CollegeWilliam Peter BlattyGeorgetownGeorgetown University

William Peter Blatty Claims Georgetown University Not Acting Catholic Enough

'Exorcist' Author Attacks Georgetown University
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Senior Editor/Reporter, The Huffington Post

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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Writer/Producer William Peter Blatty attends the special screening of 'The Exorcist Extended Director's Cut' at Il Gattopardo on September 29, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by George Napolitano/Getty Images)

Georgetown University, the oldest Jesuit and Catholic college in the United States, no longer deserves to call itself a Catholic institution, a celebrity alumnus claims.

William Peter Blatty, a 1950 graduate of Georgetown and author of "The Exorcist," filed a complaint against the university on May 31 with Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, D.C.

Blatty argues that Georgetown does not comply with Ex Corde Ecclesiae, former Pope John Paul II’s 1991 decree regarding Catholic universities, The Hoya reports.

Blatty's petition claims to represent "more than 1,200 alumni, students, parents, teachers, and other laity from around the world." Blatty promised in May 2012 he would file a canon lawsuit against Georgetown for allegedly failing to adhere to Catholic principles.

Among the grievances cited, the university failed to ensure "that all official actions and commitments [are] authentically Catholic," to recruit personnel that are willing and able to "promote Catholic identity," to respect Catholic doctrine and that the university employs a majority of non-Catholics.

Blatty's petition claims there are 22 years of GU scandals that are "defended by Georgetown leaders in a Jesuitical garble." Those scandals include hosting "the vile play 'The Vagina Monologues'," hosting openly gay Georgetown alumnus Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) on campus and allowing sexual health education on campus. He also complains about Georgetown allowing pro-choice politicians and government officials at campus events.

“The Scandals that Georgetown has given to the faithful are too many to count, and too many to ignore any longer," Blatty said in a statement.

Another problem for Blatty: a large coalition of Georgetown faculty protesting against Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) for misuse of Catholic social teaching in defending his budget, which hurts the poor.

Rachel Pugh, Georgetown director of communications, defended the university's religious affiliations to the Georgetowner, a local paper.

"All undergraduate students, for example, take two semesters of theology and two semesters of philosophy before graduation," said Pugh. "Georgetown supports the largest ministry in the country."

Blatty wants the Catholic Church to force changes at the university or strip Georgetown of its Jesuit affiliation.

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Before You Go

Most Conservative Colleges According To The Young America's Foundation
Christendom College(01 of13)
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Christendom is a Catholic college located in Front Royal, Va. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum (seen in the photo above from an appearance on campus) serves on their advisory board. The school has about 400 undergraduates.Photo Credit: Christendom College (credit:Facebook | Christendom College)
College of the Ozarks(02 of13)
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Founded in 1906 with some buildings from the St. Louis World's Fair, College of the Ozarks is a private Christian school where students work instead of paying tuition. Newt Gingrich,George W. Bush and Sarah Palin have all spoken there in the past four years.Photo Credit: KTrimble (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Franciscan University (03 of13)
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This Catholic college in Steubenville, Ohio is likely the only place a student can take a class called "Human Embryology" taught by a zoologist. "I was inspired to create the course after attending an Operation Rescue prayer chain in Pittsburgh," Edwin Bessler, the professor of the course, told a conservative news outlet. "The intensity of good and evil was so great that two words ran through my head: 'Teach them.' That's how the course and Franciscan's human-life minor came into being. ... A fertilized egg doesn't look like us, just as a consecrated Host doesn't look like Jesus, yet it is."Some of this school's alumni have served as Republican Congressmen and as contributors to Fox News.Photo Credit: Franciscan, Facebook (credit:Facebook | Franciscan University)
Grove City College(04 of13)
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2,500 students go to this Christian school near Pittsburgh in Grove City, Penn. According to college president Richard Jewell, "The two tenets that this school [finds most important] are faith and freedom." The school has its own think tank.Notable alumni include former Bush administration officials, Matt Kibbe, a leader of the tea party group Freedom Works, and Howard Winklevoss who is in fact the father of the infamous Winklevoss twins.Photo Credit: Menuet (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Harding University(05 of13)
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Harding University is a Christian university in Searcy, Ark. where students are not allowed to engage in any sexual activity outside of marriage.The school has had the biggest names in conservative and Republican politics speak at its school. Some of the notable ones include Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Laura Ingraham, Steve Forbes, Robert Bork, Sean Hannity, Sam Walton, Dick Cheney, William F. Buckley, Jr. and Cal Thomas. Photo Credit: Hotnhumid (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Hillsdale College(06 of13)
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This private liberal arts college was the first college to prohibit discrimination based on race, religion or gender in its charter. According to its mission statement, "The College considers itself a trustee of modern man's intellectual and spiritual inheritance from the Judeo-Christian faith and Greco-Roman culture, a heritage finding its clearest expression in the American experiment of self-government under law." Students at this school in the past got to hear from conservative icons Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.Photo Credit: Chuck Grimmett (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
The King's College (07 of13)
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This New York City school puts students into groups they call "houses," named after conservative icons like C.S. Lewis, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Photo Credit: Golson92 (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Liberty University (08 of13)
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Liberty is perhaps one of the most well known conservative schools. This is partly because of recent controversies like banning students from forming a College Democrats group because their beliefs go against the school's teachings. The school was founded by Jerry Falwell, who was a controversial figure in American politics.Photo Credit: Entheta (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Patrick Henry College (09 of13)
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Not to be confused with Patrick Henry University, the fictional school in Atlas Shrugged, this evangelical Christian college in Purcellville, Va. refuses any financial aid, including federal student loans.Photo Credit: Patrick McKay (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Regent University (10 of13)
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At Regent University's law school, students respond with "amens" during class. Founded by the controversial televangelist Pat Robertson, it was originally called the Christian Broadcast Network University. During the Bush Administration, 150 alumni were hired by the federal government.Photo Credit: DebateLord (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Thomas Aquinas College(11 of13)
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Thomas Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic school in Santa Paula, Calif., north of Los Angeles. Thomas Aquinas has no textbooks or lectures, rather it relies on primary sources and tutorials. According to the school's mission statement, "it is the truth, and nothing less, that sets men free."Photo Credit: Pgnielsen79 (credit:Wikimedia Commons)
Thomas More College of Liberal Arts(12 of13)
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The Young America's Foundation says this school in New Hampshire will "nurture a new generation of leaders who are prepared to defend the Christian and free market roots." Photo Credit: Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (credit:Facebook)
Wisconsin Lutheran College (13 of13)
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This Milwaukee private college has nearly 1,000 students affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. They've featured guest speakers such as U.S. Ambassador Jean Kirkpatrick, former Vice President Dan Quayle and pundit Michael Medved on campus.Photo Credit: Wisconsin Lutheran College, Facebook (credit:Facebook | Wisconsin Lutheran College)
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