Crisis in the Senate
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Our faith is under constant attack in this ever-more-profane world. It's bad enough to face it from without, but even worse when it's self-imposed. A case in point is the recent doubletalk coming from Katie Corboy, president of St. Mary's college, a women's school roughly adjacent to the University of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Ind.
We will for the time overlook the many efforts by Notre Dame to erase its Catholic heritage and instead concentrate on the diversion taking place across the street at St. Mary's. Following the secular pack is always a temptation for those weak in the faith and St. Mary's fell for it big time. It's doing its best to emulate its sister (brother?) school by dabbling in policies that skirt Catholic doctrine.
Last year, St. Mary's decided that, even though it has a catholic history dating back to its founding in 1844, now was the time to venture into the ever-changing world of gender deviance by admitting men who had transitioned themselves into girls, or so they say. Sounds like a lousy idea but it follows right in the footsteps of the NCAA, which is trying its best to eliminate women's sports by blurring the difference between real and trans girls.
The announcement of this caving to modern culture was greeted by a fierce and well-coordinated firestorm of discontent on the part of students who preferred the status quo. To his credit, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, spoke out loud and clear, noting that the decision "departs from fundamental Catholic teaching…and compromises its very identity as a Catholic woman's college." The Church needs more men like Bishop Rhoades.
So Ms. Corboy rescinded her decision and said she was just kidding. This is a girl's school and will always remain so.
Or will it? The doubletalk is breathtaking and worthy of the finest word spinners (Karine, are you listening?). According to a Wall Street Journal op-ed on the matter, Ms. Corboy said the original decision reflected "our College's commitment to live out our Catholic values as a loving and just community." Huh? What Catholic values is she talking about? What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church have to say on this matter?
She adds that the policy was reversed because "we underestimated our community's genuine desire to be engaged in…shaping a policy of such significance." Note that she did not say that the decision was morally wrong, nor that the Bishop didn't like it, only that it upset some people who made things uncomfortable for her. She should get a new job, and a backbone.
So, it's back to girls only, for now. But, the college is "profoundly informed by our journey toward equity, inclusion, and justice," says Ms. Corboy. The Rev. Daniel Horan, director of the college's Center for Spirituality, posted a since-deleted tweet affirming that "Trans women are women. Trans men are men." Clearly, the case is not closed.
Dave Mishur is a graduate of Loyola University-Chicago, where he majored in Philosophy and met Patricia Pochron, his wife of 55 years, who passed away in 2020. He is a former Latin Teacher, Public Relations professional for several major corporations, and a Marketing Consultant. Located in Central Illinois, he has been a newspaper reporter and editor and penned a column called Second Thoughts that was locally syndicated for 15 years. In 2021 he published The Jesus Diary, An Anonymous Observer's Record of the Life and Accomplishments of Our Savior. In his new book, The Big Tent: The Saga of Christianity After Christ, which was published in May of last year, he uses the same anonymous observer to bring life and excitement to the adventures of Peter, Paul and the apostles after the Ascension of Jesus Christ.
