No End to 'V-Monologues' Performances on Catholic Campuses in 2011

Since CNS began protesting the Monologues in 2003, performances have dropped from a high of 32.  But on some Catholic campuses, the Monologues has become an annual display of defiance against traditional marriage and sexual morality.

P>MANASSAS, Va. (Cardinal Newman Society) - While couples celebrate true love on the Feast of Saint Valentine, The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) identified reports of fourteen Catholic colleges and universities-ten of them Jesuit-hosting productions of the vile play The Vagina Monologues in 2011.

Since CNS began protesting the Monologues in 2003, performances have dropped from a high of 32.  But on some Catholic campuses, the Monologues has become an annual display of defiance against traditional marriage and sexual morality.

"Catholic colleges that host this play-some of them repeatedly-should be ashamed of the obvious contradiction with their Catholic identity," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.  "Most Catholic colleges have rejected the Monologues and found much better ways of seriously addressing women's issues."

The Monologues favorably describes lesbian activity, masturbation and the reduction of sexuality to selfish pleasure.  Promoted by the organization V-Day and performed to support the end to violence against women, often as a fundraiser for women's shelters, the good intentions of the performers are undermined by the play's obscene and demeaning content.

Since January, CNS has been monitoring the internet and campus publications for evidence of Catholic colleges and universities supporting the Monologues.  Fourteen Catholic colleges and universities have been identified.

CNS informed Catholic college and university leaders that their institutions are listed as performing the Monologues, either at VDay.org or by another published source.  CNS alerted the institutions about the obscene nature of the play and asked college leaders to confirm whether or not the Monologues are indeed taking place.

The following Catholic institutions were listed either on the website VDay.org or elsewhere online as hosting The Vagina Monologues in 2011:

Bellarmine University
Boston College
College of Saint Rose
College of the Holy Cross
DePaul University
Fordham University
Georgetown University
John Carroll University
Loyola University Chicago
Marquette University
Saint Mary's College (IN)
Seattle University
University of Detroit Mercy
University of San Francisco

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The Cardinal Newman Society is dedicated to renewing and strengthening Catholic identity at America's 224 Catholic colleges and universities.This article is used with permission.