"...The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported last
week that Christian Brothers University has withdrawn its support for the
seventh annual Gerard A. Vanderhaar
Symposium, a conference founded to honor a late CBU professor of religion
and peace studies by "bringing a noted scholar or peace activist each year to
the Christian Brothers University campus to address social and moral issues
related to peace and justice and/or Catholic social teaching." Last week's
cancellation came just two weeks before the scheduled start of the conference,
forcing organizers to relocate to a nearby Congregational church.CBU's stated reason for the sudden move? This year's keynote speaker, Dr. Ada
María Isasi-Díaz, gave a sermon at her nephew's 2009 wedding to his same-sex
spouse in a Washington, D.C. Unitarian church.Dr. Isasi-Díaz co-authored the first book on Latina theology in English and
is widely recognized as a pioneer of mujerista theology, a spirituality
developed through the lens of the American Latina experience. She is Professor
Emerita of Christian Social Ethics and Theology at New Jersey's Drew University
and a contributor to Newsweek and The Washington
Post. Dr. Isasi-Díaz noted that although she's had other speaking
engagements at Catholic-affiliated institutions canceled at the last minute due
to her outspoken support for women's ordination, "this is the first time I've
been canceled because of the sermon at my nephew's wedding..."
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