An 鈥渙pen letter鈥� condemning an address Mulroney made to an international Catholic media conference has slammed the former diplomat for a 鈥渄isappointing and embarrassing鈥� presentation that has 鈥渟haken our confidence in you as president.鈥�
The letter was signed by 22 professors and university officials, including two of the 21 members of St. Michael鱿鱼视频app collegium 鈥� the university鱿鱼视频app highest governing body.
Mulroney鱿鱼视频app June 22 presentation at Laval University, which kicked off a convention bringing together more than 400 media professionals from around the world, stressed how the communications strategy of St. Michael鱿鱼视频app was aimed at shoring up the university鱿鱼视频app Catholic identity.
鈥淲e had lost a sense of community and you can鈥檛 communicate who you are if you don鈥檛 know who you are,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e very definitely didn鈥檛 know who we are.鈥�
But in stressing the need for St. Mike鱿鱼视频app to retain as strong Catholic identity, Mulroney also said St. Mike鱿鱼视频app had the reputation of a 鈥減arty school.鈥� He brought up a past forensic audit of the undergraduate student association鱿鱼视频app finances. He suggested the student body and faculty had been disengaged from debates over euthanasia and other life issues, and had been 鈥渄ialing down the salient points of our identity.鈥�
While the open letter objects most specifically to what it characterized as Mulroney鱿鱼视频app negative portrayal of students, the controversy is really about the deeper issue of how St. Michael鱿鱼视频app defines its Catholic identity, mission and purpose, said Collegium member and signatory to the letter Fr. Darren Dias. It鱿鱼视频app a debate that has bubbled to the surface among faculty in recent years, said Dias.
鈥淏y definition, the Catholic tradition is wide and rich and complex. You could never articulate a single Catholic value, identity, mission,鈥� Dias told The Catholic Register.
The open letter found it jarring that Mulroney chose to mention student issues at a conference titled 鈥淪haring Stories of Hope.鈥�
鈥淲hen any of us is called to speak publicly about and for our students, we make choices. By choosing to offer an exclusively negative portrayal, we contend, you effectively reduced the 鈥榟ope鈥� of our university to your leadership as president,鈥� the letter reads. 鈥淲e beg to differ.鈥澛�
Basilian Fr. Tom Rosica, CEO of Salt and Light Media Foundation, said he was shocked by Mulroney鱿鱼视频app presentation.
鈥淚 was in the back of the room. I was very surprised at what I heard. I did not recognize the university in what I heard,鈥� Rosica said.
St. Michael鱿鱼视频app was established by the Congregation of St. Basil in 1852 and the religious order continues as the university鱿鱼视频app sponsoring body.
Mulroney illustrated his assertion that St. Mike鱿鱼视频app had become primarily known as a 鈥減arty school鈥� by showing part of a video shot at an off-campus event sponsored by the college鱿鱼视频app student union. Titled 鈥淐owboys and Schoolgirls,鈥� the video shows young people drinking shots, dancing and flirting with the camera. Cutting the video short, Mulroney tells his international audience, 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app about 20 minutes of people drinking excessively, women being objectified.鈥�
The actual video is three minutes and 20 seconds long.
Basilian superior general Fr. George Smith declined comment on the controversy, other than to say, 鈥淚 have confidence in the ability of the collegium of the university to address all the issues at hand.鈥�
Mulroney declined to comment for this story.
Since his appointment in 2015, Mulroney has maintained that he would serve only a single, four-year term as president. A search committee has been struck for his replacement and will begin actively looking for a new president in September.