Catholic universities in America have no set, across-the-board policy for handling the religious practices of students of other faiths, according to comments Chicago City Wire received from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU).
The inquiry stemmed from an article titled “Religious holidays aren’t represented equally on campus” in the Dec. 6 issue of the Loyola Phoenix, the student newspaper of Loyola University Chicago, a Jesuit institution.
“To my knowledge, each institution decides such a policy for itself,” Paula Moore, vice president of external affairs for ACCU, wrote in an e-mail. “This would go for holidays, sacred spaces and other accommodations.”
Jo Ann Rooney, president of Loyola University Chicago
Deanna Howes Spiro, a spokesperson for AJCU, said they had no knowledge of what the policies are covering at each school.
The author of the Loyola Phoenix article, Sajedah Al-khzaleh, lamented that the school fails to honor other religious holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim three-day holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
“So far, in honor of the Christmas season, Loyola has put up lights and trees in various campus buildings,” Al-khzaleh wrote. “The university participated in its annual tree lighting ceremony Nov. 28 in the Damen Student Center, which included Santa Claus, an ice rink, hot chocolate and art decorations.”
But according to one student, Sajid Ahmed, the Eid is celebrated only among Loyola Muslim students themselves, which includes a morning prayer service and a dinner, Al-khzaleh wrote. Decorations aren’t hung on campus buildings nor are activities hosted by the university, Ahmed said.
Loyola's president, Jo Ann Rooney, did not respond to a request for comment on the university’s policies.
But in an earlier story published by Breitbart News, the Loyola's associate director of the student complex, Bruce Goodwin, said the institution’s religious affiliation directs the types of decorations that are hung around campus during the holidays.
“I don’t think (demographics) ever come to our minds in terms of the decisions that we make with Christmas,” Goodwin explained. “I think what guides it … doesn’t have to do with faith, it has to do with that most common sort of feeling (of the season).”
“We feel that we do a good job at the student center of allowing other faiths to (join the holiday season),” Goodwin added. “We pride ourselves on wanting to make sure we’re aware. We always lend ourselves the conversation.”
Goodwin added that the university attempts to use religiously neutral decorations when possible, including banners that read “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
AJCU counts 28 colleges and universities among its members. The schools require the completion of a certain number of philosophy and theology courses for graduation, but those minimum requirements are left to each school, Moore said.
Among the ACCU members, 136 require certain minimums of theology and philosophy. Twenty-six require only theology. Twelve require philosophy or theology, and five schools have no minimums.
Alerts Sign-up