In her letter explaining her decision to allow the performance of the "Vagina Monologues," Academic Vice President Dr. Patricia Killen cites the Church document, "Ex Corde Ecclesiae," which is the official document concerning Catholic Universities. The section she cites (section 7) says that Catholic Universities have the character of impartially searching for the truth. I would, first of all, like to thank Dr. Killen for attempting to make Gonzaga more Catholic by following the directives of "Ex Corde Ecclesiae." I would, however, strongly disagree that, under this document, and any other official Church document, provisions are made that would support the performance of the "Vagina Monologues."
What Catholics and those supporting the Monologues have in agreement is the dignity of women. What they disagree about, however, is how this dignity is realized, and how it is lived. Upon further reading of "Ex Corde Ecclesiae," beyond the generalized introduction, it says that Catholic Universities must follow the teachings of the Church: "One consequence of its essential relationship to the Church is that the institutionalfidelity of the University to the Christian message includes a recognition of and adherence to the teaching authority of the Church in matters of faith and morals. Catholic members of the university community are also called to a personal fidelity to the Church with all that this implies. Non-Catholic members are required to respect the Catholic character of the University, while the University in turn respects their religious liberty," (27), So the issue now is, what does the Church say about faith and morals?
In the Monologues, as can be either read online, or seen on YouTube, there is, in a sense, the glorification of masturbation, of sexual relations outside of marriage and of other such activities. There are even sections where "Cunt Power!" is chanted. We can see clearly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the official compilation of the teachings of the Church regarding faith and morals, that masturbation (CCC 2352), fornication (CCC 2353), and the identification of people as mere sexual objects (cf. CCC 2337 through 2350), are contrary to the faith and morals of Catholics. We read further on in "Ex Corde Ecclesiae," that, "the education of students is to combine academic and professional development with formation in moral and religious principles and the social teachings of the Church." (50) We can see, clearly, that the content of the Monologues is contrary to the moral and doctrinal teachings of the Church. The Monologues, therefore, do not have a place in a Catholic institution or in the education of its students.
This does not mean, however, that we cannot have discussion about the dignity, respect, and vocation of women, which is a part of the Catholic commitment to truth. Pope John Paul II wrote an incredible document called, "On the Dignity and Vocation of Women." He also treats human sexuality in his "Theology of the Body" writings. The Catechism, especially in sections 2331 through 2336, as well as the Vatican II constitutions "Gaudium et Spes" and "Lumen Gentium," all speak of the equality of men and women, and the inherent dignity of humanity and sexual identity. Instead of having performances of controversial plays or other events that polemically divide more than they unite, why can't we simply have speakers, lectures, and events based around these documents that truly represent the Catholic position? Events like these are already planned, I believe, and present a more reasonable, Catholic approach toward dialogue with the truth. These events would also be more agreeable to students and faculty regardless of political or ideological affiliation. They would also affirm the commitment that Gonzaga has to its Catholic identity, and to the Jesuit identity, which, itself, is still subordinate to the directives of the Catholic Church. We at Gonzaga should, first, read, and be able to cite, the official documents of the Church regarding these issues, otherwise we have no way of saying whether or not an opinion is Catholic.
There is no question about the dignity, respect, and vocation of women. The Monologues, however, present such issues in a way contrary to the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Church (recall "Ex Corde Ecclesiae,"27, above). To allow, even unofficially, its performance on a Catholic campus, is to throw into doubt Gonzaga's commitment to "Ex Corde Ecclesiae" and the teachings of the Church.
And, in case you were wondering, here is the original letter sent out by Dr. Killen.
Memorandum
TO: Gonzaga Faculty, Staff and Students
FROM: Patricia O’Connell Killen, Academic Vice President
RE: Upcoming Programming on Women, Violence, and Catholic Teaching
DATE: March 17, 2011
Each year, the Gonzaga community hosts a series of events focused on increasing awareness about, and eliminating acts of violence against, women. Incidents of violence against women are an issue for college campuses in particular; Gonzaga has this year put focus on these behaviors and the situations that give rise to them through activities such as the Green Dot program.
