Providence College Faculty: PC Should Support Smalanskas and Affirm Marriage

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We are faculty at Providence College. We would like to make the following statements in response to events at the College since March 1, when Michael Smalanskas, a senior and a Resident Assistant, posted a bulletin board in support of marriage between one man and one woman. (See the report by Larry Gillheeney, The Ocean State Current, March 15).

  • The bulletin board posted by Michael Smalanskas faithfully and thoughtfully represents the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage.
  • We reject the notion that the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage, or its teaching on homosexuality, is bigoted or homophobic, or that these teachings present a threat to the wellbeing of homosexual persons. Rather, those teachings, which some of us address in our courses, are rooted in two millennia of reflection on the Gospel and on human nature and aim at the flourishing of all persons.
  • An academic institution must foster authentic academic freedom. This includes the freedom to present the view that marriage between one man and one woman is natural and divinely instituted. A Catholic college, in particular, has the responsibility to create an environment in which the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage and sexuality can be openly presented, debated, and defended.

We call upon Providence College to state clearly and publicly that both the content of the bulletin board that Michael Smalanskas posted and his posting of it are consistent with the Catholic mission of the college. We further call upon the college to state clearly and publicly that faithful, thoughtful expressions of Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality are welcome on campus and are integral to a mission-animated approach to diversity and inclusion. The words of Pope John Paul II are fitting: “If need be, a Catholic University must have the courage to speak uncomfortable truths which do not please public opinion, but which are necessary to safeguard the authentic good of society” (Ex corde ecclesiae).

 

Robert Barry, Theology
Giuseppe Butera, Philosophy
Joseph Cosgrove, Philosophy
Matthew Cuddeback, Philosophy
Gary Culpepper, Theology
Philip Devine, Philosophy (emeritus)
Paul Gondreau, Theology
Raymond Hain, Philosophy
James Keating, Theology
Sandra Keating, Theology
Patrick Macfarlane, Philosophy
Paul J. Maloney, Finance
Jay Pike, Chemistry and Biochemistry



  • guest

    I can understand the humanities professors agreeing with this (if they want to keep their paychecks coming), but I think we need to check the papers on the Chemistry guy. Trump University, perhaps?

    • Justin Katz

      Why rely on ignorance? It’s easy enough to check a professor’s credentials. Or was your central intention simply the veiled threat of your comment?

      • Melissa

        Maybe they should also start putting up anti-masturbation posters too because that is also a Catholic teaching.

        I haven’t seen anywhere that the college has called this poster homophobic professors. What is the source of that?

        • DrDoctorDr

          This march has been organized in protest of Michael’s bulletin-board:

          https://www.facebook.com/events/704459563276869/

          • Melissa

            So what, a bunch of kids are protesting, that is their right. Do you really think the college administration is sponsoring this? Get a grip, man. And… it is only against Mike’s bulletin board if you admit that his bulletin board is homophobic which is exactly the opposite of what is claimed by the professors who penned this letter. You people need to get your stories straight.

          • Justin Katz

            Well, the group organizing the march is a recognized, sponsored organization of the college, whereas the student they’re protesting is not, and these professors are speaking only for themselves.

          • Jordan Faust

            Wait, what? The student who put up the poster is most definitely sponsored by the college. He is a freaking RA, paid by the college. How is that not sponsorship?

          • St. Kolbe

            One does not sponsor or support an opinion simply because an employee holds it. I think the simplicity of this whole issue is confusing a lot of people.

          • Jordan Faust

            I’m not confused in the least. The kid posted the bulletin board using the authority given to him by his job as an RA. In my opinion he crossed the line and abused his authority.

          • Antjuan

            A pro-lesbian poster was displayed in the women’s dorm with no challenge. Mike did you a favor by showing the Catholic TRUTH on marriage, as deigned by God and Science through the act of complementarity. If you feel that Mike crossed the line, then you MUST feel that the RA who posted the pro-lesbian posters also crossed the line. If you don’t, then you are a bigot.

          • Jordan Faust

            My issue is not with the poster per se. It is with Mike’s tone deafness to the community that didn’t want it there and his abuse of the power of is position to keep putting it in people’s faces when they clearly did not want it in their hall. I would support people to take down the other one too.

          • Antjuan

            I wonder if the people who did not want to see that poster also go home and tell grandma and grandpa that they don’t want to see them holding hands or kissing because they are offended by any PDA other than homosexual PDAs. Afterall, grandma and grandpa are being abusive when they show normal heterosexual affection and use their power of age and family status to shove their heterosexuality if the faces of the LGBTQ.

          • Jordan Faust

            Ant juan, you are allow. I am not in favor of homosexuality and have repeatedly stated that I agree with the content of the bulletin board but I do not approve of the tactics and lies that Mike has used.

          • BaconLovingInfidel

            “but I do not approve of the tactics and lies that Mike has used.”

            About what did Michael Smalanskas lie?

