, hedonistic whims– and call it “law!”
I didn’t ask for a definition of natural law, I asked how it was ever incoporated into American jurisprudence. None of you offered any sort of evidence. Some of you tried to DEFINE Natural Law, though you did so incorrectly. That was not, however what my question was about.
Natural law presumes that human beings can determine through their own intellect and force of reason what is true and moral.
Increasingly, people who apply intellect and reason to the question of same sex marriage come to the conclusion that it is precisely appropriate that gay people be ordered towards stable permanent relationships, the kind we all call marriage.
YFC— Here is more information, on “universal,” or Natural Law, of Divine handiwork. Of course, in the “fallen” state, far from God– mankind can only get a glimpse of God’s Laws! Thus, the Jewish (Old
Test.) prophets and rulers were needed, to help guide God’s people, in their daily lives. Christ would eventually be born, to set His people free of enslavement to sin, and lead them directly to God! In a state of grace, close to God– mankind has little or no need of an organized state, with rulers, and laws! Here are two excellent Biblical quotes, from St. Paul– Romans 2:14-15, and Romans 7:14-25.
Sorry, but somehow, the computer typing skipped a line, in my second post!
HOMOSEXUL ACTS are Mortal sins. PERIOD.
This includes sodomy and sodomy marriage.
Mortal sins should never be promoted at any “Catholic” institution.
Un-repented Mortal Sins send Souls to Hell for eternity.
Gen 19:1-29; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Tim 1:10; Jude 1:7
Anyone who loves his/her neighbor as commanded by Jesus will not want him/her to go to Hell.
Homosexual marriage is lust, not love.
Wrong. Anyone who has been in a long term marriage -straight or gay- will tell you that the lust dies a very early death. And anyone in a new marriage wthether straight or gay will tell you there is a high level of lust. Think about it for a moment: If what gay people wanted was an excuse for lust, they would find it in a bar or online, not at city hall.
YFC– If you really love someone– you will never commit the sin of gay sex acts on them! You will control yourself! And pray daily, and lead a CHASTE life, close to Our Lord! He can help! He died for all of our sins! Great good can come out of bad situations, if we pray, stay close to God, and trust and obey Him! An “LGBT” who suffers a lot, may be blessed to get very close to God, due to a great need for prayer, penance, and CHASTITY! AIDS victims suffer and die daily– tragic victims of false statements of “love!”
]YFC the future of gay marriage will mean sodomites like you demanding the Church marry you and your boyfriends.
Fr. Fitzgerald in his reply stated that USF is a Jesuit Catholic university. Unfortunately, he is mistaken. While USF remains a Jesuit university, it stopped being a true Catholic university a long time ago.
My daughter, I see more Pharisees among Christians than there were around Pilate. — St. Margaret of Cortona
You cannot please both God and the world at the same time, They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires, and their actions. — St. John Vianney
Shame on this priest! Someone remind him of his duty!
“A Catholic priest has no politics but the Gospel and fears no recriminations.”
– St. Don Bosco
“As these ages sped, the Church of God, though afflicted by many a disaster and social upheaval, torn by many a heresy and schism, anguished by the treason of her followers and by the disloyalty of her sons, nevertheless, trusting in the promises of her Founder, while human institutions of varying origin that surrounded her fell in ruins, not only stood safe and unharmed, but also in every age glowed with brighter beauty in noble lives of holiness and devotion, while in many Christians she made the fire of charity burn with growing heat. Moreover, thanks to her missionaries and martyrs she brought into her Fold fresh nations, among whom the pristine glory of virginity renews its bloom and the rank of priest and Bishop keeps its vigor. In…
Most Catholic universities are no longer Catholic. They are a disgrace to Christ. No wonder Catholics are becoming Protestant and agnostics. Our Lord is not impressed with what has been taught in the name of His Church.
All those who are employed by a “Catholic” University, Diocese, or other “Catholic” organization should be fired – if they do not adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Faith as stated in:
1) Sacred Scripture (a Catholic Bible);
2) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition” of 1997.
People learn by example, and people are scandalized by example.
