Georgetown University says it covered over the monogram “IHS”--symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ—because it was inscribed on a pediment on the stage where President Obama spoke at the university on Tuesday and the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the “IHS” monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up--when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the “IHS” monogram that had previously adorned the stage at Georgetown’s Gaston Hall was still covered up--when the pediment where it had appeared was photographed by CNSNews.com.
“In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday’s event, Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage,” Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, told CNSNews.com.
“The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they’ve done for other policy speeches,” she added. “Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn’t high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context.”
Roman Catholics traditionally use “IHS” as an abbreviation for Jesus’ name. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “St. Ignatius of Loyola adopted the monogram in his seal as general of the Society of Jesus (1541) and thus became the emblem of his institute.” The Society of Jesus is the formal name for the Jesuits. “The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they’ve done for other policy speeches,” she added. “Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn’t high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context.”
Georgetown is part of a growing list of "Catholic" schools and universities that donwplay, hide or otherwise deny their catholic identity.
These now include Note Dame (aka "Notre Shame") and Philadelphia's Jesuit bastion, St. Joe.
4 comments:
Thanks for reporting this--but it doesn't surprise me. Jesus said that if you are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of you when he comes back (Luke 9).
Thanks for your very incisive comment, Joe.
This so saddens me. 47% of "Catholics" do not attend church. 54% vote Obama, Notre Dame and now Georgetown. All religions, like politics are local. I detect a breakdown coming from the parish priests. Social justice, a substitute for liberal feel good worth is being emphasized in lieu of basic Catholic teaching. What in God's name happened to the Baltimore Catechism?
I couldn't agree with you more, MJ!
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