More on the "Georgetownization" of U.S. Catholic higher education: Homophobes censoring ad intra and ad extra...

Score one for all of those zealous, bigoted homophobes at Villanova University and bloggers in the Catholic blogosphere.  Their censorious attitude---ad intra (to those on the inside) and ad extra (to those on the outside)---led to the cancellation of an April 2012 artist-in-residence program featuring Tim Miller, whom the Los Angeles Times has called the "patron saint of the gay performance world."

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, assistant professor of communications, Heidi Rose, had to tell Miller that Villanova's President, the Reverend Peter M. Donohue, OSA, canceled the program without providing a reason.  Professor Rose also noted that Villanova administrators told her not to discuss the event and to refer inquiries to the University's communications office.

Talk about a censorious attitude!  After all, the University's Mission states as three of its "enduring commitments":

• Create a diverse community of scholars, united and dedicated to the highest academic standards...
• Concern ourselves with developing and nurturing the whole person, allowing students, faculty and staff to grow intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, culturally, socially and physically in an environment that supports individual differences and insists that mutual love and respect should animate every aspect of university life...
• Support a curriculum that encourages both a global perspective and an informed respect for the differences among peoples and cultures.

Given these enduing commitments, perhaps Miller should view himself as a victim, especially because those Catholic bloggers---like the Cardinal Newman Society---had the gall to publicize objectionable themes in Miller's shows and online videos.  Those bloggers then spread "this bizarre lie that I'm anti-Catholic...People tell these lies, and it gets people who read these blogs worked up."

If one is to believe Miller, what he is doing is not anti-Catholic.

Looking into the substance of that defense, The Motley Monk watched the videos that have been posted to Miller's website to ascertain whether they contain anti-Catholic materials.  While there weren't explicitly "anti-Catholic" statements, much of what could be construed and promoted as "anti-Catholic" is couched in innuendo, like "Ecce homo...Behold the fag!"  The homo-erotic materials are certainly contrary to Church teaching, but again not explicitly "anti-Catholic."

For his part, Miller argues that his performances focus more on political than religious themes and that he has "never taken on the Catholic Church in my performances. Quite the contrary, I have a rich history of ecumenical dialogue."

Yes, The Motley Monk would observe, an individual is free to voice disagreement with the Church's doctrine and teachings without necessarily being anti-Catholic. But, what about an individual who ridicules those teachings and does so in a public performance?  Does that cross the line?  Maybe not.  After all, there's a long tradition of Jewish comedians satirizing Jewish life and religious customs.  But, what if Tim Miller poked fun at teachings from the Koran, would that be anti-Islam?  Then, too, perhaps faithful Catholics are so used to themselves and their Church being ridiculed.  It's "all in the name of fun," of course.

Yes, of course.

But, that doesn't mean ridiculing Church doctrine and teaching is not anti-Catholic.

Evidently, the significance of the cancellation of Miller's program at Villanova should not be underestimated, in that the Southern Baptist Convention's The Church Report carried an article announcing the cancellation.

Why, then, was Tim Miller's residency at Villanova canceled?

Miller himself provides one answer:

There's no solo performer who has done more work with communities of faith than I have. Villanova tries to present itself as being this really tolerant place, but clearly they're really succumbing to homophobia.

For Tim Miller, Villanova "supports individual differences" and "encourages both a global perspective and an informed respect for the differences among peoples and cultures"...not.

For Tim Miller, Villanova is knuckling under to intolerant and bigoted homophobes...yes. It's something that Miller understands well and parodied in his 1993 video, "The Performance Artist."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Fr. Donohue has made his decision.  However, if one is to believe Tim Miller's assessment, Villanova is a university "in the [homophobic] Catholic and Augustinian tradition."


Let the discussion begin...



To read the Philadelphia Inquirer article, click on the following link:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/139776533.html

To read the Cardinal Newman Society's report of the Miller residency program at Villanova, click on the following link:
http://blog.cardinalnewmansociety.org/2012/02/07/villanova-to-host-radical-militant-gay-rights-performer-and-member-of-an-anti-catholic-group/

To read the Villanova University Mission, click on the following link:
http://www.villanova.edu/mission/heritage/mission.htm