          • Jordan Faust

            Ask him yourself.

          • BaconLovingInfidel

            An irresponsible and unintelligent response typical of your other comments here.

            You made the accusation of dishonesty by Smalankas. It’s your responsibility to establish the validity of your claim.

          • Rita Rivir

            What lies?

          • Jordan Faust

            You are the liar Rita. How dare you put words or inclinations in my mouth. I agree with the church in all matters. Still I find this boy to be a brat and a real big mouthed trouble maker. He has lied about his intentions and his own words have exposed the lie. He should stop talking.

          • Rita Rivir

            Perhaps I did not read this carefully. I will again. However, I am not a liar. That was an unnecessary comment.

          • Jordan Faust

            Antjuan, can you at least concede that there appears to be something of a less than pure motivation to Mike’s poster crusade?

          • Jordan Faust

            I don’t like the lesbian poster either for your information. I wonder if any students took it down and then had the person who made it put it up over and over again.

          • Jordan Faust

            He is paid by the college and has a position of power in the dorm.

          • St. Kolbe

            yep. he does.

          • Rita Rivir

            It is a Catholic college. Not PC secularism college. Any statement put up that is in line with Catholic teaching should be encouraged.

          • DrDoctorDr

            The words of Kristine Goodwin, Vice-President of Student Affairs:

            “I sincerely hope others will join me in committing to studying, to really listening, and to being in dialogue so that we can be informed and effective allies and educators. One way to do this is to walk in solidarity with SHEPARD next Wednesday, March 21st, promoting unity, affirmation, and inclusion even amidst controversy. ”

            https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-college-silent-on-student-threatened-with-gay-rape-for-posting-bul

            And the president has declared that such statements are not inherently homophobic, as the professors who penned this letter had requested. You’ll have to persuade Fr. Shanley if you want to make that claim.

          • Melissa

            I read that whole article you posted. It reveals Smalanskas for what he is, a person who no one gets along with and no one likes. The entire letter from the VP was in there too. You have selected one sentence out of context to make it look damaging. The letter is actually very well done and does not undersell the tension caused by these events. It also seeks healing for the community. The Shanley/Goodwin team is balanced and understanding of the nuance of this issue. Smalanskas comes off as a hot head.

          • Amir

            Yet, he is engaged, so someone loves him enough to marry him. Jesus loves him, as Mike, a former seminary student, has stood up for TRUTH. His poster doesn’t condemn anyone, doesn’t single out homosexuals, all it does is show the beauty of a true marriage as designed by God who made us male and female so through our biological design we can bring forth new life in honor of God. You have commented quite a lot, Melissa, and your hatred, while veiled, is obvious. Seek Jesus. Pray for an open heart. You do no favors to your sodomite friends by telling them their actions are okay. To God, they are not okay. Love them into heaven for all eternity.

          • Melissa

            Good for him.

          • Melissa

            Good for him.

          • So if someone is disliked is it okay to threaten to sodomize him? Isn’t that a sin against hospitality?

          • Jordan Faust

            Let’s do a little exercise in logic which is supposed to be the academic area of many of those who penned the opinion today. If “We reject the notion that the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage, or its teaching on homosexuality, is bigoted or homophobic,” Then we cannot claim that a protest of homophobia is about us.
            That’s 101 folks and I am not even an academic. Should these professors even have their jobs if this elementary level of logic eludes them?

          • Justin Katz

            When you’re going to attack people for logical inconsistencies, you really should make sure that you’ve got things right. You left out the agency of the people protesting. Implicit to the complaint of the professors is that the college is humoring those who DO believe that the Church’s teaching on marriage is homophobic. Therefore, the people protesting are incorrect about that which they’re protesting.

            If you like vanilla ice cream and people organize a protest in front of your house against the racism implicit in eating vanilla ice cream, you can both state that eating vanilla ice cream is not racist AND that the protest is targeting you.

          • Melissa

            I stand by my elementary logic. I don’t like vanilla ice cream.

          • Jordan Faust

            Justin, Where is the evidence that the college “is humoring those who DO believe that the Church’s teaching on marriage is homophobic”? There has been no evidence of this presented anywhere in any statements by the college.

          • Richard Malcolm

            I think the concern is with the official letter issued by Vice President for Student Affairs, Kristine Goodwin, which seems mostly hostile to the RA’s actions.

          • Jordan Faust

            Is that available to view?

          • Jordan Faust

            Obviously people from outside the college do not have this letter. Can you share the contents so that people can make up their own minds about whether it is “hostile to the RAs actions”?

          • The letter is contained in this article. Also information about the lesbian bulletin board and the fact that Michael had to be moved from his room by campus security for his own safety. That someone at a Catholic college articulating Catholic doctrine is considered out of line shows how nuts things have gotten. There is no free speech at this scholol unless it’s politically correct speech. They showed that when they persecuted Professor Anthonly Esolen! https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-college-silent-on-student-threatened-with-gay-rape-for-posting-bul

          • BaconLovingInfidel

            “If you like vanilla ice cream and people organize a protest in front of your house against the racism implicit in eating vanilla ice cream, you can both state that eating vanilla ice cream is not racist AND that the protest is targeting you.”