During the week of April 4-10, 2011, the Women & Gender Studies Program, the English Department, the Sociology Department, the Honors Program, and the Institute for Hate Studies are together sponsoring an academic series entitled: “({Monologues, Dialogues, & Stories}): An Interdisciplinary Academic Discussion on Women’s Narratives, Catholic Theologies, Violence Against Women and ‘The Vagina Monologues’.”
The week will include three interrelated events: (1) a panel presentation and discussion entitled “Voices on ‘The Vagina Monologues’, Catholic Tradition, and Jesuit Identity” [April 4]; (2) “Learning to Speak: the Power of Narratives” -- an exploration of the power of storytelling and the place of stories in movements toward social justice [April 6]; and, (3) a reader’s theatre presentation of “The Vagina Monologues” followed by a faculty-moderated “talk back” with cast and crew [April 10]. More information about the three events, including auditions for the story slam that follows “Learning to Speak” and roles in “The Vagina Monologues” will be available by week’s end.
It is widely acknowledged that “The Vagina Monologues” is considered by many a provocative, if not controversial, play. This reader’s theatre presentation of “The Vagina Monologues” will not be a public event. The play is being performed in the context of an interdisciplinary academic exploration, using a model of mutual learning by doing and reflecting that is employed regularly in classrooms at the university. This performance of “The Vagina Monologues” is exclusively by and for Gonzaga students, faculty and staff. Attendance at this event, as with each of those planned, is entirely voluntary.
“The Vagina Monologues” contains raw language and explicit descriptions of sexual behavior. The particular monologues in the play are composites developed from experiences of actual women. They are, for many, disturbing. As is the case for much activist art, significant numbers of people have found the subject matter and language to be offensive. The faculty and students who have organized this week view the play as an opportunity to engage in a cultural dialogue that explores women’s experiences of identity, sexual assault, the role of power in relationships and the social structures and attitudes that affect and shape all of these, and the place of disruptive art in movements for social justice.
The seriousness of the issue the week highlights -- violence against women, and Gonzaga’s responsibility as a Jesuit, Catholic university to engage critically at the boundaries of culture where “the burning exigencies of humanity and the perceived message of the Gospel” are joined -- led to my decision to support this project (Address of Pope Benedict to General Congregation 35). If, as Ex Corde Ecclesiae (“From the Heart of the Church”) states, “ . . . by its Catholic character, a University is made more capable of conducting an impartial search for truth, a search that is neither subordinated to nor conditioned by particular interest of any kind,” then faculty, staff and students at Gonzaga are called to attend to and reflect on their own assumptions and presuppositions, and to engage in discourse about experiences of sexual violence, controversial art, ideas and events with scholarly charity (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Introduction, Section 7). Difficult and unpleasant human experiences cannot be denied in a Catholic university’s engagement with the larger culture.
This week of programming is focused primarily on narrative and voice as a means for exploring issues of violence against women. Equally important to understanding the issue of violence against women are the themes of Catholic theologies of the body and Catholic teaching on sexuality. These will be explored by a series of speakers later this spring and in the fall. The first of these presenters, moral theologian Dr. James Halstead, O.S.A., chair of the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University, will be at Gonzaga on Monday, April 18, speaking on Catholic perspectives on violence and broken bodies. More information on his lecture and on subsequent speakers will be forthcoming.
The presentation of “The Vagina Monologues” on campus in no way implies that the University condones or supports particular values and behaviors expressed in the play or by its author. However, it is not in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education to avoid ideas or attitudes that are different from our own, but instead to critically engage them in respectful dialogue so that everyone may come to a deeper understanding of the truth. It is in this spirit that the faculty have chosen to evaluate issues of women’s violence and empowerment through this series of events. Thank you.
