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17-June-2009—Catholic News Agency
Claim: Some Catholic Universities Promote Pro-abortion Internships

Manassas, Va., Jun 17, 2009 (CNA).- At least ten Catholic colleges
and universities are promoting student internships with organizations
whose missions or actions are directly opposed to Catholic morals,
the Cardinal Newman Society charges. Some internships are with
organizations that promote abortion or homosexual issues and include
possible work in abortion “clinic defense.” According the
Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), a Catholic higher education
organization, a web page at Boston College lists as
“Non-Profit Internship Sources” two pro-abortion groups,
the Feminist Majority Foundation and the
National Organization for Women.

A Boston College Law School website recommends the
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts,
ACLU-Massachusetts and the Gay and Lesbian Advocates
and Defenders as opportunities for “pro bono” legal work. The latter two
organizations advocate homosexual “marriage.”

The Georgetown Law School, following a 2007 policy change, allows
students to receive university funding for interning at abortion advocacy
organizations, CNS reports. A student had been refused funding for an
internship at Planned Parenthood, but protests from
pro-abortion students and faculty successfully changed
the policy.

The Gender and Women’s Studies department at the
College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University in Minnesota
promotes internship opportunities with groups including
the Feminist Majority Foundation. Its intern responsibilities
include “clinic defense.” CNS believes this most likely means
efforts to oppose pro-life protesters at abortion clinics.

DePaul University’s Women’s and Gender Studies program notes that
students have interned with Planned Parenthood and
the Chicago Women’s Health Center, which offers
“emergency contraceptive” services and
“alternative insemination” for single women, lesbian couples
and others.

Loyola University of Chicago’s Women’s Studies and Gender Studies
website lists internship and volunteer opportunities for pro-abortion
groups such as Chicago National Organization for Women, the
Feminist Majority Foundation, Planned Parenthood and
the Chicago Abortion Fund.

The University of San Francisco’s Media Studies program promotes
internships at Girlfriends Magazines, which is a lesbian publication,
as well as the California Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.

Additionally, the University of Notre Dame’s Gender Studies Program in 2008
funded a student’s internship at the National Organization for Women in Washington, D.C.

Other institutions mentioned by the CNS include St. Edward’s University
in Texas and St. Norbert College in Wisconsin.

Patrick J. Reilly, CNS President, said the information validates concerns
that public scandals at Catholic colleges are “just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Under what definition of ‘Catholic education’ do students receive academic
credit to work for leading pro-abortion organizations?” he asked.

CNS says it wrote to the presidents of the colleges and universities to inform
them of the internship programs, reporting that none have yet indicated
that they will take action.

The organization added that these internship programs help explain why a
recent survey showed most students and recent graduates of Catholic institutions
believe that abortion and homosexual “marriage” should be legal,
despite Catholic teaching.