In an October 9 article, the Hartford Courant reports that Pamela Trotman Reid, president of St. Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn., a Catholic college, “sees in [Sen. Barack] Obama a kindred spirit” and is concerned about future Supreme Court decisions affecting “the right of women to make choices about their own health.”The Courant reports that Reid, who is African American, thinks that she and presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama probably had similar experiences of racial bias growing up. Not only does she regard Obama as “a kindred spirit,” but she also “expects so much from an Obama presidency, should he win,” reports the Courant.
One such expectation appears to have to do with abortion “rights”: “The next president is likely going to make appointments to the Supreme Court,” Reid told the Courant. “That could affect the right of women to make choices about their own health. These are issues of incredible importance.” Reid appeared to be making a reference to Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that opened the door to abortion in the United States, which some abortion supporters say could be overturned in a conservative Supreme Court.
Reid says she is concerned that Obama’s message will “be lost in the deluge of sound bites,” according to the Courant.
Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society, called on Reid to clarify her statements.
“It is a serious scandal when a Catholic college president appears to publicly dissent on the non-negotiable issue of abortion,” wrote Reilly yesterday in a letter sent to Reid. “The Catholic Church expects educators to be role models, upholding Catholic teaching and values.”
“Out of concern for the Catholic identity of St. Joseph College and the potential that your statements will mislead Catholics and others toward support for a ‘pro-choice’ position, we urge you to publicly clarify your support for Church teaching on the intrinsic evil of abortion and your opposition to legalized abortion,” Reilly wrote.
Reid’s office told The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) that she is out of town until Tuesday and conducted the Hartford Courant interview by phone. CNS has not yet received a response to Reilly’s letter.
In November 2007, the U.S. bishops issued the statement “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” including this warning: “A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter’s intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil.”
Catholic legal scholar Douglas Kmiec and Duquesne University law professor Nicholas Cafardi have argued that Catholics can in good conscience support pro-abortion Barack Obama for president. But both claim personal opposition to abortion and have not cited Obama’s pro-abortion positions as reason to support him.
Cafardi, who declared, “we have lost the abortion battle – permanently,” offered his resignation from the Board of Trustees at faithfully Catholic Franciscan University of Steubenville earlier this week. Fr. Terrence Henry, TOR, president of Franciscan University, accepted the resignation.
