Cardinal refuses to bestow degree.

Toronto -- Edmonton Sister Christina Cathro, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, and originally from New Zealand, revealed in the February 29 edition of the bi-weekly Catholic New Times that Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic had refused to grant her a St. Michael's University (SMC) theology doctorate at Convocation in St. Basil's Church on November 1, 2003. The Cardinal acted in his capacity as Chancellor of St. Michael's.

As the Doctor of Ministry is a conjoint degree with the University of Toronto, President Richard Alway asked the chancellor of the U of T, Senator Vivienne Poy (sister of the Governor-General) to bestow the degree, after the Cardinal told him he was "concerned about whether it was appropriate for him to personally confer the degree" (Globe, March 8, 2004). Cathro herself was absent, working in Edmonton as a counsellor and spiritual director.

Without directly stating so, Sister Cathro appears to be a lesbian. Her doctoral thesis is entitled Listening for the Echo: Contributions of Lesbians' Journeys to Spiritual Direction and Theological Reflection. She makes it clear in her article that she believes the present hierarchy in the Vatican has "seriously reneged on its commitment to the reforms of Vatican II ... (especially) in the area of human sexuality."

More specifically, she was much shaken when the Vatican censored two Americans, Sister Jeannine Gramick and Fr. Robert Nugent, in 1999 for their pro-lesbian-gay ministry, reiterating that homosexuality is a disorder and homosexuality is sinful. She regards this as an "unjust decision."

She tells us that, "I was shaken to the core of my person and my feminist sensibilities awakened at new depths." She decided to devote her research to lesbians and feminist theology, and to invite them "to give voice to their discoveries." She stated that she resolved "to become more fully involved in ministry with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community."

In her view, many Church documents "denigrate the lives of persons who are sexually oriented towards those of the same gender." She accuses Cardinal Ambrozic of "a grave misuse of power" and claims there is "homophobia in the high reaches of the Roman Catholic Church."

Comment

Sister Cathro's case raises a number of questions. First, like Fr. Tim Ryan (see editorial), she has set her mind against the authority and guidance of the Church, ridiculing its teaching on sexuality. For this, she should be censored and denied a role in Catholic ministry, perhaps even her membership in a religious order.

Second, questions should be raised about the Catholic Faculty of Theology at St. Michael's. Why does the staff, and the Dean even permit such a topic as St. Cathro's for research? Why should students be allowed to pursue studies that are in defiance of Church teaching?

Third, why should the Catholic community support a Catholic Faculty when its final degree, the doctorate, may conceal the fact that the bearer may have had no serious contact with the Catholic intellectual and spiritual tradition?

We applaud the Archbishop for refusing to award this degree. We hope he will go on to point out to the St. Michael's Faculty of Theology that unless it brings about changes in course content, and removes faculty who disagree with Church teaching, it should close down. Was it not the purpose of Pope John Paul's directive, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, to ensure that Catholic universities would adhere to the teaching of the Magisterium?