The president of Creighton University, Father John Schlegel, S.J., recently announced the cancellation of a September campus appearance by author Anne Lamott, a well known advocate of abortion and euthanasia. Prior to the cancellation, large numbers of faithful Nebraska Catholics and other pro-life advocates mobilized to voice their objections. Ms. Lamott had been invited by the university to speak on September 19^th as part of a Women and Health lecture series.

In a letter issued to university faculty on August 31^st, Fr. Schlegel stated that Ms. Lamott’s support for euthanasia convinced him that university sponsorship of her lecture was incompatible with Catholic teachings. Lamott is known for her participation in a friend’s suicide, an act she considers charitable.

Fr. Schlegel met with Archbishop Elden Curtiss days after the cancellation and subsequently announced that the university would undertake a review of its speaker policies.

Earlier this summer Archbishop Curtiss cut ties with Creighton’s Center for Marriage and Family because its leadership advocated positions contrary to Catholic teachings.