Cathal BarryCollege is a place where all viewpoints should be respected, writes Cathal Barry
News that a student-led pro-life organisation has been repeatedly denied recognition as an official society by a top Irish university has fuelled debate over whether colleges are tolerant of Catholic views.
Debate was sparked initially by former University College Cork chaplain Fr David Barrins when he claimed his former employer (UCC) “does not wish to have a plurality of opinions properly represented on campus”.
Fr Barrins’ comments came after it was revealed that ‘Love Life’, a group of students advocating pro-life views, has been repeatedly denied recognition as an official UCC society by the university’s Societies Guild.
Of greater concern, perhaps, is the claim that this case of alleged intolerance towards Catholic students and their views is not isolated in Cork.
“Indeed this is a growing and alarming trend on most campuses across the country,” Fr Barrins said.
“If you are pro-life or Catholic, keep your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself. I believe the time has come for this attitude to be firmly challenged and opposed before more students’ rights are seriously infringed,” he added.
Fr Barrins claims have been backed up this week by a number of leading voices who have ears to the ground on the third level scene in Ireland.
Prof. William Reville, himself a former UCC lecturer, acknowledged that “the tide is running counter to mainstream Catholic views” in third-level Irish institutes.
“The popular opinion and the opinion formers of the day are quite intolerant of religion. In universities, the views that are commonly expressed would adhere to a lot of that,” he told The Irish Catholic.
“There is generally a negative attitude toward religious belief among students, particularly in relation to their views on abortion and same-sex marriage.
“Universities pride themselves on being liberal and liberal opinion runs counter to religious teaching and approach to such topics,” he said.
Prof. Reville noted, however, that “there is a difference between what people state as private opinion and official policy, which obviously should not reflect intolerance towards certain views.
“Official policy and rules are an entirely different matter. University is a place where everything should be debated and nothing should be ruled out,” he said.
Concerns
Echoing concerns, Prof. Ray Kinsella of University College Dublin’s Michael Smurfit Business School, claimed that an “aggressive secular culture has embedded itself in the third level sector here”.
The former chairman of Dublin Institute of Technology’s governing body warned that “students with Christian views are not getting the respect and openness that should be afforded to them.
“You can see it quite visibly even in class. There is no tolerance for any kind of Christian message. There is no openness to any specifically Catholic viewpoint put forward.
“It seems the role that Christianity played in developing third level institutions has been forgotten,” he said.
Not everyone that this newspaper spoke to agreed, however.
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) chaplain Fr Paddy Rushe said that third-level, in his experience, was generally a “very conducive environment” for Catholics.
Acknowledging that college may be “challenging and demanding” at times for Catholics, Fr Rushe said he was “absolutely sure that discrimination is not a reality on campus” at DKIT.
“It is my experience that colleges are very welcoming places for staff and student alike,” he said.
Noting that Catholics may have to provide a “robust defence” of their position at times, Fr Rushe said DKIT students typically “approach issues with respect and dignity”.
This hits the nail on the head. ‘Robust debate’, after all, is what third-level education should be all about.
It’s a place where people, regardless of colour, race or creed, should be made feel welcome, and where all viewpoints can be debated and should be respected.
‘Robust debate’ is welcome, but when ‘robust debate’ becomes unbalanced, then there is a problem.