            That you had to explain that is comical yet frightening.

          • DrDoctorDr

            That would be a nice message to deliver to the students writing in support of the march, as they are explicitly characterize this march as against the bulletin-board, characterizing it in precisely that way:

            “My awesome and strong friend, who is currently studying abroad in Costa Rica, recently wrote a short blog post regarding the homophobic bulletin that was recently put up (without permission I might add) in a Providence College dorm. For anyone who has felt unsafe or unwelcome, any Providence College student, or anyone in general; these hateful messages that create exclusive and unwelcoming environments will not stand.”

            http://karlenecudak.weebly.com/2/post/2018/03/join-shepard-in-a-march-against-transphobia-and-homophobia-slavin-center-providence-college-wednesday-march-21st-at-630-830.html

          • Jordan Faust

            Did you even read her blog. It says this “it appears that PC leadership has yet to denounce this act or send a message of inclusion to its students. ”
            Apparently the PC leadership HAS NOT denounced little Mikey’s bulletin boards and that is according to information you provided.

          • BaconLovingInfidel

            This is truly poor.

            I’m embarrassed for you.

          • Jordan Faust

            Blessed are the poor in spirit. Have a nice day.

          • BaconLovingInfidel

            I’ve never heard it suggested that Luke or Matthew were referencing intellectual poverty therein.

          • Shanzi

            Nazi Brown Shirt tactics to silence those who think differently. Right out of Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals”. It’s disturbing how those who preach tolerance and acceptance don’t practice what they preach.

        • Rasheeda

          Masturbation is not one of the sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance. I suggest you start reading your Bible, Melissa, as you are woefully uninformed.

          • Melissa

            Don’t lecture me.

        • Tesla

          Romans 1:26-27

          • Melissa

            precisely my point

          • Melissa

            Precisely.

    • DrDoctorDr

      Here, let me help you:

      “Ph.D. – University of Michigan”

      https://chemistry.providence.edu/faculty-members/jay-pike/

      And I’m not sure if you get the point of the letter- they are calling on the people who pay them to uphold the teaching. It’s not the other way around.

      • Melissa

        If they don’t like their employer then they can always go work somewhere else. In some work places publicly demanding actions by your employer gets you thrown out.

        • Justin Katz

          Interesting perspective. You started commenting on the other post saying that Catholics shouldn’t be in-your-face about their religion and should evangelize by not turning other people off. When it comes to the other side, though, it’s “if you don’t like it, get out of here” (paraphrasing).

          So, in summary, if you are a non-Catholic, the Catholic college should welcome you, in part, by not forcing Catholic beliefs on you if you are uncomfortable with them, but if you are a Catholic who works there and feel that the Catholic college isn’t sufficiently upholding Catholic beliefs, then you should quit your job.

          • Melissa

            New day, new post. I think you are a bit of weirdo for going back to previous days news to chastise a commenter. Apparently you have little respect for the people who read and comment on your articles to speak for themselves. I will be sure to include this stream of comments when I send my letter and donation to Bishop Tobin in support of the Providence College administration for all of the crap they have to put up with from out of touch catholic faculty.

          • Mario

            Amazing.

            You could take someone pointing out your double standards as an opportunity to examine your positions, but I guess it’s easier to jam your fingers in your ears and attack the person holding you accountable.

            Justin wants logical consistency. What a weirdo.

          • Justin Katz

            How perfectly in keeping with the controversy! I engage your ideas seriously as ideas, and you tell me (1) that you can’t be accountable one day for a principle that you articulated the previous day and (2) that it is disrespectful to engage with people who comment here.

          • Antjuan

            When you point a finger at those you accuse, there are 3 fingers pointing back at you. Think about that, Melissa. First take the plank out of your own eye before you deal with the speck in Mike’s eye. Matthew 7:5

          • Melissa

            I’m sure you know what finger I would point at you.

        • Dylan

          And if they don’t like the teachings of the Catholic Church, which are the teachings of Jesus Christ, then they can go to a school that is not Catholic. It works both ways.

    • If you think the writers of this letter wrote it to kiss up to the administration, you have not been following developments at PC in the last year or two. (Or you could just read the actual text of the letter, in which they are very uncertain if they will receive support from the administration.)

      P.S. This is the first I heard of this specific controversy, so I cannot really comment on it. But I know what the general developments have been.

      • Melissa

        Everyone knows that some loud mouthed professor was too closed minded to teach all students and had to run away to the mountains in the north to couple of kids who agree with him. No one cares. Everyone else still loves Providence and finds it to be wonderfully Catholic. I have been following. I am appalled by the people who wrote this letter.

