Obama's Notre Dame invite continues to raise objections

President Obama got a grand reception in Europe and Turkey, but an upcoming appearance in Indiana is proving to be a harder sell in some quarters of South Bend.

As The Ticket reported earlier, some Catholics — including a cardinal — are objecting to Obama’s planned appearance at the University of Notre Dame because the president supports abortion rights. Obama is scheduled to deliver a commencement address May 17. (He'll do the same at Arizona State University, but more on what won't happen there later.)

Now more voices are being raised against the president. Ten priests from the Congregation of Holy Cross, the order that founded the university, say the institution risks its "true soul" by hosting Obama. They “prayerfully request” the school reconsider the invitation.

In a letter printed this week in the student newspaper, The Observer, the priests wrote:

It is our deep conviction that Notre Dame should lead by word and deed in upholding the Church's fundamental teaching that human life must be respected and protected from the moment of conception. In so doing the University must take seriously the 2004 instruction of the U.S. Catholic Bishops that "Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors, or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

The priests also write:

The University pursues a dangerous course when it allows itself to decide for and by itself what part of being a Catholic institution it will choose to embrace. Although undoubtedly unintended, the University administration's decision portends a distancing of Notre Dame from the Church which is its lifeblood and the source of its identity and real strength. Such a distancing puts at risk the true soul of Notre Dame.

It should be quite a scene when Obama shows up in May. Randall Terry, who has long crusaded against abortions, told the Observer that he plans to attend the ceremony and demonstrate appropriately. He wouldn’t supply many details but said, “We will make this a circus.”

In addition to delivering the commencement address, Obama is scheduled to receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. Which brings us — surprisingly — to the ASU story. For more on that, go to the jump by scrolling down or click on the "Read more" line.

-- Steve Padilla

Photo: AFP / Getty Images (Golden Dome on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Ind.)

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Obama will speak at ASU’s commencement ceremony in May as well, but he won’t be getting an honorary degree. As the asuwebdevil (we love the name of “ASU’s online news source") reports:

University spokeswoman Sharon Keeler said Tuesday that the University awards honorary degrees to recognize individuals for their work and accomplishments spanning their lifetime. “Because President Obama’s body of work is yet to come, it’s inappropriate to recognize him at this time,” Keeler said.

Comments

[joe]

Obama's self named mentor, Frank Davis, wrote a pornographic novel (Sex Rebel: Black) about having homosexual sex with African American teenagers; the cover of which features a naked young black facing away from the viewer. In the book he writes of selling cocaine, a substance the president openly admits to using. Also the limo-driver who alleged he had a homosexual affair with the current President also alleges that Obama provided him with both cocaine and crack cocaine. The fact that Davis wrote about cocaine dealing was unknown at the time the man made his claims regarding the sexual affair. This is food for thought.

[Pom Pom Girl]

Notre Dame will never again get another donation dime out of me. They have betrayed what they have stood for for all these decades and I no longer recognize them as a school of moral certainty or principle.

[Lisa Small]

Notre Dame invited and hosted GW Bush - who was prosecuting a war Pope John Paul II said was an unjust war, and who literally laughed and giggled about the people he had condemned to death while Governor of Texas.

Obama has made, and has already begun acting upon, a commitment to peace. He has made, and has already begun acting upon, a commitment to social justice and the rights of the worker. He is a Christian, but not a Catholic. He does not agree with every tenet of Catholic dogma.

If Notre Dame had in the past consistently insisted that all speakers hew precisely to the Roman Catholic line, how many of the past presidents could have been invited? How many, in fact, of each incoming class would be disqualified?

If segments of the Notre Dame community consider non-Catholics good enough to pay tuition, but not good enough to speak in public, is it Christ who is being honored, or Mammon?

It is possible to be a Catholic university and still welcome "the stranger" to the table. Mundelein College did it. Georgetown University does it. The Catholic community of Notre Dame surely has the intelligence and caritas to manage it as well. Learning does not take place, and faith is not truly distinguished, in homogeneous isolation.

[Beth]

This great institution had no one upset or angry when they decided to invite President Bush. This man allowed capital punishment which is also against Church policy to be followed out without any thought or concern. Why wasn't there an outcry then? Because you all care more about a pack of cells than a real breathing human being. Stop being so two faced.

[NDkate00]

As an '00 Notre Dame alum, I am embarrassed for my alma mater. However, I know from experience that despite these extreme factions, many if not most of the students and almost all of the faculty will welcome the President warmly and are deeply honored to have him as their speaker. Let's remember that ND extended this invitation in the first place! I'm sure they knew his stance on abortion when they did so. I hope they stand by this decision.

[Janet Hinrichs]

Notre Dame is supposed to be a "classy" university - the very definition of "no class" is having demonstrators turn this speech into a circus, as one person declared it will be. Understanding, compassion, social justice, no torture, no unjust wars, no death penalty, feed the poor, etc. are just a few of the principles that the Catholic Church teaches, along with no abortion. However abortion and gun control have been exploited by the Republicans to divide the country and scare voters. As a lifelong Catholic and Democrat, I'm appalled that Notre Dame could let themselves be swayed by such threats and hope that if the President comes the security will be exceptional. It is sad to think this is necessary at a Catholic university.

