Father David M. O’Connell has stepped down as president of D.C.’s own Catholic University of America. Under his twelve year watch, the school went from being a hotbed of dissent and heresy to one of all-too-few outstandingly Catholic universities, making the Cardinal Newman Society’s list of authentic Catholic colleges (sadly, only 21 US Catholic colleges and universities made the list). His model is one which should be followed, and if the case of Belmont Abbey College is telling, one which is being followed by those who recognize the problem of Catholic Universities teaching things directly counter to the Catholic Faith their students are assumed to have learned growing up (but all too often, didn’t).
Where does my own Georgetown University stand? Well, not only did we not make the Newman list, one of our own professors heads the EEOC, the government agency trying to punish Belmont Abbey College for removing birth control coverage (more shockingly, the EEOC claims that Belmont Abbey College has to provide oral contraceptives, which often have an abortificant effect).
It’s more bad news for Georgetown, of course, but as long as there are good and decent Catholics like Fr. O’Connell and Belmont Abbey’s Dr. William K. Thierfelder, there’s still hope. The Restoration will not be televised.