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Boston College’s Iconic Gesture
Posted by Tom McFeely
Monday, February 09, 2009 3:29 PM
The Cardinal Newman Society reports today on an unexpected move at Boston college — the placement of crucifixes and icons on many classrooms.
According to the Boston College Observer, the religious articles were placed in the classrooms during Christmas break at the instruction of Jesuit Father William Leahy, the president of Boston College.
The Observer reports that the move has met with a hostile reception from some Boston College’s faculty.
“I can hardly imagine a more effective way to denigrate the faculty of an educational institution,” Amir Hoveyda, chairperson of Boston College’s chemistry department, told The Observer. “If that has been the purpose of the administration of Boston College, I congratulate them, as they have succeeded brilliantly.”
Readers of Daily Blog won’t be surprised to learn that we disagree strenuously with Hoveyda’s criticism of Father Leahy’s laudable effort to make Boston College’s Catholic character more tangibly evident on the BC campus.
In fact, we endorse the take of Cardinal Newman Society president Patrick Reilly:
“By what logic would someone expect a Catholic college or university to be non-Catholic?” Reilly commented. “The complaints are a sad consequence of the mixed signals from Boston College over several years. At times Catholic teaching and tradition are celebrated, other times they are scorned and undermined. But the crucifixes are a very happy movement forward!”
| Filed under boston college, catholic colleges
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