A student group which promotes Church teaching on marriage at the University of Notre Dame is now an official University club, according to a letter sent out by alumni group Sycamore Trust. The recognition for the students follows the news from last semester—reported frequently by both the Trust and The Cardinal Newman Society—that Notre Dame had denied official recognition to the group.
Students for Child Oriented Policy (SCOP), which promotes policies benefitting children, including the institution of marriage between one man and one woman, is now a “University student club at Notre Dame,” club leader Tiernan Kane told the Trust.
Last semester, SCOP sponsored a “conference on the political and social significance of civil marriage” as well as a petition, which sparked strong opposition on campus, asking the University administration “to make a clear stand in support of the true definition of marriage.”
Some students reportedly formed a counter petition claiming that SCOP “discriminates against all non-traditional family structures in a way that is in direct opposition of the university policy on diversity inclusion and message of love and acceptance.”
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SCOP’s denial letter from the Notre Dame Student Activities Office argued that the mission of SCOP “closely mirrored that of other undergraduate-student clubs on campus which served the intended interests of this club.”
According to the Trust, SCOP persisted in seeking recognition despite the setback.
In a letter to the alumni group, Kane wrote:
President Jimmy McEntee and the Special Interest Division worked hard to bring our case before the CCC for review. We are very grateful for the efforts of those leaders, and we thank the CCC as a whole for its choice to act on the true understanding of our mission.
SCOP looks forward to continuing its efforts to chart a child-oriented policy course on issues such as education, pornography, illegal drugs, and — most fundamentally — marriage. As we believe that Notre Dame has the opportunity and the responsibility to do great good with respect to these issues, SCOP is dedicated to work toward that end.
Last, but certainly not least, let me extend SCOP's and my warmest thanks to you and the Sycamore Trust. Sycamore Trust's support — right from the very start — has been invaluable in helping SCOP to promote the interests of children and to advance the true, noble mission of Notre Dame, which we all love.
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Reprinted with permission from the Cardinal Newman Society.