July
31, 2008
President Robert Bruininks,
University
of Minnesota
600 East 4th
Street
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Dear Dr. Bruininks,
I am writing regarding the public desecration of the
Eucharist by Dr. Paul Myers. Even though
I am not a resident of Minnesota, I have a
right and responsibility to protest his action because the University of Minnesota
does receive federal funds. I am
concerned not only that Professor Myers did something unspeakably offensive to
Catholics, but that a university official defended his action by saying it was
part of his “academic freedom.”
It is hard to come up with an adequate comparison, but I
must ask: If a University of Minnesota
professor painted a swastika on a synagogue or burned a cross in a black neighborhood,
would you consider that simply an act of academic freedom? I don’t think so. You would judge that he is ineligible to
teach at a state university because he clearly could not treat Jewish or black
students in a fair manner. Professor
Myers action shows that he is incapable of fair treatment toward Catholic
students. As Catholics we believe that
the Eucharist is more precious than all our buildings and bank accounts.
Professor Myer’s desecration of the Eucharist involved an
act of theft. For someone to take the
Eucharist and use it for an unholy purpose is a terrible violation. Does the University of Minnesota
wish to teach its students that acts of theft and violation are simply part of
academic freedom?
I thank you, Dr. Bruininks, for
your consideration of this serious matter.
Sincerely yours,
Fr. Phillip Bloom
Pastor
Cc: Archbishop Brunett
Bishop John F. Kinney
Rev. Tim Baltes