Let’s acknowledge at least one thing – that the Jesuit president of USF made a public statement that the University supports the Catholic teaching on marriage. Until the very moment that statement was made, the idea was unfathomable, and never would have occurred under the prior president, Stephen Privett, SJ. Kudos to the Cardinal Newman Society for its relentless pursuit of apostasy from the faith on Catholic campuses. Please financially support the CNS. http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org.
A sad reminder the Jesuits apparently are no longer Catholic, and USF is no a Catholic University. You cannot support evil, a sin that cries to Heaven for vengeance and claim to be Catholic. They should change the name of the university to Harvey Milk U. Time for them to stop pretending and lying about who they really are.
U.S.F. has not been Catholic for decades now, VERY SAD!!!
There’s not much reason to single out USF. It is only one of the 28 Jesuit colleges / universities in this country, none of whom make the Cardinal Newman Society list of faithful Catholic colleges. The extent of USF’s apostasy may be greater than a lot of other Jesuit schools, and more extensively documented, but it’s just a matter of degree. So the obvious question is why are the Jesuit schools so afflicted? The obvious answer is that the root of the problem is the Jesuits themselves. This order (and its insurers) has paid out a quarter billion dollars in legal settlements during the years of the abuse crisis, against abuse claims overwhelmingly predominantly homosexual in nature. There is no news here. Parents who choose any of…
“Non serviam,” said Lucifer! And he refused to serve Almighty God! He had the deadly sin of Pride, which dealt to him a mortal wound! He would not serve God! Only himself! And the once-beautiful, shining Angel, the leader of the Heavenly Host– fell from Heaven, in a mighty flash of lightening! Next, the evil, fallen, disordered Prince of Darkness, roamed the world, seeking to destroy the souls of mankind, God’s children! And especially— to destroy the holy work of Christ, God’s Son! Satan has now ruined the Jesuit Order, and may Christ conquer the Devil someday, and win back His holy priests!
One must wonder why is it that the Jesuits are consistently on the side of the Sin of Sodom. They might have many perverts among their priests, but they cannot be the majority and in addition they are celibate. Yet they keep on fighting relentlessly for the betrayal of the Catholic Church. We owe in large part to Latin American Jesuits this Marxist preferential option for the poor – Marxist Liberation Theology – that now envelops our Church.
One of the most suspicious things in my mind is that the Jesuits have called a General Congegation in October 2015 to elect a new “Black Pope”, as their Superior-General is called. Have you ever heard anything about this in the press? Well no; and when the hide these things there is reason to…
‘Defend Christianity’ pointed out that both Homosexual Activists Kagan and Ginsberg ‘performed’ Homoses ‘weddings’ – Before they Even Ruled, and Should have Recused Themselves on that alone…
– along with the Homosex Self Interest conflicts of Kagan and Sotomayor mirroring former Judge Walker in Frisco.
here are more than sufficient grounds to Petition for Rehearing of the “Gay Marriage” ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court! Not the least of which is the failure of Justices Ginsberg and Justice Keagan refusing to recuse themselves, even though they performed gay weddings prior to hearing the case!
TAKE ACTION:
It only takes a few minutes to stand for Holy Matrimony. Contact the following state Attorney Generals and…
From Defending Christianity
TAKE ACTION:
It only takes a few minutes to stand for Holy Matrimony. Contact the following state Attorney Generals and urge them to file the appeal. Tuesday, July 21 is the deadline!
Call then forward to your family and friends!
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuete (517) 373-1110
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (800) 282-0515
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III (615) 741-3491
Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway (502) 696-5300
When is the last time an appeal to the Supreme Court to actually rehear its own case was granted? Ever? If it was reheard, did it ever overturn itself? ever?
Of course you MM should know, seeing as how you are an attorney and all, that having performed a same sex wedding does not give the justices any sort of pecuniary interest in the outcome of the case that wold warrant their recusal. Having a prior opinion about the some aspects of a case, even some legal aspects of a case, does not warrant their recusal either. Justice Scalia’s son ran Courage for many years, but I didn’t hear you calling for his recusal.