A group committed to strengthening the Catholic identity at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles is calling on the board of trustees to approve the University administration’s decision to drop abortion coverage from its health plan.
RENEW LMU, a group of students, alumni, faculty, donors and other LMU supporters who seek to strengthen LMU’s Catholic mission and identity, wrote an open letter to the board saying, “excluding abortion coverage is indeed consistent with our values as a Catholic university.”
The group cited Ex corde Ecclesiae, the apostolic constitution on Catholic universities by Pope John Paul II which stated, “…the institutional fidelity of the university to the Christian message includes a recognition of and adherence to the teaching authority of the Church in matters of faith and morals.”
They also referred to the document, “Standing for the Unborn: A Statement of the Society of Jesus in the United States on Abortion,” in which the Jesuits declared that “to be pro-life is to be pro-woman.”
“Catholic identity cannot be a mere phrase in a mission statement, or a vague reference to tradition, or a passing nod to a quaint past,” the letter states. “The faith that inspired and guided generations before us to build the Loyola and Marymount institutions must be practically applied in decisions at all levels of the organization.”
The Human Resources Department at Loyola Marymount recently informed its faculty and staff that open enrollment for benefits is being delayed until after the board of trustees meeting on October 7th, according to an email obtained by The Cardinal Newman Society.
Originally published by The Cardinal Newman Society’s Catholic Education Daily on 26 September 2013.
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