Academics and church doctrine

Notre Dame University in Indiana has decided to continue hosting performances of "The Vagina Monologoues" on campus.

If you're not familiar with the production, it features characters dressed on stage as a part of the female anatomy while they perform monologues, based on interviews with women, that focus on sexual encounters.

Father John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, bases his decision on academic freedom, while Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy derides it as antithetical to the Catholic mission.

Is Notre Dame living up to its mission as a Catholic university by allowing the production on campus? Do the ends justify the means because the event raises money to fight violence against women? Do the panel discussions and the proposed student production effectively deal with the subject matter? How much sway does the Catholic Church hold over institutions of higher learning?

I think there is a huge difference between academic endeavors in the classroom -- where you are expected to put a critical eye on just about everything -- and public events.

When Chris Matthews, a Holy Cross graduate and avowed "pro-choice" advocate, delivered the graduation address at his alma mater a couple of years ago, it caused quite a stink among alumni. I know we have some Notre Dame grads among our readership. What do you think?