LOS ANGELES — Abortion coverage in health-care plans is about to get the axe at Loyola Marymount University, but the step taken by the Jesuit college’s administration to follow Catholic teaching has raised protests from many of the faculty.
“LMU can either be a great American Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions or it can be an institution that demands obedience to and conformity with Catholic doctrine; it cannot be both,” stated a letter written by a group of faculty to the school's president, David Burcham, and the board of trustees' chairwoman, Kathleen Aikenhead. The letter was an internal document anonymously obtained by the Register.
Abortion coverage in LMU health plans entered the limelight over the summer after a Catholic tenured professor, James Hanink, who teaches philosophy, learned from the Human Resources Department that LMU covered elective abortion in its health plans. Hanink told the Register that he believed “bureaucratic incompetence” was the reason the administration did not realize abortion coverage was not required under state law.
“The university has a certain institutional vocation. Critical to the vocation today is to stand fast to the basic good of human life,” Hanink said. “But the university has failed to do so.”
Hanink pointed out that the university dropped this coverage back in 1988. He said he found it troubling that abortion coverage silently re-entered LMU health-care plans at some point between 1988 and 2013, but without any public discussion or putting up a fight against the insurance companies making abortion a covered benefit.
He added that discussion about the HHS mandate at LMU has been next to nothing.
“It’s as if a great campaign of national urgency never existed,” he said.
Just a few days after RenewLMU, an alumni association concerned with LMU’s Catholic identity, sent a letter outlining members' concerns about the faculty and abortion coverage, President Burcham and Aikenhead announced that LMU was canceling elective abortion coverage. An Aug. 15 letter from Burcham and Aikenhead obtained by the Register said LMU officials had been misinformed by its “health-care consultants and carriers” about the legal need to provide abortion coverage and were taking corrective action pending approval from the board of trustees.
Burcham and Aikenhead stated that canceling abortion coverage “flows directly from our values as a Catholic university in the Jesuit/Marymount traditions.”
Faculty Unrest
However, the move has provoked faculty unrest. According to one source, President Burcham was met by a very hostile faculty senate when he addressed the matter in person.
Jennifer Pate, president of LMU’s faculty senate, explained that the body itself had no position on the abortion coverage. However, she said two issues for the faculty senate are that the normal procedure (going through the university’s comprehensive benefits committee) was not followed and that not much explanation was given.
“We actually have people in favor of removing the coverage who are also not happy with the fact that we didn’t follow the standard process,” Pate said.“The only language I’ve seen [justifying the change] is because of our religious affiliation.”
Other faculty members have stated that, regardless of the process, their primary objection is that they do not understand why a Catholic university would remove elective abortion from its insurance policy. The internal letter from some faculty to Burcham, Aikenhead and the board states, “It has been tricky to discern any clear philosophy behind either the process or the substance of the decision.”
The letter alleges that the substance of the decision — removing abortion coverage — violates the requirement that the university be a place where women “can achieve wholeness as persons,” citing Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution for Catholic colleges and universities, to make that claim.
Dropping abortion coverage over the university’s respect-for-life concerns, it continues, would violate social-justice principles, impose economic burdens on women and their families, particularly “the lowest paid women on campus, who are also mostly likely women of color.” It also alleged that the decision would violate employees’ “freedom of conscience” and harm the university’s ability to recruit a diverse faculty. The letter appealed to the 1967 Land O’Lakes statement that argued the participation of non-Catholics in the Catholic university community was “most desirable, and indeed, even necessary, to bring authentic universality itself.”
The letter says the “most troubling aspect” of the decision to remove abortion coverage is “[t]he evident lack of a consistent or well-articulated vision for the university and its Catholic mission.”
Catholic-Identity Problems?
Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a watchdog of Catholic identity on Catholic campuses, told the Register that arguing for abortion coverage from Ex Corde “is absurd.”
“Ex Corde Ecclesiae says that every action, every policy or commitment of a university must be in accord with its Catholic identity,” he said.
