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Should religious organizations have the authority to tell religious-oriented colleges what kind of student internships they can offer?

This question has become the center of debate after The Cardinal Newman Society recently declared that nine Catholic colleges and universities wrongfully offer students credit for internships at organizations whose missions contradict the views of the Catholic church.

The Cardinal Newman Society - a self-appointed organization dedicated to maintaining Catholic identity in Catholic colleges and universities - argues that these institutions offer internship opportunities at pro-choice organizations, which is against the Catholic mindset.

The nine colleges targeted include:

Boston College

College of St. Benedict & St. John’s University

DePaul University

Georgetown University

Loyola University of Chicago

St. Edward’s University

St. Norbert College

University of Notre Dame

University of San Francisco

“This discovery validates the concerns of so many thousands of faithful Catholic parents and students, that public scandals at Catholic colleges are just the tip of the iceberg,” Patrick J. Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society, said. “Under what definition of ‘Catholic education’ do students receive academic credit to work for leading pro-abortion organizations?”

After compiling the list, CNS wrote to the presidents of the colleges to inform them of the problems with their internship programs, and reported that so far none have indicated they will take steps to change the situation.

“We must understand that not all students are Catholic, not all students are Christian, not all students are at Loyola or a Catholic university because of the religious affiliation,” Chris Balmaceda, a senior majoring in social work, told the the Loyola Phoenix. “Students are at a university for an education. Providing education through the experience of an internship is the most important goal, especially at a university that prides itself on being a home for all faiths.”

This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 11:27 am and is filed under Internships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.