My oldest graduated from the University of Dayton, a great Catholic university, and my 5 children have had a total of over 60 years in Catholic schools, so Catholic education is extremely important to me. BUT WE MUST KEEP OUT MINDS AND HEARTS OPEN, NOT TRY TO SILENCE SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH US ON ONE SUBJECT.

[Matthew]

A commencement address is not the place to "dialog." The president's ardent pro-abortion makes him unsuitable to speak at ND.

Further; if ND does not rescind its invitation, it risks doing great harm to its own waning prestige.

[jagcap]

As if it matters: Domer '79, parent (and financial supporter/enabler) of an '08 Domer, and '09 LAW Domer and a SMC junior.
The willful ignorance of the previous posters is striking. GWB spoke in May 2001, before 9/11, before the war on terror, before Iraq - Google it, kids! His topic was the importance of religion and religious institutions in the life of this nation. And even so his address was surrounded by protest upon embarrassing protest, on campus, at commencement, in the Observer... so spare me your crocodile concern for a "classy" university and your revisionist history.
More moral idiocy is on display in the claim that the inalienable, Christian reverence for life is just another facet of Catholic dogma; that an unborn child is merely a "a pack of cells [not] a real breathing human being."
Father Jenkins has beclowned Our Lady's University with this choice, indeed choosing temporary popularity/ Mammon, over the enduring values of the Christian community.
"Learning does not take place, and faith is not truly distinguished, in homogeneous isolation."
Oh you, pompous, pretentious, ignorant twit! As Sylvester memorably said, "It is to laugh!" or perhaps, cry.

[RichJoseph]

The following are excerpts from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on life issues Evanglelium vitae.
“A new cultural climate is developing and taking hold, which gives crimes against life a new and - if possible – even more sinister character, giving rise to grave concern: broad sectors of public opinion justify certain crimes against life in the name of the rights of individual freedom and on this basis they claim not only exemption from punishment but even authorization by the State, so that these things can be done with total freedom and indeed with the free assistance of health care systems … The more radical views go so far as to maintain that in a modern and pluralistic society people should be allowed complete freedom to dispose of … the lives of the unborn.” The Pope went on to argue that it is the responsibility of all people of good will, but particularly Catholics, to work within the “civil law … to guarantee an ordered social coexistence in true justice…” so that all classes of human beings, including the unborn, are allowed their most fundamental right to live. Such statements provide the utmost clarity in suggesting that the defense of the sanctity of life for unborn children as being a primary objective when Catholics interact in the public square.

President Obama is a vocal and consistent champion of abortion. His past voting records and statements leave no doubt where he stands on this issue. He has been invited by Notre Dame to address their upcoming commencement. It is hard to imagine how presenting the President with such an opportunity to speak at a premier Catholic University and awarding him with an honory degree will further the cause of protecting defenseless unborn babies from the abortionist’s deadly scalpel. During the upcoming commencement weekend the President will offer false concern for the unborn, present the appearance of compromise, try to project himself as a moderate voice on this issue and suggest that we all move beyond divisive issues to areas where we can all agree. His hard line unwavering proabortion stance will be blanketed by a façade of sensibility, and he will be presented in a shroud of reasonableness by a complicit pro abortion media. Conversely, Catholic bishops and others who express concern over this issue will be presented in a negative light. The pro abortion cause will be furthered as political coverage is provided by this Catholic enablement.

So why would a nominally Catholic institution do such a thing? One can speculate that Notre Dame may have fallen prey to the sin of pride. Most media reports have provided positive coverage of the college for their “openness” and “willingness to engage in a broad minded dialogue.” Prominent members of the intelligentsia will praise the university and its administrative grandees for offering a sophisticated Catholic voice as opposed to the anti-abortion rubes that afflict the Church with their repressive Pro-Life beliefs. The media will suggest that “modern” Catholics should follow the “intelligent” course that Notre Dame has so “bravely” undertaken. One can suppose that it is nice to have the President speak at your institution and then have the chattering classes bestow neat comments upon you. In fact, it is something that you can take pride in.

Long ago St Augustine warned us that the sin of “pride is the commencement of all sin.” He taught that it is the sin of sins, and it is often the root cause of much of the suffering that afflicts the human race. But on the other hand, why should Notre Dame bother with St Augustine, papal encylicals and 2000 years of Christian teachings when you got the NY Times writing really cool things about you.

[Chagrined]

When Alexis de Tocqueville wrote "Democracy in America," he wrote about a democracy for Protestants and Deists by Protestants and Deists.

Many came to the Colonies in the 1600 to avoid organized religion, especially Catholic. There was not a Catholic Church in this country during the founding. Any Catholic that is too fragile for our Democracy for which many brave people, excluding Catholics, fought, sacrificed and died, should find a 'Catholic country, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, etc.! Bon Voyage!

The Catholic Church protects its perverts, not it children.
(Cardinal Law was shipped off to Italy to avoid prosecution for protecting perverts preying on children.

Reproductive freedom is the law of the land of America. Cardinal Law is un-American!