Catholic university upholds Catholic identity

And that’s news.

A public radio station has pulled Planned Parenthood advertising and returned more than $5,000 donated after the station’s license holder, Duquesne University, said the organization did not share the school’s Catholic mission.

WDUQ began airing the Planned Parenthood messages Oct. 8. Two days later, officials were ordered by Duquesne to yank the broadcasts.

Duquesne spokeswoman Bridget Fare, citing Planned Parenthood’s support of abortion, said the organization was not aligned with the university’s Catholic mission and identity. The ads didn’t mention abortion services.

One of the messages said: “Support for DUQ comes from Planned Parenthood, providing comprehensive sexuality education, including lessons on abstinence. Planned Parenthood: Their mission is prevention.”

Prevention of one thing or another, whether its pregnancy by distributing contraception, or the continuation of an existing pregnancy by abortion of a living human child.

Planned Parenthood seems to be expanding their horizons, perhaps to test the limits? The good news here is that some people at a Catholic university are willing to set and enforce them, based on Church teaching on matters of faith and morals.

The radio station manager wonders if the move will impact its pledge drive for listener support.

WDUQ 90.5 FM had been in the middle of its pledge drive when the controversy erupted and the pro-abortion ads appear to have hurt fundraising efforts.

“The pledge response has been much lower than usual,” Hanley admitted. “It’s going to hurt.”

Personally, I don’t think so. When you show the courage to be Catholic in a militantly secular culture….even on a Catholic campus, for crying out loud….you stand out, and ennoble others to assert and defend their faith. Duquesne needs to seize the moment and raise awareness of what they are doing, and what they are not willing to do, to be unapologetically Catholic.