It appears that a student commencement speaker at a —Roman Catholic College— the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been taken to the rack for proclaiming the Catholic faith.

At the commencement, the student spoke on the dichotomy of selfishness and selflessness. He particularly singled out as selfish those who use birth control and engage in pre-marital sexual; relations. An excerpt from the article “At St. Thomas, a sour ending” which appears in the Twin Cities Pioneer Press follows:

A spring term that began with controversy at the University of St. Thomas ended the same way Saturday when a student used part of his commencement address to admonish people he considered “selfish,” including women who use birth control.

The remarks by Ben Kessler, a well-known student recently honored by peers and faculty as Tommie of the Year, led to catcalls and boos during commencement at the Catholic university in St. Paul. Others booed those who were booing. Some students walked out on their own graduation ceremony.

Buzz about the incident dominated post-graduation parties, spread throughout the community and sparked a flurry of e-mails. By Monday, there were scattered requests to strip Kessler of his Tommie of the Year award and questions about why St. Thomas officials didn’t try to pull the plug on Kessler’s speech as the crowd’s unhappiness intensified.

“He definitely ruined the day for pretty much everyone in the audience,” said Darin Aus, who was awarded his bachelor’s degree Saturday and stayed for the entire ceremony. “He made people mad enough to leave their own graduation.”

Kind of like how Jesus ruined the day for the Pharisees and hypocrites?

Kessler, a celebrated football player with a deep Catholic faith, apologized Monday in a written statement distributed by the university.

“Instead of providing hope to all, I offended some by my words and by my decision to speak those words at commencement,” he wrote.

He was unavailable for comment beyond the statement.

The university’s president, the Rev. Dennis Dease, also expressed regret “that graduates and their families and guests were offended by Mr. Kessler’s remarks.” Dease said he told Kessler it was inappropriate for him to use commencement to express his opinions.

…

So the Rev. Dease regrets “that graduates and their families and guests were offended by Mr. Kessler’s remarks.” As a clergyman I would regret it too. I would regret that they weren’t converted by his remarks.

But no, in this day and age the R.C. clergyman makes a devout Catholic apologize for being Catholic. The words of Revelation in my title seem to apply to the Rev. Dease.

And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: `I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. `So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. `Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. `Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. `Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. `He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Also, check out comments and a letter sent by Fr. Martin Fox to the school’s administration in ‘Spoiled Brat’ College Graduates.