        • Richard Malcolm

          Someone is close-minded at Providence, and it wasn’t Anthony Esolen.

          • Melissa

            Who then? Care to name names?

        • Tesla

          That is a very hateful comment, Melissa.
          Matthew 7:1-5

          • Melissa

            truth

          • Melissa

            Truth

  • Rhett Hardwick

    It’s about time, probably past time. Can’t say I agree with all Catholic teachings, but it is a Catholic College.

    • Melissa

      It’s a Catholic college where not everyone is Catholic. The college didn’t take down the bulletin board, students who didn’t like it took it down.

      • Rhett Hardwick

        Those students have freedom of choice, perhaps they should have found another college.

        • Melissa

          Then all those profs would be out of a job Rhett. You may know that this issue has been already been put to a vote and the USA affirms a different belief about marriage than the Catholic belief. The fight should be with them and not with this fine Catholic college that most of us who are Catholic are happy exists. Do you really think Fr Brian Shanley is the enemy of Catholicism? Get some perspective on this issue. You aren’t going to win the hearts of men and women by attacking those who should be your friends. That is just dumb and learned men and women should know better.

          • Justin Katz

            When was the vote to redefine marriage?

          • Melissa
          • Rhett Hardwick

            “The majority’s decision is an act of will, not legal judgment,” Roberts said. “The right it announces has no basis in the Constitution or this court’s precedent.”
            A not to close reading of Roe v. Wade leads to the same conclusion.

          • Rhett Hardwick

            Consider this. What if Catholic students entered a Lutheran College and wished to criticize Katrina von Bora for deserting the nunnery in a barrel. Then, in violation of her vows, marrying Martin Luther. Wouldn’t that be a “attacking those who should be your friends”? Isn’t that what the protesting students at PC are doing.

          • Tesla

            If the school doesn’t affirm the beliefs of the Catholic Church, then it really is not a Catholic school.
            Mark 9:42

          • Melissa

            Tell that to the bishop.

          • Tesla

            Slavery was once a US law. Didn’t make it right. Abortion is a US law, do you think God approves of abortion?

          • Melissa

            duh

          • Melissa

            Of course not.

      • Amir

        Then, those students who removed Mike’s posters were intolerant hateful bigots since they didn’t also remove the pro-gay lesbian poster displayed in the women’s dorm for almost a month. Tolerance is a 2 way street.

        • Melissa

          They can take down what they want

  • FreddyP

    This young man is truly a godsend. He stands by what he believes. He is right and they are all wrong. Homosexuals are not right. I give this kid credit for saying that the homosexuals are not right in the head. The things they do are just wrong. He probably has to put up with all kinds of hearing about their things that they do in those dorm rooms and that would get really tiring for him. Go get em and run em out of providence.

    • Melissa

      What? This is insane.

      • Tesla

        Freddy is not wrong. If you saw your friend committing a crime, would you counsel them not to? Yet homosexual sex is a crime to God, and you grant your approval, which condemns your friends to hell. I guess you don’t love your friends enough to want to save their eternal souls. Mike loved them enough to show them the truth. John 8:32

        • Melissa

          You agree with this? Buy some earplugs and mind your own business.

  • Guest

    Perhaps it would serve these professors best to stay within their own fields of expertise and leave the understanding of bulletin board designs to the people responsible for them. From the manual: “The use of bulletin boards to disseminate updated information on a monthly basis is efficient and effective”. Keyword being updated, mind you. I’d like to direct you folk that still believe traditions are incapable of change, to a quote by the CURRENT Pope of the CATHOLIC CHURCH. “‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being.” The pope reiterated the church’s teaching that a “marriage is between a man and a woman” but argued that on civil unions, “we have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety.” Amazing that the leader of the Church that you all claim to abide by religiously is capable of understanding God’s love but you seem to only lack that teaching. If you are going to preach God’s truth, you must preach all of it. Not just your close minded frightened view of the evolving world.

    • Justin Katz

      The definition of marriage is of huge consequence to the Church, bound up in theology all the way back to creation. To redefine it is to redefine the Church and undermine 2,000 years of claims to special, inspired insight into Truth.

      I’ll agree that Pope Francis keeps the world on its toes with his comments, but you’re taking pieces of things he’s said and putting them to construct an argument that he isn’t making. Of course we should see people who are homosexual as full human beings worthy of our love and respect, but that doesn’t mean redefining marriage so that they can pretend that their relationships are something that they are not — namely, relationships joining the two halves of humanity which, by their nature, can create new life.

      As for civil unions, the pope was discussing public policy. That is, his position, as I recall, might have been that the Church shouldn’t oppose governments’ setting up civil unions of some sort, but that still isn’t an equivalence with marriage.

      • Jordan Faust

        Did Mike show love and respect for his homosexual dorm mates when they tore down his poster because it hurt their feelings and then he put it up again and then again? Maybe we should ask them how loved and respected they are.

