O'Malley praises BC for crucifixes

Does BC get any federal/public funding?

This only underscores this former Catholic's ardent belief:
The only good religion is a dead religion.

When I was growing up, my best friend/next-door-neighbor was Catholic. There was a crucifix on the wall in the kitchen, and every time we stepped into the room, he had to cross himself or his mother smacked him with a big metal ladel. Looks to me like the pope and his cardinals are getting out their ladels.

I can finally say, i agree with a decision the Catholic Church has made, or rather a Catholic college has made, regarding the placement of crucifixes in each classroom...BC is afteralll, a Catholic college. If you have a problem with this decision, then don't go there. You would not be telling a Muslim college, or a Jewish college to remove things. This is what Catholicism is about. Go to a state college or a non sectarian college. It is about time, someone stood up to these crazy liberals that are ruining our country. I am sure the ACLU will have to put thier two cents into this, but I hope that BC does not backdown.

Not being a Catholic, but knowing BC is a Catholic school I say good for them. Hate mongers should remember the poll from last week where 95% of the people polled approved of BC's action. I am sure the crucifixes will not hurt the students and if they dislike them they can always go to BU.

Awww here's a tissue. I applaud a Jesuit school for hanging icons of their Jesuit history and faith. Don't like it? Find another school. Nothing like a country filled with such a varied selection of higher educational establishments. Three cheers for the free exercise of religion!

BC can hang all the crucufixes they want to, but until acceptance of diversity is real there, "Love they neighbor" is not what a crucifix conjures in the mind of its students, or catholics; rather, mindless OBEDIENCE. This became clarified to me when my devout Aunt--who attended Mass daily at 7am--was excommnicated when--after the last of her children hit age 18, she filed from divorce from her abusive husband and was denied the sacraments and the succor that her faith brought her by her own priest. A pox on all of them. Hypocrites chasing altar boys.

Bravo, Father Leahy! How many classrooms do you have? I will happily donate that many pictures of Our Lady of Gudalupe, The Protectress of the Unborn.

I always wondered why those buildings that some people go into on Sunday morning are topped off with a giant lower-case "T." Seems pretty goofy to me, and random, too. If BC wants to stick a lower-case "T" sculpture in each of its classrooms, that's very intolerant of the other 25 lower-case letters in the alphabet. Perhaps these classroms should instead be adorned with an upper-case "A" to remind students that for each course they take this is the grade to which they should aspire.

Wasn't there something in the bible about not worshipping graven images?? Nah, must be my memory is foggy. Don't bother telling me these images aren't worshipped, anything you pray to is being worshipped. Saints, hundreds of them, prayed to every day. Virgin Mary? Prayed to, and people line up to see whatever vaguely resembles her, and pray to THAT.

Nice to know the Catholic church has found something more useful to invest their money in than, oh, feeding the poor or helping the homeless.

If you don't care for it, don't attend a Catholic (Jesuit) college. Students have choices where to attend school, and the faculty has choices of where they want to teach.

If you choose to work or go to school at a university with a religous affiliation then you need to respect all that goes with it. That's why we have choices.

To some of the earlier posters ... I believe you are unsuspectingly proving Cardinal O'Malley's point that perhaps the pendulum has swung so far that what is often paraded as championing independent or neutral thought is actually intolerant.

Boston College no doubt receives some federal and other public funding for certain research and programs. Contrary to the simpleton reaction of many who claim some misguided sense of patriotism, there is nothing in our Constitution prohibiting the public display of religious symbols. Our First Amendment prohibits the government from designating a religious belief for our country. Many misinterpret this position of neutrality or tolerance to dictate a policy of abstinence or ignorance. To suggest that organization founded by Jesuits must, for all outward purposes, abandon their faith is an act of intolerance as great, if not greater than the prejudice that originally drew many to these shores.

It is admirable that Boston College is trying to re-establish its Catholic identity. If people somehow take offense at an organization trying identify and convey a sense of larger, Christian purpose for itself and its students, then so be it. However, yet again, that constituency may be unsuspectingly be proving the point of the necessity of such mission.

It's a Catholic College, so what's the big deal. If non Catholics are so against these crucifixes let them go to another college. The problem now a days is that people are so intolerant of everything. These intoerant people are the ones that make it so difficult to coexist in this world. Give me a break!

Posted by and I went to Bu.

Oops! "ladle" not "ladel." Mea culpa! Twenty 'hail Merriams'

I find this whole argument to be sad. How dare a Catholic school have their religious symbols in the classroom? They're a Catholic school. It's not like it's a big secret. The Constitution does not ban religion as many would have us believe. It protects the right to have religion and practice religion - even in public! It only bans the state from establishing a State religion. Unfortunately, so few bother to actually read the document. I prefer to think of myself as strong-willed enough to resist the urge to convert when confronted by the symbol of another religion. There's no need to insult religions I don't agree with. THAT's intolerant.

The Christian Jesuits own and run the school.... a very good one at that. They are extremely tolerant. What makes intuitions like BC great is their centuries old Christian heritage, which instills in students - Christian and non-Christian alike - a set of values high above book-education.

If you don't like the crucifixes, don't look at them. You're there to study anyway, right? Or transfer to UMASS, Brandeis or any of the other fine institutions in the area. This topic is not even news worthy.

If you don't like the symbols then don't go to a catholic college. Deal with it!

Boston College is a private Catholic, Jesuit institution. It is NOT a secular university. It has the right under the U.S. Constitution to display artifacts emblematic of its religious orientation.. No student or faculty member is forced to share in those beliefs. If anyone is deeply offended by crucifixes or icons they have the right to leave.

