The Golisano story just got a lot bigger. The Cardinal Newman Society, an organization committed to strengthening the Catholic identity at Catholic colleges and universities, has issued a statement on the controversy of Ave Maria University naming an athletic building after Tom Golisano, a businessman who has supported pro-abortion initiatives and politicians in the past. I'm glad to see that the Society has accurately identified the concerns with the honor. Some excerpts from their statement:

Nevertheless, Ave Maria University's decision to honor Mr. Golisano does at least give the appearance of violating the bishops' 2004 policy -- which for a committed Catholic university should be a concern -- and perhaps also in fact.
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As long as there remains the perception and possibly the fact that Ave Maria University's athletic center is named for a publicly "pro-choice" individual, we fear a negative impact on a university that largely serves and employs faithful Catholics.

The Cardinal Newman Society and Ave Maria University have a shared, demonstrated commitment to faithful Catholic higher education. We continue to have a strong relationship. The Cardinal Newman Society trusts that the University will address this concern with a sincere reflection on its mission and will develop policies to appropriately address such situations in the future.

HT: AveWatch

UPDATE: Here is the Ave Herald's take on this new development.

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