The document states that a Catholic university's “institutional fidelity” to the Christian message “includes a recognition of and adherence to the teaching authority of the Church in matters of faith and morals.” It adds that Catholic university members are called to “a personal fidelity to the Church,” while non-Catholic members “are required to respect the Catholic character of the university, while the university in turn respects their religious liberty.”
Reilly said that a letter leaked to the Cardinal Newman Society from LMU’s “LGBT Faculty and Staff Network” also argues for abortion coverage from alleged Catholic teaching. But he said the letter showed misguided notions of tolerance and a “philosophy of relativism” were being substituted for Catholic teaching “as if they’re Catholic” in order to promote abortion.
“Clearly there is a deliberate attempt to distort the meaning of a Catholic university for a pro-abortion agenda,” he said. “However, on some level, the fact that they believe they can make such arguments indicates the sort of confusion that we find in many Catholic universities about what it means to be Catholic.”
David Luke, ’93, president of RenewLMU, said the years of abortion coverage and the faculty revolt over removing it highlight the main concern of his organization: that LMU has a “Catholic-identity problem.”
Luke said the faculty letter illustrates why Ex Corde called for Catholic universities to have a majority Catholic faculty.
“Not only does Loyola not have a majority of Catholic faculty, but this vocal faculty opposition raises the question of whether they have enough faculty that respect Catholic teaching and belief,” he said.
Back in April, the Register reported that three out of four candidates submitted for final consideration to head LMU’s Bioethics Institute had positions at odds with Catholic teaching on abortion and the dignity of human life. The administration subsequently decided to accept none of the candidates, and it instead selected Roberto Dell’Oro, a Catholic and former member of the Ethics/Theologian Committee of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, for the post.
RenewLMU has made its own petition to the board, urging them to follow the guidance of Ex Corde and ratify the decision of Burcham and Aikenhead to follow the example of other Catholic colleges and universities in excluding abortion coverage from health plans.
Pate said her main concern is that the university conduct a dialogue on Ex Corde Ecclesiae and how Catholic identity, academic freedom and intellectual diversity all work together.
“There hasn’t been a lot of communication yet, so we are hoping the things that happen as a result of this board meeting are: What are the goals? What are we trying to accomplish? What is the purpose of the change, and what are the expectations as a result of the change?” she said. “We really haven’t gotten that much information at all.”
Reaching a Resolution
If the board approves Burcham and Aikenhead's decision, then abortion coverage in all LMU health plans will cease on Jan. 1, 2014. A statement to the Register from LMU said that the board of trustees has decided to take up the issue of abortion coverage in LMU health plans “because they are the guardians of LMU’s Catholic mission and identity.”
It stated, “After hearing from members of the entire LMU community, the board will discuss the issue and determine a course of action that is in keeping with LMU’s institutional commitment to Catholicism, as well as its commitment to diversity and being a place of welcome for all, at its October board meeting.”
Luke said he hoped the board would take these events as a wake-up call that LMU’s Catholic identity and vision needs shoring up. He said RenewLMU’s alumni were committed to working with the board and administration to improve that.
“I do believe President Burcham is trying to do the right thing, and I am hopeful the board will support him in that effort,” Luke said. “If that is the case, I think Loyola will have taken a positive step forward.”
Peter Jesserer Smith is a Register staff writer.
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If you say your organisation or university is Catholic, then BE Catholic. And the true definition of being Catholic is to believe and behave in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church (to the best of your ability, with God’s grace).
As for the comment “LMU can either be a great American Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions or it can be an institution that demands obedience to and conformity with Catholic doctrine; it cannot be both,” -what absolute rubbish!!!!
You can’t be the former unless you are also the latter. Simple as that.
An obvious problem in some Catholic colleges is the presence of faculty who not only are not Catholic but are diametrically opposed to Catholic teaching. It is time to mandate that all professors are accepting of the magisterial authority and subscribe to the catechism.
Are proffersors stupid?
I found the faculty claim that abortion coverage is needed for “the lowest paid women on campus, who are also mostly likely women of color” particularly disgusting. It’s so reminiscent of Margaret Sanger, wanting to keep minorities from reproducing. Shame on them!!
