Cardinal joins protest over Boston College commencement honor for Irish leader

May 10, 2013

Responding to protests by a lay Catholic activist group in Massachusetts, Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley has denounced plans by Boston College to award an honorary degree to Irish prime minister Enda Kenny.

Kenny is scheduled to be the principal speaker at Boston College commencement exercises on May 20. The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts had urged Catholics to oppose the invitation to Kenny, and to express their concerns to officials at the Jesuit- run school, to Jesuit superiors, and to Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley. In a public statement, the Catholic Action League summarized the arguments against honoring Kenny at a Catholic institution:

Kenny's government has just introduced legislation to legalize abortion in Ireland. It has also introduced legislation which would impose criminal penalties, including imprisonment, on Catholic priests who refuse to violate the seal of the confessional in cases of sexual abuse. Kenny has misrepresented the words of Pope Benedict XVI, insulted the Holy See and closed the Irish Embassy to the Vatican.

In a May 10 public statement, Cardinal O'Malley said that the decision to confer a doctorate on the Irish leader violates the US bishops' directives for honors bestowed to public figures by Catholic institutions. The cardinal said that because Boston College has not withdrawn the invitation, "I shall not attend the graduation."

“It is my ardent hope that Boston College will work to redress the confusion, disappointment and harm caused" by the honor to Kenny, the cardinal said.

A spokesman for Boston College told the Boston Globe that the school was honoring Kenny “in light of our longstanding connection with Ireland.” He said that the commencement invitation was “independent of the proposed bill that will be debated in the Irish parliament this summer.” He was referring to a bill that would allow for legal abortion in Ireland. Kenny has indicated his support for the legislation, while the Irish hierarchy strongly opposes it.

In a related development, Cardinal O’Malley underlined his own opposition to the Irish bill in an interview with the Catholic Herald of London. “Ireland should be very proud of its pro-life heritage and how traditionally there has been great importance given to human life,” the cardinal said. “I hope that Ireland will continue to stand up against the pressures--I know the pressures are there.”

“Pressure to legislate for abortion is a dehumanizing force in our world,” Cardinal O’Malley said.

 

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Further information:

• League calls upon Catholics to protest award to Enda Kenny (Catholic Action League)
• Boston College stands firm on choice of Irish PM as commencement speaker, despite criticism from local Catholic group (Boston Globe)
• Cardinal Sean O’Malley to boycott Boston College commencement to protest Irish PM Kenny’s support of abortion legislation (Boston Globe)
• Cardinal O’Malley urges Ireland to stand up to abortion lobby (Catholic Herald)