On Wednesday, January 9th, pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama addressed a large crowd at Saint Peter’s College, a Jesuit Catholic institution in Jersey City, N.J., generating considerable media attention to his campaign.
“It’s irresponsible for a Catholic college and its leadership to host a political rally for an aggressively pro-abortion candidate,” said Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. “Such events curry public attention at the expense of public morality. In so doing, they demonstrate reckless disregard for the most vulnerable human lives and contribute to the general decline of Catholic higher education.”
The president of Saint Peter’s College, Dr. Eugene J. Cornacchia, endorsed the event in a prior press release, welcoming Obama “as we would welcome any presidential candidate who wishes to discuss and debate the ideas and events that are shaping our history.” The college worked cooperatively with the Obama campaign to provide links for media registration and public participation. According to the Obama campaign website, 1,074 individuals registered for the event as a result of the Saint Peter’s College link.
The Cardinal Newman Society has protested similar events in the past, citing the U.S. bishops’ 2004 mandate that Catholic institutions should refuse speaking platforms and honors for abortion advocates. Obama supports Roe v. Wade, partial-birth abortion and embryonic stem cell research. He has voted against parental notification and for increased contraceptive funding for teenagers.
“As the 2008 political campaigns intensify, the Cardinal Newman Society calls on all Catholic colleges and universities to remain true to their Catholic identity and principles and reject any manipulation by politicians who work against these principles,” he said. “A college or university is dedicated to seeking and teaching truth, and a Catholic university embraces the truths of the Catholic faith.”
Saint Peter’s College honored Judge Reginald Stanton of the New Jersey Superior Court as its commencement speaker in 2003. During his judicial career, Stanton reached beyond his judicial obligations to publicly advocate abortion rights and assisted suicide by starvation.
To add to the festive nature of the Obama rally, the choir of Saint Dominic Academy performed, wearing their distinctive school uniforms. Saint Dominic Academy is a girls' Catholic high school in Jersey City. A photo of the choir and 38 other photos of the event are on the college's website.