        • Melissa

          Good Lord, No, he did not. This RA could have cared less that he was offending the people on his floor. He either has a huge ego or a radical agenda, maybe both. He has not been very respectful of the college administration either. That shows something about his character too.

          • Richard Malcolm

            How can imparting the teaching of the Church – with no personal embroidery or commentary – at a Catholic college be offensive or disrespectful?

          • Melissa

            He did it to provoke as evidenced by doing it again and again and again.

          • Amir

            What was provocative about the poster, and be specific. Don’t say it’s because he used his power to put it back up because having it displayed in the first place started the controversy. There’s something about the poster that offends you and/or the occupants of the dorm, so what is it?

          • Richard Malcolm

            By this standard, the Apostle Paul was “provocative.” As were a few hundred evangelist saints of the Church I could name.

            Again: Providence is a Catholic college, run by the Dominican order. If an employee of the college happens to publicize the teaching of the Church on campus in a venue (s)he has authority over (his bulletin board), and it bothers you, you might be at the wrong college.

          • Melissa

            Nope. Pc is for everyone!

        • DrDoctorDr

          So in an academic environment, when someone is upset by something you say and destroys it, the proper response is compliance.

          And this works both ways? If another student is upset with or offended by a Marriage Equality display put up by another R.A., you would counsel them to tear it down, and the R.A. should take that as a sign that he was wrong to post it?

          • Guest

            In an academic environment, the objective of bulletin boards for RAs is to inform and educate in the effort to create an inclusive and loving environment. This board was a statement, a statement that does not exemplify Gods complete truth and love. No it shouldn’t be torn down. But unless the RA is going to stand next to the board 24/7 to teach why the Catholic faith believes marriage to be this way for all who would like to inquire, it should not be left up. No educating has been or is being done here. It is simply a statement proclaiming that there is only one way, the Catholic way. Was that the intent? Probably not, we hope. But regardless of intent, that was the impact.

          • Jordan Faust

            Sure, if it bothered them enough to want to tear it down, yes. Especially if they were a student in a position of authority such as the RA is.

        • Hadley

          Why would his homosexual dorm mates be offended by his posters? Wouldn’t these homosexuals have parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles in a true marriage between one man and one woman? The only excuse for offense would be if these homosexuals were engaged in sodomy, which is a mortal sin.

    • Rhett Hardwick

      I do not follow the teachings of the Catholic faith, but I have never understood that heaven is denied to homosexuals (I do understand, that before entry, St. Pete may require them to spell Czechoslovakia)

      • DrDoctorDr

        There is no teaching that heaven is denied to homosexuals, or people who experience same-sex attraction, or however your culture construes that. There are any number of ways to exclude yourself from heaven (i.e. fall into mortal sin); those ways are available to all people, no matter their sexual attraction.

        • the rein man

          The context of the discussion is marriage. Anyone entering into a homosexual “marriage” is, objectively, engaging in mortal sin.

    • Christopher C. Reed

      Always amusing to discover the convenient acceptance of Papal infallibility ex cathedra. The beloved Pontiff is a Jesuit, no? Not entirely unfamiliar with casuistry?

      • Rhett Hardwick

        They (Bulls) have always been used for a variety of purposes, such as raising money for St. Peters (nearly bankrupting Europe and giving us the Reformation) to freeing the Knights Templar from the possibility of sin, or the need to pay taxes. Since losing control over central governments in Europe, they have pretty much been restricted to theological matters.

  • the rein man

    The elephant in the room has become decor. The main purpose of the Catholic Church is to save souls. Those that live and die in grave sin are not and will not be in that company. If PC, or any other Catholic college has lost sight of this foundational and basic truth then it has ceased to be Catholic.

    • Melissa

      I am very happy that you are not the one who has authority to decide what is Catholic and what is not. What kind of a person dares to condemn others? Last I knew we are all sinners.

      • the rein man

        I am also happy that I am not the one. I have left that to Christ, the Apostles, Fathers, Doctors, Saints, and Councils of the Church – which have *all* said repeatedly that those that die in grave sin will be forever separated from all that is good save existence.

      • Justin Katz

        I’m not sure your commentary on these two posts leaves you much room to express shock at people who condemn other people.

        • Melissa

          There is a significant difference between condemning a person’s actions and condemning people for eternity as the rein man did with his comment “those that live and die in grave sin are not and will not be in that company.” Threats of eternal damnation are beyond deplorable in a faith that teaches us forgiveness will be offered the minute we say the word.

          • Justin Katz

            Yes, that is an important distinction. I think I missed your meaning, though, because the Catholic understanding, which “rein man” appears to be articulating, is that we aren’t actually condemning people. We’re warning them about what we know about condemnation. It’s like excommunication: It’s not so much that the Church actively excommunicates somebody as that it acknowledges that he or she has excommunicated him or her self.

            If one believes, for example, that engaging in certain sexual practices will (if unrepented) lead to eternity separated from God, then figuring out how to move people away from those practices is an important act of love. We can disagree about how best to move them away from their lifestyle, but whether we seek to subtly persuade or to warn, neither approach is outrageous.

          • Melissa

            If unrepented….and you have no idea what the condition of any person’s soul will be.

          • Jordan Faust

            Except that one approach, the one taking by the RA, has led to hundreds of kids who might even believe the truth about marriage to want to take the other side and protest what he did because it was a crappy thing to do. You guys need to step back and realize that what he did was ineffective and stupid.

          • Richard Malcolm

            hundreds of kids who might even believe the truth about marriage

            On present evidence, that seems awfully d**** unlikely.

          • Jordan Faust

            When the campus ministry kids are holding signs at the rally alongside the LGBTQ then you will know the truth of this.

          • Richard Malcolm

            Knowing what I do about campus ministry at PC (which just about as bad as campus ministry at most Catholic universities), this neither surprises, nor provides proof for either their Catholicism or belief in the truth about marriage.

          • the rein man

            The “threat of eternal damnation” is the very reason for Christ’s passion, death and resurrection and is inseparable from Christianity. Forgiveness is offered with true repentance, a firm purpose of amendment and either a *perfect* act of contrition or a trip to the confessional.

            I sincerely hope that you are not learning “Catholicism” at PC.

          • Richard Malcolm

            “those that live and die in grave sin are not and will not be in that company.”

            That actually *is* what the Church teaches, however – and what Christ Himself said.

            Of course, it’s often not apparent to us exactly who is living in or who might have died in grave sin. We do know what constitutes a sin, though.

          • Melissa

            Care to cite your source on that?

          • the rein man

            The source? Well, there is the old and new testament, every Church Father, Doctor and Saint that has ever commented on the subject, every catechism ever officially promulgated by the Church including the latest Catechism of the Catholic Church, and countless holy men and women over the entire 2000 year history of the Church – for starters….

          • Richard Malcolm

            Well, that’s Catholic Dogma 101.

            Catechism of the Catholic Church 1035. “The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.” (See Denzinger-Schonmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, DS 76; 409; 411; 801; 858; 1002; 1351; 1575, for specific sources)

          • Melissa

            And so you are damning all of these kids, these souls, at the age of 18-22, and we hope no where near death. They haven’t had time to repent yet.

          • Antoninus

            Anyone (i.e. Catholic), who has received all of the Sacraments (as it pertains to their state in life), has time to repent. Yours is a completely nonsensical statement.

        • Jordan Faust

          Eternal damnation is significantly different than condensation of someone’s opinion or beliefs. Man, I’m starting to question if you people even worship the same loving Jesus Christ that I know and adore.

          • the rein man

            Hell is a dogma of Catholicism, and Jesus Christ, who is merciful and loving, taught more about the reality of hell than the rest of scriptures combined. If the Christ that you worship excludes the reality of hell and condemnation then the Christ that you worship is not the Christ of history, scripture or the Church.

          • Richard Malcolm

            Well, it’s important to remember that it was the same loving Jesus Christ who repeatedly (more than any other figure in Scripture) warned of the dangers of hell, and how much easier it is for souls to go there: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matt 7:13)

          • Jordan Faust

            He wasn’t particularly fond of the Pharisees either as I recall.

          • Richard Malcolm

            How is this responsive to my comment?

          • Jordan Faust

            Go figure. If it looks like the Pharisees and talks like them….

      • Rachel Zarate

        Melissa, would you condemn a rapist, murderer, terrorist, child molester, pediofile, racist, bigot, gun advocate, Nazi, sexual harassment? We all condemn. You too

        • Melissa

          Who am I too judge?

  • Walter Griffin

    I am a lifelong Catholic and will send my 5th granddaughter to PC this fall. I consider it in bad taste for faculty members to call foul when no harm has been done. Catholicism is alive and well at Providence College and the liturgies there are beautiful expressions of youthful faith. Professors Barry, Butter, Cosgrove, Cuddeback, Culpepper, Gondreau, Hain, Keating, Keating, Macfarland, Maloney, and Pike, I suggest you start attending liturgy with these fine young people to recognize the good that is being done at PC.

    • Sandee

      I am sure there is much good happening at PC but all it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. The Professors who support the true and Godly definition of Marriage should be praised for their courage and it’s about time for the priests at PC to properly educate their flock on Catholic teachings about marriage

      • Walter Griffin

        I am uncomfortable with the manner in which they have vilified the school administration before they even heard anything from them. That, to me, lacks appropriate Christian charity.

        • DrDoctorDr

          That letter was generated in response to administrators’ refusal to condemn the threat against Michael and recognize the fittingness of such a billboard in a Catholic school. As with many newsworthy events, the full story only comes out over time.

  • JohnnyCuredents

    Why would any sentient parent pay to send his child to this nest of heretics? “Catholic” colleges are in fee fall.

