Newark Archbishop John J. Myers said a course on same-sex marriage to be offered in the fall at Seton Hall University "troubles me greatly.""This proposed course seeks to promote as legitimate a train of thought that is contrary to what the church teaches. As a result, the course is not in sync with Catholic teaching," the archbishop said in an April 30 statement.
He said the university's board of trustees has asked the school's board of regents to "investigate the matter of this proposed course, and to take whatever action is required under the law to protect the Catholicity of this university."
The course is scheduled to be offered to juniors and seniors in the fall through the women and gender studies department at Seton Hall University, a Newark archdiocesan university in South Orange.
Larry Robinson, vice provost at Seton Hall University, said in an April 30 e-mail that the class in question was "approved by the department of political science and by the college, pursuant to institutional practice and custom."
He added that the initial review of the course by the university department and dean "suggests that the course is not an advocacy course and that it is taught neither from, nor for, any particular perspective, but a 'special topics' course to objectively examine a significant current public policy issue."
He noted that "upon review, professors are allowed to teach 'special topics' courses on an experimental basis without seeking the approval of the formal college and university curricular committees."
He also said the university fully anticipates "that the Catholic position on same-sex marriage will be explored" in the course.
Archbishop Myers said that as shepherd of the archdiocese, he is "responsible for maintaining the Catholic identity of all church institutions and organizations within the archdiocese, and for ensuring authentic and orthodox Catholic teaching in all educational institutions and parishes. That responsibility extends to our Catholic and high schools, to our parish religious education programs for both adults and children, and to the Catholic colleges and university operating within my jurisdiction."
In his statement, he stressed that the church teaches that "marriage is a union of man and woman, reflecting the complementarity of the sexes. That teaching precedes any societal connotation of marriage, and is based on natural law."
The archbishop also noted that during Pope Benedict XVI's address to U.S. Catholic educators in 2008, he emphasized the need for schools to be true to their Catholic identity.
The pope told the group that "teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the church's magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom."
W. King Mott, the Seton Hall associate professor of political science who is scheduled to teach the course, told The Setonian, the student newspaper, that he didn't think it was unusual for a Catholic university to offer a class on an issue the church does not support.
In an April 15 issue of the newspaper, Mott said: "The class is not about advocacy, but about studying the issue from an academic perspective. It's about awareness."
"The best schools offer controversial classes," he added.
SIC: CNS