Dispute Over Health Services at Catholic Colleges

The diocese of Scranton is asking four local Roman Catholic colleges to turn over documents related to student health services to provide "assurance" that the institutions are not providing or encouraging birth control, The Republican-Herald reported. The request followed a report in the student newspaper of St. Joseph University, in Philadelphia, that health services there strive for a "middle ground" between church teachings and student practices. The four Scranton institutions that received the request are King’s College, Misericordia University, Marywood University and the University of Scranton. They plan a joint response today.