Education abroad Georgetown University

Jesuit tradition[edit]
Georgetown University was founded by former Jesuits in the tradition of Ignatius of Loyola; it is a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.^[22][50] Georgetown is not a pontifical university, though seven Jesuits serve on the thirty-six member Board of Directors, the university's governing body.^[51] Catholic spaces at the university fall within the territorial jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Washington, such as Dahlgren Chapel, the university's principal Catholic place of worship.^[52] Fifty-two members of the Society of Jesus live on campus, and are employed by Georgetown mostly as professors or administrators.^[53] Jesuit Heritage Week has been held every year since 2001 to celebrate the contributions of Jesuits to the Georgetown tradition.^[54]

Students studying outside Wolfington Hall Jesuit Residence
The role that Georgetown's Catholic heritage has played in its policies has been controversial at times, even as its influence is relatively limited.^[55] Stores in University-owned buildings are not allowed to sell or distribute birth control products.^[56] The university hosts the Cardinal O'Connor Conference on Life every January to discuss the pro-life movement.^[57] Georgetown University Medical Center and Georgetown University Hospital, operated by MedStar Health, are prohibited from performing abortions.^[58] However, as of 2004, the hospital did perform research using embryonic stem cells.^[59]
Georgetown has been criticized by religious groups, such as the Cardinal Newman Society, for not following the teachings of the church. The school has come under criticism for hosting prominent pro-abortion rights speakers, such as John Kerry and Barack Obama.^[60][61] Washington's Archbishop, Donald Wuerl, also criticized the university for inviting pro-abortion rights Kathleen Sebelius to be a commencement speaker.^[62] Religious groups have likewise denounced Georgetown for being too LGBT-friendly and for allowing gay-themed events, including a performance, during which "a male student went as a high-heeled Mary and danced to Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' while Jesus (a woman) looked on."^[63]