3/24/09

Our Sunday Visitor reports this statement from Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy whose diocese is home to the University of Notre Dame:

On Friday, March 21, Father John Jenkins, CSC, phoned to inform me that President Obama had accepted his invitation to speak to the graduating class at Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree. We spoke shortly before the announcement was made public at the White House press briefing. It was the first time that I had been informed that Notre Dame had issued this invitation.

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.ObamaND2009This will be the 25th Notre Dame graduation during my time as bishop. After much prayer, I have decided not to attend the graduation. I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well. I have always revered the Office of the Presidency. But a bishop must teach the Catholic faith “in season and out of season,” and he teaches not only by his words — but by his actions.

My decision is not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life.

I have in mind also the statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 2004. “The Catholic community and 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.” Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for.

I have spoken with Professor Mary Ann Glendon, who is to receive the Laetare Medal. I have known her for many years and hold her in high esteem. We are both teachers, but in different ways. I have encouraged her to accept this award and take the opportunity such an award gives her to teach.

Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame. Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth.

Tomorrow, we celebrate as Catholics the moment when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, became a child in the womb of his most holy mother. Let us ask Our Lady to intercede for the university named in her honor, that it may recommit itself to the primacy of truth over prestige.

8 comments:

anne
said...

From NCR:"The invitation to President Obama to be our commencement speaker should not be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions on specific issues regarding the protection of human life, including abortion and embryonic stem-cell research," said Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame."Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement," he said in a March 23 statement.

I do not understand how the cultivation of an atmosphere of hostility toward, and disrespect for, the President's views can in any way help to make him more open to the views of others. (I actually feel it may decrease what I think is the respect he now has for those views - even if he disagrees with them.) I also emphatically do not feel that an invitation by Fr. Jenkins to the President to speak implies an endorsement of all the President's positions. If Notre Dame had invited George W. Bush when he was President, would there have been Catholic objections? I think not, although I believe he holds some views that are not in agreement with Catholic teaching.

I fully support the bishop in this case. Those of you who have already commented are completely missing the point. There is a time and a place to engage in dialogue and this is not the time or place. Those of you who support this decision please tell me how this is an opportunity for further positive engagement. