Theologian’s Lectures Canceled by Three Catholic Colleges

Roman Catholic theologian Daniel C. Maguire says three Catholic colleges have canceled his scheduled speaking appearances this summer because of his dissent from the church’s condemnation of all abortions.

He likened the cancellations to black-listing during the McCarthy era.

Maguire, a professor of ethics at Marquette University, says scheduled lectures were canceled by Boston College, a Jesuit institution; St. Scholastica College, Duluth, Minn., and St. Martin’s College, Lacey, Wash.

“I’ve served this church 15 years as a priest and 25 years as a theologian and I think this is an insult. They’re acting like McCarthyites,” he says, referring to the anti-communist campaign of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., during the 1950s.

Maguire says the speaking appearances were scheduled more than a year ago. None was related to the abortion issue.

He attracted national attention in the 1984 presidential campaign when he helped prepare a statement that appeared in a New York Times ad, saying committed Catholics hold diverse views about abortion, and its blanket condemnation is not the “only legitimate Catholic position.”

“The word is out not to let any signers of the ad into a Catholic institution,” he says.