“The discriminatory non-discrimination policy at Vanderbilt University has forced our hand,” Baker said in a statement. “Our purpose has always been to share the Gospel and proudly proclaim our Catholic faith. What other reason could there be for a Catholic organization at Vanderbilt? How can we say it is not important that a Catholic lead a Catholic organization?”
Nevertheless, the chaplain said they will have to rethink the way they minister to students. Several hundred attend Mass and many others are involved in a variety of religious activities.
As for the name change – Baker said they are floating some ideas but nothing has been decided.
“We’re still going to be reaching out to students on campus,” he said. “We have to get about our work and maybe work harder at it.”
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Vanderbilt Alumni (and many others) need to start making some NOISE!
Anyone interested in the history of Catholic persecution should read the book, The Quest for Shakespeare by Pearce. His thesis is that Shakespeare was a secret Catholic but the relevant part of the book for the sake of this discussion was the information about the Elizabethan age and it’s campaign against Catholics. Scary parallels.
Vanderbilt has recently gone out of its’ way to neuter religous organizations. Forcing them to accept non-believers as leaders and members. What ever happened to our rights of free assembly? Sending one of mine up there this fall ready to engage and contend for the Faith.
How about “Catholic but Not Vanderbilt Catholic”
They need to change the name of the group from Vanderbilt to something demeaning to the school.
Mark
I see what’s coming from a mile away. Vanderbilt is going to *recreate* “Vanderbilt Catholic” the way *they* want it organized, *pretending* that it is a Catholic organization, but without any church sanction at all.
It will be like the George Soros created fake “Catholic” leftist front organizations that have few or no Catholics in them, but pretend to be Catholic when they give press statements, and even have the utter gall to solicit money from Catholics.
It will have all the legitimacy of the government created and managed fake “Catholic church of China”.
When Vanderbilt does this, it will be such an egregious effort at fraud against Catholic students that the church really should file suit against Vanderbilt. It is literally as bad as buying a former church, proclaiming it to be a Catholic church, while using it for pagan purposes, with the intent of harming the reputation of the Catholic church, and leading Catholics astray.
Reminds me of William F. Buckley’s comment on the Yale motto: “For God, for Country and for Yale!.”
Buckley began his book “God and Man at Yale” with:
‘For God, for Country and for Yale!’
In That Order!