Marquette's Fr. Wild applies "Jesuit principle" by introducing homosexual benefits

Marquette University plans to start offering domestic partner benefits to its employees in 2012, a move that comes about a year after the university's decision to rescind a job offer to a lesbian candidate caused the campus to erupt in debate.

In a statement sent to the campus Thursday afternoon, Marquette President Robert A. Wild said he's been wrestling with an idea of offering the benefits that would provide services for gay and lesbian employees for years.

University officials note said the timing of the announcement was influenced by votes in recent weeks by the University Academic Senate and the Marquette University Student Government that have urged the university to offer benefits for domestic partners.

“If we are truly pastoral in our application of the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, I asked myself if I could reconcile that with denying health benefits to a couple who have legally registered their commitment to each other,” Wild said. In Latin, cura personalis means "care for the entire person."

Wild noted that the State of Wisconsin gives legal recognition both to marriage for heterosexual couples and to a registered domestic partnership for same-sex couples.

Last March, before the incident involving O'Brien, Wild announced he would step down in June 2011 after about 15 years at the helm of Marquette. He said he had discussed his decision with trustees, including Rev. Scott Pilarz, Marquette’s incoming president.

JSOnline

MJS writers seem to think it's part of a settlement for the Jodi O'Brien incident.  Interesting, maybe it's true.  There was closed door negotiations. 

Honestly, the benefits thing isn't that big of a deal to me.  Yes, they are in a sense encouraging detrimental sexual behavior, but if they've been teaching it for 20 years then I guess there just aligning themselves with "Jesuit principles."

Fr. Wild could have taken the middle ground(something that could, at least on the surface, realistically be defended as pastoral).  He could have said, although our faith shows us that the traditional family is to be protected and promoted, we live in a fallen world and we do not to abandon those who do not live by that same faith. 

What is horrifying is that Fr. Wild invocation of cura personalis(the care for the whole person).  In effect, he is either saying that persons with same sex attraction have no souls or that they are not worth bothering with.  What a horrible position to take.  Those souls that are difficult to save are all the more worth saving.  Has he even once on his campus encouraged any program that would help those struggling with same sex attraction to overcome their passions?

Even if he was being intellectually honest, he could have just said he disagrees with the Catholic Church's teachings on several matters including sexuality.  He could have said in this fallen world no person can control their sexual desires.  Or he could have said that sexuality was never intended by God to have a purpose.  Or that this purpose did not include procreation or physical uhhh compatibility.  Whatever, just be honest about it.  Hiding behind "truly pastoral" is a sham.

"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."

Revelation to St Faustina, Divine Mercy Novena