Now they need to stop coverage of ALL birth-control and all those that use birth-control and dare to call themselves ‘catholic’ needs to repent and get to confession right away. When will the Cardinals, Bishops & Priests take a stand about this evil and denounce it from the pulpits? It is better to lose money in the basket than to lose souls in hell. +JMJ+
They are getting paid to teach not to be activists.
Why should the college pay for abortions at all? There are too many so-called Catholic Colleges in the country that continue to support abortion. They should have their affiliation of removed from the church.
Every institution or individual that calls themselves Catholic must follow Catholic teachings. You can’t call yourself a Catholic if you don’t. It’s about time the university brought themselves into adherence. That’s been the problem with someone calling themslef Catholic-they want to say they are but not act the way they should be. Be Catholic!
“LMU can either be a great American Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions or it can be an institution that demands obedience to and conformity with Catholic doctrine; it cannot be both,” stated a letter written by a group of faculty to the school’s president, David Burcham, and the board of trustees’ chairwoman, Kathleen Aikenhead. The letter was an internal document anonymously obtained by the Register.
Doesn’t being catholic mean conforming to catholic doctrine. Fire them all.
There is a simple way these professors can solve the problem—Quit if they can’t respect the Catholic character of Loyola Marymount and what should follow from that character with regard to reverence for human life.
This is merely one example of how far down the road to secularism “Catholic” universities have traveled. Very few follow the principles set down in Ex Corde Ecclesiae. A survey of Catholic institutions would show how many currently provide abortion coverage in their health care plans. It is scandalous that officers and Boards governing these institutions have abdicated their responsibility to protect and preserve their Catholic character. Let’s hope that some good will come of exposing this and other problems of similar nature affecting institutions that call themselves “Catholic” but have abandoned any effort to conform to Catholic teaching.
—where women “can achieve wholeness as persons”. I thought Catholic Universities were supposed to be hallmarks of Thomasan logic. This is like placing Dexter on the state board of pardons and paroles. These people couldn’t think their way out of a self contradictory syllogism. If they want abortion coverage, let them teach at Berkley. And speaking of Catholic Universities, it has been over a decade since a papal edict requiring them to affirm their Catholic identity. Seems there is always someone who doesn’t get the word.
“LMU can either be a great American Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions or it can be an institution that demands obedience to and conformity with Catholic doctrine”.
Practicing Catholicism means the same thing. The Jesuits are a Catholic order, thereby following Catholic doctrine. It’s not rocket science!
There is only one Magisterium and all Catholic learning institutions should follow the Magisterium of the Catholic Church ,or change their name, or are we to believe that the Land of lakes decision also disagreed with God’s prohibition of lying and deceit. The naysayers are certainly not making the Pope’s job any easier.
I agree, if you are a Catholic institution, then BE CATHOLIC! If the professors don’t agree, then they need to find another job! If you don’t abide by Catholic teaching, then you are Protestors…go teach at a Presbyterian or Lutheran college. It is long past due for Catholics to stand up and speak out (Bishops included) about the casual and loose actions of those who make their own religion as they go and call it catholic.
If someone doesn’t want to follow the positions of the Catholic faith, why do they work at a Catholic business? You always have a choice where you work , even if the choices are few, they are there.
You are a Catholic institution. That is your explanation to all who need one. Good for you. If your Faculty doesn’t agree with protection of life they shouldn’t be teaching at a Catholic University. It lends itself to confusion to the students and other employees about what Catholocism really means and stands for. This is a basic right for all human beings your faculty included, but not limited to just them . It reaches even the most vulnerable of society. The unborn. Praise God you found out and corrected this coverage.
I was suprised by the article pointing out that many faculty couldn’t understand why a Catholic University would be against abortion and then use the liberal argument of imposing a burden on women. This says to me that the Church and the University have not done enough to explain the relative value of these principles. I doubt faculty women have that great of a burden, and personally, if they’re getting elective abortions, they shouldn’t be working there just as a matter of conscience.
