Editorial

Many people in the Diocese of Madison know Ben Kessler. As one of our diocesan seminarians, Kessler has spoken at parishes about his vocation and has been featured in articles in the Catholic Herald.

Outstanding student/football player. Perhaps he is best known as the football player/seminarian. He gained prominence by being named an Academic All American in his senior year as captain of the football team at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. He maintained a 4.0 grade-point average majoring in philosophy and business while attending St. John Vianney Seminary on the St. Thomas campus.

Kessler was selected as the 2006 Tommie Award winner by a vote of students, faculty, and staff at St. Thomas. The award has been given annually since 1931 to a senior who exemplifies the ideas of this Catholic university. As the Tommie winner, Kessler was chosen to give an address at the University of St. Thomas commencement ceremonies. Kessler - never a shy person - used this opportunity to talk about Catholic values.

Airs disappointment. Kessler said he was disappointed by the behavior of some students at the Catholic university. For example, he mentioned his disappointment at fellow students who took part in a food fight after a spring dance. It became intense enough that security was summoned.

He also alluded to unmarried professors caught up in a controversy over the university's travel policy, which kept a lesbian choral director from traveling with her partner and an unmarried heterosexual couple from sharing a room on a student trip. Kessler called the professors "selfish."

He called women who use birth control selfish, too. This led to boos and catcalls in the audience. (Some in the audience booed the booers.) Kessler described himself as selfish and said he needs to be a better person, too.

Negative reactions. An article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press said that buzz about Kessler's speech dominated post-graduation parties and spread throughout the community. "By Monday, there were scattered requests to strip Kessler of his Tommie of the Year award and questions about why St. Thomas officials didn't try to pull the plug on Kessler's speech as the crowd's unhappiness intensified," said the article.

One graduate said Kessler "ruined the day." Fr. Dennis Dease, university president, told Kessler it was inappropriate for him to use commencement to express his opinions.

Challenging graduates. I have to disagree with the president. Commencement is a time to challenge graduates about their beliefs and values as they face the future. The University of St. Thomas is a Catholic college. Why wouldn't Catholic beliefs and values be accepted and even encouraged among its graduates (let alone among its faculty)?

No doubt many graduating classes have heard speakers encouraging graduates to protect the environment, help the poor, and serve others. Nobody seems to complain about those speeches. Maybe it's time Catholic colleges and universities welcome commencement speeches (and talks throughout the school year) which do indeed promote, defend, and urge students to practice Catholic values.

Ben Kessler will be leaving soon to continue his studies for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome. Let's pray for him and hope he maintains the courage to witness to Catholic values in the years ahead.

Mary C. Uhler

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Praise for bishops' approach

To the editor:

In their letter to the Honorable Jim Doyle, governor of Wisconsin, on May 22, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan and Bishop Robert C. Morlino are pioneers in educating an elected official in Catholic teaching by means of a letter which had open publicity in Catholic publications.

The bishops pointed out the evil of still more investment of public funds in bio-science tied to the destruction of human embryos through embryonic stem cell research. At the same time the bishops encouraged research utilizing stem cells derived from means other than destroying embryos.

In their letter there was no mention of elections or how citizens should vote. The letter dealt strictly with moral issues. The bishops cannot be accused of being political.

This approach should be an example for bishops who have pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia, pro-same sex marriage, and pro-embryonic stem cell research legislators living in their dioceses.

Through courage and apostolic zeal, this approach can be expanded. Bravo to these two bishops!

Charles J. Sippel, Waterloo