When you’ve lost even Laurence Tribe . . . . The College Fix reports:
Catholic students at the University of Massachusetts Boston have hit a roadblock in their pursuit of religious exemptions from the public university’s vaccine mandate.“A public university official in Massachusetts has been turning down all requests from Catholic students for a religious exemption from the school’s coronavirus vaccine requirement, based on his research into Catholic teachings,” the National Catholic Register reported.The Catholic publication reported that Shawn De Veau, the vice chancellor of student affairs, has done his own research and determined that Catholic students cannot have valid objections to getting vaccinated against coronavirus.De Veau does not claim the ability to read people’s souls like some saints have been able to do, but he did some “research” before coming to his complete rejection policy.He explained to a court, according to the National Catholic Register:
When reviewing students’ appeals, I engage in a holistic process: I review the student’s request, research the faith tradition on which they are basing their request, and respond to the students based on my research. If students send further replies after receiving my response, I engage in phone or email conversations with them. My process for reviewing appeals is to engage in an interactive process to discuss the student’s specific circumstances and determine if the exemption is based on a sincerely held religious belief.
De Veau’s bio does not indicate any background in theology, seminary formation or that he is Catholic. He’s had a long career in school administration and in his free time is on the board of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, for what it’s worth.
. . . . Government officials telling students that their faith does not teach something, is “interpreting a religion,” [leftist Harvard law Professor Laurence] Tribe said. “That’s clearly unconstitutional and deeply offensive.”
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