The counterarguments are not strong. LMU must hire faculty who (if not Catholic) are willing to respect Catholic teachings, or else we must not call LMU a Catholic University. Simply put.
THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE 2ND PARAGRAPH NEEDS TO BE EDITED TO READ:
“LMU can either be a great American Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions or it can be an institution that IS REBELLIOUS AND DEFIANTLY HOSTILE TOWARD obedience to and conformity with Catholic doctrine; it cannot be both.”
This grave apostasy is nothing to be proud of. If I had a child to send to college, I would not even consider LMU. There are hundreds of other non-Catholic pagan universities in the US. LMU fits into this category. Their goal is to indoctrinate young minds on the “virtues” of nihilism, infanticide, secular perversions and open rebellion to what the Catholic Church will always stand for. How can such imposters, president David Burcham and the board of trustees’ chairman, Kathleen Aikenhead, delude themselves into thinking they run a Catholic University. WHAT AN UTTER FARCE and DISGRACE!
Loyola Marymount is just one of the “Catholic” institutions, along with the; LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) and the USCCB, that have been receiving large sums of money from the anti-Catholic Hilton Foundation.
From the school that brings you a yearly Lavender Graduation, a law school that promotes homosexuality and abortion and graduates that don’t know the Faith…
After asking an LMU professor and a university official about mandatums and receiving no reply, why should this be a surprise?
I can’t believe I just read this.
“LMU can either be a great American Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions or it can be an institution that demands obedience to and conformity with Catholic doctrine; it cannot be both,”
************************************************************************
If it’s not truly a Catholic University in teaching & doctrine, they should refund the parents & students who were deceived.
Reading through these comments, I wonder what Jesus thinks as he watches good Catholics pushing to the front of the crowd to loudly and proudly cast the first stone. Abortion is not a choice, it is a desperate act of an individual who first reaches out for direction and help, but finds only condemnation, ridicule and hatred. What better way for a Catholic university to affirm a reverence for human life,to be Catholic, to conform to doctrine,to honor and respect the rights and opinions of women than to include elective abortions in its health coverage and NOT HAVE THE COVERAGE USED because the Catholic university (and its alumni) demonstrates its identity, practices and acts out its faith and commitment to Christ by offering other support and options that make this desperate act unnecessary? Choosing to drop the coverage does not demonstrate either an individual or institutional commitment to Catholic faith or doctrine, it is evidence of how Catholics readily abandon their personal relationship with God because it is easier to march self-rightously into heaven on a road they have paved with bloody stones.
“The letter alleges that the substance of the decision — removing abortion coverage — violates the requirement that the university be a place where women “can achieve wholeness as persons,” citing Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution for Catholic colleges and universities, to make that claim.” - Snake, is that you? Are you telling me that I can become like God when I eat this fruit, and without this fruit I will not achieve wholeness?
Might I suggest that the above quote be rephrased as follows, which would make it far more accurate: “LMU can either be a great American Catholic university, or it can be an institution in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. It cannot be both.”
If these Catholic -in -name-only academics are so outraged, let them leave their posts to pursue “greener pastures.” Or better yet, have them work in a secular institution for less money, longer hours and more intense professional demands. Young Catholic minds don’t need their poison!
It is high time faculty were defanged. Why are faculty who oppose Basic Christian teaching (against abortion) ... not to mention specifically Roman Catholic teaching ... teaching at Marymount?
In the middle of the article there is a statement that astounds me - when they call the Newman society a watchdog of Catholic Identity. That alone is a very telling comment.
The Newman Society I have know - back into my old College Days weren’t watchdogs - they cared deeply for their fellow students and were there for them - as were their staff. They were servants not somekind of secret intelligence agency.
Sadly written
Support Ted Cruz. A man who does what he says he will do. A man of principle.
Last night I attended a 40 days for Life Kickoff in Spring, TX.
It was unique that the 78,000 sqft abortion facility in North America host an annual fundraiser for the Harris County Democratic Party.
Liberals-Democrats-Abortion-Gay Marriage-Anti Religious freedom-
Pray for the professors who teach the Catholic youth of today. Pray for the Catholic youth and their parents who think they are being taught Catholic principles at their universities.
Once you finish praying. STAND FOR LIFE!
LMU is way off the Catholic tract. I have seen New Age teaching on the guest lists and curriculum as well as the loud activism of anti-Catholic groups which have been allowed to form under the guise of diversity. That activism creates a plague in our Catholic Universities under the guise of ‘diversity’ and ‘tolerance.’ The administrators obviously do not connect with a true Catholic identity, but have been caught up with the ‘free speech,’ and RELATIVISM of secularists. I might add, that LMU is not the only school where I have first hand experience. I think in general that the Catholic University Religion departments, and the “Catholic” philosophy teachers have had their Catholicism averted by secular-minded administrators who cave in to anti-Catholic agendas. The devout Catholics in teaching and administrators are drowned out of control and out of touch with the student population as a whole. I’ve written my letters… Maybe it is time for Catholics like us have some Catholic Activism and identify those who go against Catholic teaching on the administrative level. Weed them out.
Awesome…a step in the right direction.
Jesuit and Marymount ‘tradition’ is Catholic and is bound to follow the doctrine and tenets of the Catholic Church. If administrators do not understand that from the get-go, they should not be hired or we get the many Catholic institutions like Loyola Marymount University in California. My bet is that USD and USF are similar, and that St. Mary’s and Dominican are questionable. They are all tainted by the culture around them. A problem is that there are no Catholic personal standards for those who are being hired, so why should they have any conviction to protect Catholic tenets? Contraception, Abortion, Sodomy and Pre-marital Sex; no problem. They pass that lax standard on to the students. And what a mess.
Okay, aside from the specific subject of abortion, there are so many things wrong with that letter from the faculty that I don’t even know where to begin. They all need to go back to some freshman logic and philosophy classes. (The fallacies, they burn!!!)
Since LMU is in the LA Archdiocese, where’s Archbishop Gomez in all this? Of course, between this Jesuit school, the Jesuit HS found with a pro-abortion politician on their board, and the Religious Education Conference (with Pelosi-type speakers)each year, you can’t expect much.
Abortion is against all teachings of Christ, be it Catholic, Protestant, Lutheran, Baptist, Jehovah Witness etc. A Chaste life which is one of the first teachings; ensures that the need of Catholic assistance to negate the CATHOLIC SANCTATY OF LIFE DOCTRINE is not the answer. For those who are too educated to understand this concept: It is real easy: no sex, no pregnancies, hence no need for abortion rules, laws or medical coverage issues. For married people; again, real simple: You got married to be a couple and to procreate: hence, your promise to uphold the sanctity of life doctrine exists by your marital promises. There is also the fact that if you did not want children then why marry. But either way you can be chaste. An individuals choice not to control his or her desires is not a green light for the loss of innocent lives. Life no matter how small and fragile IS NOT DISPOSABLE! JUST BECAUSE YOU NOW DECIDE YOU DO NOT WANT A PREGNANCY, IT IS NOT OKAY TO END A LIFE! YOU ARE NOT THE ONE WHO NEEDS PROTECTION! YOU ARE ONLY A PARTICIPANT IN A NEW LIFE!
Shame on the participants and proponents in ABORTION! IT IS WRONG! IT IS IMMORAL! YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS AT SOME POINT! I Pray that all will become chaste, honorable, welcoming, loving, and find their way and come to fully honor the Sanctity of Life Doctrine. AMEN! AMEN!
Since when is the Jesuit tradition not compatible with Catholic doctrine? When I had questions about artificial birth control as a young woman, a Jesuit explained to me by means of a simple comparison with eating and nourishment why separating the pleasure of the sex act from its life-giving purpose was wrong…and I was recently able to pass that explanation along to my own son who is questioning now. Surely, it is not a Jesuit position that it is OK to destroy innocent unborn life; even more surely having the “choice” to do that is not something I want or need to be fulfilled as a woman. Plenty of modern women don’t want abortion as an option on the table for them or anyone they care about. Please visit FeministsForLife.org if you do not understand the statment that “Women Deserve Better Than Abortion.” I am appalled that “Catholic” professors do not understand what it really means to be pro woman and pro life in our world today, and apparently want to appear to be more “with it” and “liberal” than the Catholic Church rather than swimming up stream a little.
