Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino has called on Misericordia University to prove its fidelity to Catholic teaching on sexuality following a campus lecture by a gay rights activist.

“It’s common sense that a Catholic university ought to uphold Catholic teaching,” said Patrick J. Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. “Parents and students nationwide who yearn for authentic Catholic education will be grateful for Bishop Martino’s public stand.”

On Tuesday, February 24, Bishop Martino called on Misericordia to provide evidence of its fidelity to Catholic teaching in a publicly released statement. The Bishop insisted that the university “convey to its alumni, and in fact to all the faithful of the Diocese of Scranton, its efforts to teach Catholic morality regarding sexuality and homosexuality” by “naming courses, content and even catalog numbers.”

The statement was in response to Misericordia’s insistence that it “is committed deeply to its Catholic mission,” following a public scolding by Bishop Martino for permitting gay rights activist Keith Boykin to speak on campus on February 17.

Boykin, who served President Bill Clinton as special assistant in his administration, is a regular contributor to CNBC. Boykin is an avid supporter of gay rights and was president of the National Black Justice Coalition, an organization established in 2003 to organize African American support for same-sex marriage rights. Boykin is the New York Times best-selling author of One More River to Cross: Black and Gay in America, in which he discusses his own “coming out,” his first sexual experience, and the lives of prominent black and gay individuals.

Bishop Martino called Boykin’s beliefs “disturbingly opposed to Catholic moral teaching,” according to The Times Tribune. He also expressed “absolute disapproval” of the appearance of an “avid supporter of same-sex marriage” at Misericordia.

The Diocese of Scranton issued a statement which reads in part: “The faithful of the Diocese of Scranton… should be in no doubt that Misericordia University in this instance is seriously failing in maintaining its Catholic identity.”