Bishops vs. Vagina Monologues

An interesting article forwarded to me by SPH.

Bishops Shun Notre Dame

Here are some highlights:
*The Committee on Doctrine is chaired by Bishop William Lori ofBridgeport and includes five other bishops from, respectively, SanAntonio,Washington, Toledo, Paterson, and Oakland. Cardinal George of Chicagois aconsultant to the Committee, as is Dr. John Cavadini, Chair of theNotre DameTheology Department and one of the conference's organizers.

*The Committee's seminar was to be held on campus on February11-13, but when the bishops learned that the Vagina Monologues might be performed, they asked Father Jenkins to bar it. According to a Committee source, the bishops "did everything they possibly could to come to an agreementwith the administration." Father Jenkins nevertheless turned them down.

*The bishops thereupon moved the conference to a convent in Mishawaka and decided to stay at the Inn at St. Mary's rather than the Morris Inn. (St. Mary's does not allow the Vagina Monologues.) Cardinal William Levada, theVatican Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the keynote speaker, was also "in the loop," according to a Committee source.

*Bishop John M. D'Arcy, whose diocese includes Notre Dame, provided confirmation. He said, "Because of the likelihood of the presentation of . . .'The Vagina Monologues' . . . the bishops made a collective decision to move the seminar off campus."

*In a terse statement, the University said that it had "worked collaboratively with the bishops to move the conference" and that it is "sure that our partnerships will continue in the future." Father Jenkins declined to be interviewed. This episode evidences both the degree to which secularization has overtaken the University and also a most troubling estrangement of University and Church.