It is this kind of misogyny that has made me think the claims by the church to be compassionate or forgiving are patently ridiculous. They can forgive Cardinal Law enough to let him speak on a stage with all the world watching, but they can't forgive one woman of her sin enough to let her graduate with her class. I can't even begin to understand how they justify to themselves allowing the father and not the mother to graduate. Did they rationalize that maybe she doesn't really know, since she is a slut after all, any premarital sex implies promiscuity.
Almost: they are in fact claiming that the father "has not been determined". Also, the pregnant girl's father consented to the dismissal, which apparently made it okay.
Of course, this nasty misogyny is not unique to Catholics. Many a Baptist school would have done the samething, but I seldom hear Baptists callingthemselves compassionate. They call God loving, but that is not quite the same thing.
Other Catholic schools have expelled women who got married but not pregnant. Nasty message there, too, but not quite kill your baby and we will let you stay in school nasty.
I agree this is an outrageous policy to use a graduation ceremony to punish and humiliate the girl. Similarly, it was disturbing that Cardinal Keeler decided to boycott the Loyola of Maryland commencement because pro-choicer Rudy Guilliani was the featured speaker.
These two incidents are just as disturbing as those where activists try to silence graduation speakers who talk about God in their remarks.