  • otireda

    Iam all for traditional marriage ,anything outside of the natural law ,is not from God at the same time as christians we should love the sinner but hate the sin

    • Sandee

      True but as Christians we must never promote sin

  • John Launder

    The poster that the student has put up is a simple and clear statement of Catholic teaching on Marriage and family. What is all the fuss about? Why all the diatribe directed at him by other students. As an orthodox Catholic I am in full agreement with him. There is nothing ‘homophobic’ in his poster!

    • Rasheeda

      Mike angered Satan and his minions

  • Amir

    There is nothing wrong with Mike’s poster. He did an act of charity putting that up to educate the misled students, like Melissa, who thinks she is being loving to her practicing homosexual friends. You are not, Melissa, your so-called loving actions are putting the souls of the practicing sodomites in grave jeopardy, with hell as the punishment. If you truly loved your friends, you would want them to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ. You also discredit the many members of Courage, which teaches those with SSA to remain celibate. Try reading Joseph Sciambra’s blog, he is a survivor of the gay lifestyle.

  • Rasheeda

    And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22

    Godspeed to Mike, a brave young man.

  • Tesla

    1 Corinthians 6:9

  • Melissa

    You appear not to have read the ending to the story. Foolish quotation completely misses the truth of our faith.

  • Melissa

    I have no affiliation with Providence College. Fool.

  • Steph

    Truly disgraceful if the Administration doesn’t support Michael. May this be the start of PC standing up for authentic Catholic teachings and promoting those teachings in the classroom, dorms, clubs, chapels, etc

    • Jordan Faust

      They have supported him but not his crusade. Now he is just gathering right wing trophies in the form of articles rehashing the same story and live interviews doing the same. He is gathering all of them on a Facebook page whose branding has changed in 24 hours from Trumplike to churchie. The page allows no interaction, it’s just for show. If this is the guy that traditional Catholics are banking will help to restore the church then we are all doomed. He is too wrapped up in himself and his self righteous condemnation of the real world to make any real change. I would find a new hero if I were you. His ship has sailed and it’s sinking.

  • Jordan Faust

    Do you seriously think that the school is sanctioning sodomy. Isn’t all sex outside of marriage wrong, not just sodomy? Maybe it would be good to remind Mike about this.

    • Tesla

      Did you say the same to the pro-lesbian poster who was promoting sodomy between women? Or are you just against free speech for traditional Catholics?

      • Jordan Faust

        As I have repeatedly said, I have no issue with the content of Mike’s poster, I find his tactics and lies to be a problem and therefore cannot support him or his actions. I am not in favor of same sex marriage but that does not mean that I agree with the actions of this misguided student, Smalanski

    • Richard Malcolm

      Isn’t all sex outside of marriage wrong, not just sodomy?

      That’s true – all of it is.

      But one distinction which needs to be made is that while all such acts are mortally sinful, heterosexual acts are not disordered in the way homosexual ones are. Which is why St Paul goes out of his way to single them out in Romans 1:26-27.

      • Jordan Faust

        That’s really cutting hairs when you’re dealing with college students isn’t it?

  • Steph

    Demonic hatred coming from the intolerant LGBQ crowd. The dormitories should have an Exorcism performed followed by a proper blessing with Holy Water

  • Jordan Faust

    whatever….ant juan

  • Steph

    Liberal mantra: FREE SPEECH for ME but NOT for THEE

  • Zach

    Liberals are intolerant and think humans are just sexual objects and deny our human dignity and our true purpose: we are made in the image of God and exist to know, love, and serve God by following His Commandments

  • Auntie Marion, an old fogie

    You would think, with all the money paid out by the Catholic Church to cover up for the molestations done by homosexual men masquerading as priests, that any Catholic school would come out in force against the practicing homosexual lifestyle- and for just reason!

  • Melissa

    Of course

    • Amir

      No, Melissa, the removal of a rainbow flag by a student who is offended by it would never, ever happen! It would be considered a hate crime and LGBTQ bullies and thugs, along with their supporters, would burn PC down if this ever happened. All is not equal and you know it.

  • Melissa

    I guess. What’s your point, Amir?

    • Amir

      You really think it’s okay for students, at a catholic school like PC, to demand the removal of classroom crucifixes, if they are not catholic, and find them offensive?

  • Melissa

    Liam, I’m glad you finally got the help you need.

  • Melissa

    Ummmm…was that a charitable statement? You people have a strange sense of charity. You and your boy Smalanskas are willing to throw a man who has given his life to the Dominican order under the bus and run over him again and again to prove that God likes you better? What is the end game here. Do you want everyone who has sexual sins to stop calling themselves Catholic? Get your hand out of your pants, Duke. You people are disgusting.

    • Richard Malcolm

      Do you want everyone who has sexual sins to stop calling themselves Catholic?

      Only the ones who publicly endorse such behavior, and refuse to repent.

      There’s Episcopal and Universalist churches just down the street for that.

      • Melissa

        Richard, you claim to be a great champion for Catholicism but have lost sight of the mission of the church which is evangelization of the sinner. If your church can only have the perfect people in it and all of the others should go to the episcopal or universalists church then your pews will be very empty very soon. In My Catholic Church All Are Welcome. I am glad that I have the pope and most clergy on my side.

        • Richard Malcolm

          The mission of the Church is the salvation of souls. THAT is why we evangelize them. That is the Great Commission.

          The Church has never been the bastion of only the perfect. Its earthly body has always been a 100% population of sinners. The idea that I am insisting on perfection is simply not sustainable, not by history, not by dogma. If it were, I would be doomed, too.

          There’s a mindset which seems to put virtually everything the Church taught and did between the 1st century and 1962 into a memory hole, and it seems to be on display not just here but at much of Providence College. The hard reality is that most Americans, and most American Catholics, accept most or every aspect of the sexual revolution, including the belief that there is nothing at all intrinsically wrong with homosexuality or transgenderism. Knowing this, many Catholic clergy and (yes) Catholic collegiate officials choose to downplay, ignore, or even undermine Church teaching which quite adamantly states that these are never acceptable acts, either because they no longer believe in them either, or because they’re simply cowards. And that is, on all evidence, what appears to be happening now at Providence.

          The point of bringing up other, liberal denominations is not to try to kick people out of the Church. We should want as many to be saved as possible – and the concrete place to do that is the Catholic Church! I actually don’t want anyone to leave! But if what you believe is pretty well reflected in, say, the ECUSA platform, but flies in the face of vast chunks of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and you are unwilling to change what you believe in accord with the latter, it really DOES raise the question of why you don’t move to a church whose beliefs you DO share?

          • Antoninus

            The bigger problem is that at least half of the clergy is homosexual. The Dominicans had a Superior of the Order (Radcliffe), who aggressively promotes homosexuality. The Dominican Order is a great Order, but sadly it is mostly filled with homosexuals or effeminate men. Having lived in a Dominican Parish for many years, I saw very few masculine men … real father’s. That tells you everything you need to know about why Fr. Shanley is behaving as he is. Now, this doesn’t mean he is necessarily a homosexual, but you can be sure he is being ‘leaned on’ heavily from above if he is not. So where’s Bishop Tobin in all of this?

            By the way, as Pope Emeritus Benedict said, the Church has been reduced to the remnants. Those who actually know and believe what the Church actually teaches is a pretty small percentage. Those who do their best to live it are an even a smaller percentage.

          • Richard Malcolm

            I don’t think it’s half of the clergy – or of the Dominicans in aggregate, though the percentage is surely uncomfortably high in some provinces. (I think the Eastern Province is now one of the best in the world, but its rejuvenation is hardly complete; Fr Shanley represents an older generation of Eastern Province Dominicans.)

            We must also distinguish between homosexuals and the merely effeminate heterosexual men – though the latter can be quite problematic, too.

        • All are welcome to repent and sin no more. The mistake of the Pharisees was to see some people as irredeemable. When people love God they seek to put away their sin even if it causes them loneliness and loss.

  • Melissa

    We do indeed.

  • Kathleen Wilson

    Thank you to these lay professors who have had the courage to speak out in defense of this student who is stating a basic principle of our Catholic faith. As an ’85 alumna, I am shocked that the PC administration will not defend this student and I admire Bishop Thomas Tobin for having the courage to do so.

  • Richard Malcolm

    The radical Catholic crusaders make up such a small percentage of people in the pews that you have ceased to matter to the Bishops office or any high ranking Catholic officials.

    I actually don’t dispute this point. But this is mostly because this cohort of Church leadership has lost the Catholic faith. They don’t believe. They’re mostly interested in institutional (and job) preservation. It’s as simple as that. I can say that, because I’ve worked there.

    But it is not just traditionalists (or other concerned cohorts of pewsitters) they don’t care about. They don’t care about virtually anyone else in the pews, either, save possibly those with deep pockets. They don’t care about those who have been sexual abused by their clerical colleagues. And this is also why the Church in United States has been forced to shell out over $3 billion in sexual abuse settlements.

    Heck, you people don’t even actually like the Pope, do you?

    He’s a very dislikable man, but then, so were Stephen VI and Alexander VI. We’re not required by Church doctrine to like the pope, though – we are obliged to pray for him.

    • Jordan Faust

      Personally, I have not been contacted by the almighty and given the inside intel on those who are in hell so I cannot speak to that. I do know that we are all called to forgive and to love. I do not believe that the students actions in this case were loving and I respectfully disagree with Mr. Esolen’s characterization of the PC administration.

  • Rita Rivir

    Congratulations to the professors who backed Mr. Smalanskas! It is a Catholic university for heaven’ sake! You have courage and you are correct. We are grateful that you stand for what is true.

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