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Alumni and Profs Support Toronto Catholic Campus Pro-Life Group Re: Peter Kreeft

Criticize principal of prominent Canadian Catholic college for undermining free speech

TORONTO, February 14, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Nearly a dozen professors from or associated with the University of St. Michael's College (USMC - an affiliate of the University of Toronto) have signed an open letter responding to the principal of the Catholic College who denounced a lecture by world renowned Catholic philosopher Dr. Peter Kreeft. The Kreeft lecture, organized by the pro-life students group at USMC, was attacked vehemently by homosexual activists who had protest post cards printed even prior to the talk.

After the talk, the University of Toronto Graduate student union requested a hate speech investigation into Kreeft’s presentation. Moreover, the University Student Administrative Council (SAC) passed a resolution to declare the talk as hate and seconded the call for an official investigation. Rather than supporting the pro-life students group and defending the lecture, even on the grounds of freedom of speech, USMC Principal McGowan released an open letter denouncing the talk. (see the earlier LifeSiteNews coverage:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/feb/03020401.html )

Hilary White of Campaign Life Catholic, who attended the November 8 Kreeft lecture, said that Dr. Kreeft merely "expounded on Catholic teaching regarding homosexuality in answer to pointed questions by homosexual activists who attended the event." White explained that "Letters of complaint on the lecture were sent by homosexual activists who demonstrated that they had not listened to the lecture, wherein Professor Kreeft distinguished between the sinfulness of homosexual sex and the love due to a person afflicted with homosexual inclinations."

USMC Principal, Professor Mark McGowan, wrote, "The Kreeft lecture greatly detracted from the inclusive and respectful environment we are trying to nurture at St. Michael's." In response, a group of professors and alumni said they were "deeply concerned by the chilling implication" of the statement by Principal McGowan and the Principal's Advisory Committee on Sexual Orientation. The professors quoted the University of Toronto "Statement of Institutional Purpose" which notes that "within the unique university context, the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights are meaningless unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative challenges to the cherished beliefs of society at large and of the university itself."

The professors charged that "The open letter of Principal McGowan and his committee clearly fails to meet the high standard of academic freedom set by the University's Statement of Purpose."

McGowan’s actions are causing questions about how and by whom he was appointed to his senior position at the religious college given his active undermining of Catholic moral principles and criticism of a renowned apologist for those principles.

The response letter to McGowan's open letter was signed by:
*Thomas L. Pangle, University Professor and F.R.S.C.
*Elmar J. Kremer, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy
*Father Thomas A. Lynch, Acting Dean, St. Augustine's Seminary
*David Novak, Shiff Chair of Jewish Studies, Professor of Religious Studies, Professor of Philosophy
*Rev. Guy Trudel, C.S.B. Junior Fellow of the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies
*James C. Morrison, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy
*Clifford Orwin, Professor of Political Science
*Lorrain Pangle, Adjunct Professor of Political Science
*Noel L. McFerran, Head of Public Services, John M. Kelly Library
*Donna Orwin, Associate Professor of Slavic Language and Literature
*Richard Toporoski, Fellow of St. Michael's College
*John Hartley, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy

To order a recording of the Kreeft talk and questions and answer session see:
http://www.lifesite.net/shop/tapes/index.htm

The USMC newspaper “The Mike” has the talk on line at http://www.themike.ca/

Hear a Real Audio excerpt from a previous Peter Kreeft talk in Toronto
"Conversation with a homosexual activist"
http://www.lifesite.net:7070/ramgen/Kreeft/kreefconv256.rm (high speed)
http://www.lifesite.net:7070/ramgen/Kreeft/kreefconv56.rm (56k)

To express your concerns:

Chancellor of St. Michael's University
Toronto Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic
Catholic Pastoral Centre
1155 Yonge street, Suite 502
Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1W2
Telephone: (416) 934-0606, ext. 609;
FAX: (416) 934-3452

St. Michael's College Principal
Mark G. McGowan
Rm. 127 Odette Hall
(416) 926-7102


See related LifeSite coverage:
HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST GROUP TO RECEIVE APPROVAL AT TORONTO CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/sep/020926a.html
HOMOSEXUAL CLUB FAILS TO ACHIEVE CLUB STATUS AT CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/oct/02100901.html

See Professor McGowan's letter in The Mike (on page 2)
http://www.themike.ca/issues/vol56issue10.pdf

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