CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2024 / 15:50 pm (CNA).
Catholic leadership in Rhode Island has rebuked a local Catholic college, Salve Regina University, for hosting a fundraiser last week in which presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz defended abortion rights.
More than 300 attendees reportedly paid $1,000 to get in the door at the campus’ main administrative waterfront mansion, Ochre Court, on Thursday. The fundraiser brought in over $600,000, the state’s Democratic Party said, according to the Providence Journal.
Media outlets reported that journalists were not allowed to record videos of the speech, but Walz’s comments reportedly included advocacy for abortion rights.
The Minnesota governor attacked Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, accusing them of “rooting for failure,” according to the Rhode Island Current.
“Their whole thing is to instill fear in people — fear and pessimism,” he said.
Walz called Trump and Vance “weird” and disputed GOP claims that Democratic policies are extreme.
“Who’s asking to raise the price of insulin? Who’s asking to take away women’s reproductive rights?” Walz said. “Things really work best in communities when you mind your own damn business.”
Diocese ‘surprised and disappointed’
Diocese of Providence spokesman Michael Kieloch told CNA that the diocese “does not permit Catholic institutions in Rhode Island to endorse candidates for office nor even give the appearance of such endorsements.”
“The Church’s role in political matters is firstly to form the consciences of the lay faithful,” he added.
Kieloch continued: “We were surprised and disappointed by the decision of Salve Regina University to rent space to a partisan political event and fundraiser, and we’ve received a number of messages from Catholics across Rhode Island expressing the same surprise and disappointment.”
Bishop Richard Henning, archbishop-elect of Boston, is currently leading the Diocese of Providence.
Walz, a Lutheran and former Catholic, has a consistent and strong pro-abortion record in his state. In 2023, he signed a bill enshrining abortion rights throughout nine months into Minnesota state law. Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life, the state’s largest pro-life group, called the governor a “threat” to the unborn and “an abortion absolutist.”
Vice President Kamala Harris chose him as her running mate earlier this month.
University responds
In response to a request from RINewsToday, the university defended its decision to host the event.
“Ochre Court at Salve Regina University was selected by the Rhode Island Democratic Party Committee based on availability for their selected date, time, and anticipated capacity,” an unnamed spokesperson’s statement said.
“We regularly rent facilities on campus for private events. The committee paid the standard rate for the space rental, worked with our University Events and Conference Services office, and is the sole host of the event,” the statement said.
“As an academic institution, the university fully supports freedom of speech as a cornerstone of democracy. As our mission calls us to do, we support productive and meaningful dialogue across our differences as we work toward a world that is more harmonious, just, and merciful,” the statement said.
Salve Regina University is overseen by the Sisters of Mercy. CNA reached out to the congregation for comment on Monday, including asking if the university would offer the same opportunity to the Trump campaign for a fundraiser event. CNA did not immediately receive a response.
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The bishop ought to simply remove the college’s permission to use the protected term “Catholic” from all their identications. If they’ve chosen to throw their lot in with the Satanists, they’ve forfeited the right to pretend to be Christian. Otherwise, the bishop’s and the diocese’s words are empty jaw-flapping. Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no.
“Surprised and disappointed”.
Whatever became of the word “OUTRAGED”?
Problems like this exist because the church has given up on the idea of a chain of command to ensure only legitimate activities on it’s grounds or by it’s representatives. The concept of consequences for one’s actions is DEAD. Walz is a FORMER Catholic who has decamped to become a Lutheran? (He seems to make running away a personal habit.) Well, at least he is the Lutheran’s problem and not ours for a change. And he dares attack Catholic teaching in the area of abortion on Catholic grounds?? Disgusting.
Did the school not know to whom they were renting their building?Did they know and not care? Did they do it for the MONEY??? Again, this shows a total lack of competence or responsibility for one’s actions.
The moral bankruptcy of the DEM party is presently on full display at their convention. A truck is posted there offering FREE vasectomies and (chemical) abortions. A give away favor, much like a lollipop, and shamefully treated with the same frivolity.They made their pitch for abortion decades ago on the grounds it would be “safe and rare”. Clearly that mind-set is out the window. The church needs to stop its emotional pandering to people who promote or take part in such activities, with a pathetic hope they will repent. They will not. By their actions, such persons have boldly said that not only do they strongly support such activities, they believe they have no reason for regret or repentance. Church authorities need to go back to the use of excommunication for those who promote these homicidal horrors. And let the chips fall where they may. At present the moral teachings they weakly try to spread are not respected or taken seriously. For a reason—there are no consequences for flying in the face of such church teachings.
Catholic voters need to recall the church teaching that if you aid another in their sin (by voting them into office to promote abortion, lets say) you are ALSO guilty of the same sin. Think long and hard before you vote in November.
As a Catholic who works for a Catholic institution in Minnesota, Tim Walz is my governor. I am so disappointed that folks are claiming to be pro-life but in actuality are pro-birth. So many people who claim to be pro life have no thought or care as to what happens after that child is born. Do you march and shout for that child’s safety? Right to have food? Education? A roof over their head? Medical and mental health treatment ? If you are truly pro life, then that means from conception to grave. Please stop acting self-righteous. If you are truly pro-life, then put a detailed plan in place of how you are going to care for the 1 million unwanted children who would be born into our society every year if abortion did not exist. Am I pro abortion? No, I am not. I wish it was something that did not exist. However, I am aware of the complexities of every day life and the incredible suffering people go through everyday. If you want to call yourself pro life, then stand up and volunteer your time. Push for more money to go to food, clothing, shelter, education, physical and mental health care, safety, education and child protection services. Your plan cannot be, ‘end abortion’ and then complain about your tax dollars going to help the children you profess to love. Do a self hypocrisy check and truly ask yourself if you love the children who struggle, including the kids who shoot up a school, a gang banger in a drive by shooting, the person who breaks into homes, and the homeless people begging on street corners. Do you volunteer your time reading to children in inner city schools? Participate mentoring poor children and tell them they can break the cycle of crime and violence, and you are willing to give of your time to help them do that? Do you make sure that the people in your community have enough to eat? A roof over their head? Healthy food to eat? Are you concerned that children go home from school and their parents are still at work until 6:00, 7:00 at night or work overnight shifts and have to leave their children home alone because they have no one to watch their children at night? Are you marching to improve childcare and make it affordable? Are you pushing for more money to go to child protective services to intervene with families with physical, mental or sexual abuse? Are you advocating for more money going to foster care homes to care for those children who are removed from home and have no other relative they can go to? Or do you sit behind your keyboard and claim to be pro life, but have no interest in caring for that life? Let me give you a hint, Tim Walz cares about all of those things and has pushed for and signed legislation to care and protect children, to care for families, and make the world a better place. Unless you can stand up and volunteer your time to make the world a much better place for the people already here, abortion will continue. If you are truly pro-life, then stand up and demand your tax dollars go to caring and protecting those lives. I work 60 hours a week caring for those lives and have a desperate need for people to volunteer their time to help me, I occasionally get folks who volunteer once and then I never see them again because it is just too hard to work with “those people“. I listen to people every day who claim to be pro-life Who wouldn’t think of volunteering their time, calling their senator or representative and demanding more help for these lives, but will sit behind a keyboard, shouting their views, but doing absolutely nothing to actually protect these lives. If you are not part of the solution, then you are the problem. What is your plan to make this world a better place for everyone and care for those who are already here?