Abortion is EVIL period. Those who participate will in the end meet God who is merciful but just. We are not supposed to judge but how can we stand by and let our country and Obama dictate their rules about LIFE/abortion. Catholic Colleges must always protect Life in all its stages and teach their students the lessons that they need to combat the evils that are now in our World. The colleges should make sure that the teachings of the Catholic Church are taught by ALL professors if they want to keep their jobs. I stand by your decision to take out the abortion mandate from your insurance. God bless you for your faithfulness to God.
Wealthy women and their relatives will always have access to an abortion. The policy does not require anyone to get an abortion, only to have health insurance coverage so they aren’t forced to pay for it. While it would be great if no one ever had to get an abortion, until this country is willing to really be “pro-life” and provide sufficient sex education to teenagers, and if they do get pregnant to provide financial aid, shelter and food for the mother, I will continue to support abortion rights for women. As for the poster who thinks Ted Cruz is so great, he voted to substantially defund the SNAP program (food stamps)when 75% of the recipients are elderly, children, and veterans. Shame on him and those who think that’s a great idea.
THE BOTTOM LINE IN ALL OF THIS CONTROVERSY IS:
“THOU SHALT NOT KILL”
God’s Blessings to us all, Maureen
Profs insist ‘obedience and conformity to Catholic doctrine’ contradicts school’s traditions
“making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have delivered. And you do many such things.” Jesus Christ
Abortion is murder. Homosexual acts are intrinsically evil, and contraception is against the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Period.
I am going to pray for this university president and board. What else is there to say. Catholic it is not, but deserving of our prayers it is. It is really hard to fathom that this situation is going on. I often feel that the secular influences in my life are overwhelming….to see the secular proposition being promoted in a Catholic University is just breathtaking in its audacity. May the merciful God be present…..or close the University down.
I would understand the hiring of non Catholics at the catholic institution if there weren’t enough catholic professors. Bt we are everywhere. In science, doing research, like myself, teaching all areas. We are everywhere and are dealing with secular institutions what ignore our values. Maybe keep the secular institutions their way and let the catholic institutions be…Catholic. But the idiots in charge need to bring in Catholics. I’ve heard the silliness about allowing all sorts of nonsense in the name of hiring the best faculty. The evidence, however is almost nonexistent. It’s like saying we were not a world class research university prior to this pro glbtqq policy. It’s an ideology that is quite obviously false.
Say what you mean and do what you say. The Catholic faith has to stay and follow it’s basic truth’s.
Jesus is the creator of life, the Catholic faith is following the true way of the cross. “Let the little children
come to me.” You can’t follow two masters….. the world view or the way of the cross. There is no half way
here, either you follow the teachings of Christ or you laugh in God’s face.
I look forward to the day that the LA Archdiocese and all archdiocese in the US require that Catholic schools and universities follow fundamental moral principles; as well as expect the same from its faculty and administrators. The stuff is just beginning to hit the fan- especially with ObamaCare and HHS infringing on our religious tenets. But Uni’s like Georgetown and Notre Dame welcome the bugs that spread the viruses against our religion even more. One great problem is that there are Catholics who are (silently) pro-abortion and pro-contraception-many of them in the university environment. After a while those sins blind them, polluting the minds and actions of their students, and falsely empower some parents. It becomes an evil virus. The USCCB better get a grip on OUR SCHOOLS and take action before we have 50 more years of something worse. The school are subsidized by the government, but we better define ‘mammon’ right asap!
Catholic Colleges are removing God from their mission statements and replacing the word God with terms like - the sacredness of earth and global community. Why are these Catholic Colleges still allowed to market themselves as Catholic College?
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