Georgetown Invites Abortion Rights Advocate to Speak at Commencement

Georgetown University has been on a slippery slope towards liberalism and away from its Catholic roots for a long time. So it's no surprise the Jesuit institution would invite someone like Kathleen Sebelius, head of the Department of Health and Human Services to speak on May 18 in one of its commencement ceremonies at the Public Policy Institute.

However the HHS secretary causes scandal when she identifies as Catholic while publicly and consistently promoting abortion on demand through all trimesters of pregnancy.  Through two terms as governor of Kansas, she vetoed anti-abortion legislation in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and vetoed a bill in April 2008 that would have strengthened her state's limits on late-term abortions.

Add to that her acceptance of hundreds of thousands of dollars from a late term abortion doctor, and her willingness to protect Dr. Tiller from being sued and prosecuted while she was governor of Kansas. Not to mention numerous fundraisers provided by Planned Parenthood.

When Sebelius talks about being "personally against abortion" but endorses it at every turn, she exposes her utter duplicity. Yet Georgetown looks the other way.

From Georgetown news:

"Our commencement speakers are exceptional individuals who represent the highest levels of excellence and who will provide inspiration for our students as they envision more clearly the impact they can make in the world," said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. "These individuals from diverse backgrounds have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others through public service, research, teaching and creative endeavors."

The Cardinal Newman Society, a Catholic organization supporting college students on campuses, has put up a petition on its site requesting DiGioia to rescind Georgetown's invitation to Sebelius.

The HHS secretary was also instrumental in creating the Obamacare contraception mandate issued in January of this year. But the Catholic Church vehemently opposes this violation of religious freedom:

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has termed the mandate "an unwarranted government definition of religion" that is "alien both to our Catholic tradition and to federal law," "a violation of personal civil rights" and "a mandate to act against our teachings."

Surely the Church presents an obstacle to fully implementing ObamaCare just as it did when it argued against Margaret Sanger when she promoted widespread use of birth control. Sanger hated the Church and fought its bishops in public forums.

In asking Sebelius to speak at commencement, does Georgetown have an arrangement with the Obama administration to attack its own Church? They were already in the news when one of their law students hit the airwaves with her demand for American taxpayers to foot her annual contraception bill. Now they will be honoring an abortion rights supporter.

I hope that Georgetown will see the error of its waysand disinvite Sebelius.

Read more Ann Kane at Potter Williams Report