Catholic Gonzaga prohibits pro-life event with Liz Wheeler
GIGI DE LA TORRE • NOVEMBER 16, 2022
This university has lost the understanding of what it means to be Catholic,’ student leader saysGonzaga University, a Jesuit Catholic institution, refused to allow a pro-life event by the campus Zags for Life group.
Zags for Life wanted to host Catholic pro-life speaker Liz Wheeler with assistance from Young America’s Foundation, but the campus ministry office denied the request.
Grant Habersetzer, a student and board member of Gonzaga’s pro-life club Zags for Life, told The College Fix that he was notified the event was canceled by an email from Director of Mission and Ministry Luke Lavin. The ministry director said he was “unaware” that the group was working with YAF on the event, according to an email reviewed by The Fix.
Habersetzer already had received approval from the Center for Student Involvement, which typically oversees clubs on campus. However, the campus ministry office has claimed oversight of the pro-life group.
“I sent multiple e-mails with no response,” Habersetzer told The Fix. “I tried to visit [Lavin’s] office, but was not given a meeting. It got to the point that I was calling his office every hour to try to get a response, but with no answer.”
Lavin eventually told the group that he was canceling the event due to “some of the ambiguity around the requests around advisor change and club status.”
Since the club is determined by the university to be a religious club, it falls under the scope of Mission and Ministry at Gonzaga. As a result,
this office can withhold funds that the pro-life club had fundraised, Habersetzer told The Fix. . . .
https://www.thecollegefix.com/catholic-gonzaga-prohibits-pro-life-event-with-liz-wheeler/