Shouldn't they?

This might come as a shock to some people, but BC is an ostensibly-Catholic school run by Catholic priests. If you want a religion-lite school, go to one that isn't avowedly sectarian.

I'm no Catholic and have no use for the Church, but they should have the right to display their own symbols under their own roof.

Who are all these people that are afraid of religion in Mass? Must be filled with gays or rapists...

Of course BC gets public/federal funding. But they are exempt from what you are thinking about. Honestly a cross in the classroom, although grotesquely archaic, is rather mild. It is kind of ironic that much of what students are taught in those classrooms goes against that little reminder of dark age dogma now hanging in every room. Its really no different than a confedrate flag flying on southern schools' mastheads. Annoying to some, invisible to others, but generally a non-issue.

send the Iranian trouble maker back to Iran where he'll feel more comfortable working on nerve gas and other biologicals more in line with the religion of PIECES-

I want to clarify ... Sickofmass is Sick of Massachusetts. This place is full of small minded, liberal crap.

Comments like Keeper's (12:26pm) are funny, since there is an implication that BC should not receive federal funding due to a crucifix in each classroom. BC, of course, is a Catholic school, as it has been since its founding 145 years ago. Since then, and continuing after its move to Chestnut Hill, the campus has been full of Catholic symbols and rightly so -- everything from the names of its buildings to the colors of its sports uniforms (maroon & gold are papal colors) to the more obvious instances of a campus church, chapels, priests and masses and other invocations to mark significant events. To suggest that a couple extra statues and crosses should now disqualify them from funding is ridiculous.

Boston College has every right to display religious icons, crucifixes, etc. wherever they see fit on their campus. It is a Catholic institution. It is high time that "political correctness" step aside for basic rights. If you do not like the situation, stay away.

Oh my goodness! How dare a private Catholic school run by Catholic priests put up symbols of Catholicism in their classrooms! We need to arrest them and remove the crucifixes immediately!

Seriously, why is this an issue? No one forces anyone to go to or work at BC, if they don't like it they're free to go to the state school or private secular school of their choosing. It's such a non-issue that it's almost funny.

BC is a Catholic School and is free to promote religion as much as it wants to. Just like Brandeis is free to erect the Star of David. Students who apply there and professors who teach there know what their getting. Also it's only a few crosses and a statue. It's not like BC is mandating students go to mass every day or offering courses in creationism. Just check out Liberty University in Virginia for a religious school that's really religious.

Key point: If you don't like religion at a religious school, transfer to UMass where you have good compnay.

I'm an atheist, but I chose Boston College for its MBA program in part because it's supposed to be a Catholic institution, and I thought that a Jesuit perspective would be a bit of added value for my MBA educational experience. As it turned out, BC was just another part-time MBA factory, and one of my many disappointments with the school was the fact that there wasn't any religious slant to the instruction. I applaud the efforts of BC to rediscover its identity as a Jesuit University!

To Mike Parker; Get your facts straight. Auntie was not refused the sacraments for divorcing, or excommunicated as you put it. It has not happened unless she remarried before a Tribunal gave them an annulment. The Church prima face accepts all marriages are sacramental unless proven otherwise. If shown otherwise they are free to remarry. Your argument is specious.

How is hanging a cross in the classroom intolerant of others? You don't like it, don't acknowledge it. This world has gotten too mixed up, the issue in all of these things is not one of tolerance. You hear that term put out there about all things. For instance, I am not intolerant because I do not believe that the union between man & man, or woman & woman is wrong, I can tolerate just about anything, and I do tolerate these unions, I have no choice, people will or will not do whatever they like regardless of how I feel. It would be intolerant if I acted out against these unions in some way. But, it is not intolerant of me to hold the beliefs I hold. On the contrary, because of my belief if I espouse my beliefs, I am vilified because I hold a biblical worldview, and branded as intolerant. Who is being intolerant?

The crucifix is such a beautiful representation of the great love that Jesus had for us (Who did this for us sinners), the great love that the Father has, that He would give us HIs only Son, and the great love of the Holy Spirit, that He would give us the grace to know of this love & turn to God in love! Thank you, Boston College for this enrichment of your students. I believe that we are all enriched and encouraged by this.

If its a Catholic College then there should be Crucifixes hanging and statues here and there for that is what makes the Catholic faith beautiful is the art of it let alone its pure and honest teachings. Its a Catholic College so for those that are offended by the articles they should go els where.

Thanks Lou Del Gaudio ,
For setting Parker straight. It is funny how many times people make statements that others know can not be true!

Catholics do not worship icons, pictures, etc. we do worship God! The person attempting to degrade the Catholic Church is reaching too far, I have heard these comments many times, but such is life. By the way saints that are in heaven do intervene on our behalf, since you are not in heaven, but would like an invitation, perhaps someone in heaven may help you recieve one. God bless.

John Boudreaux

I am thrilled to hear they have put crucifixes in the classrooms. I once worked at a Catholic Church Office and the Crucifix was hanging in a closet where all the wiring for the building was located. The attitude in that office was not Christ like at all, in fact , it was the total opposite. I did not last very long there. I am so happy to wear a crucifix or a medal of our blessed mother on my person. We should not be ashamed to display them or wear them. Jesus did not hesitate to sacrifice his life for our salvation. We owe to Him and to our heavenly Father and Holy Spirit to honor the Ultimate Sacrifice. We also need to behave to the best of our ability as Jesus does.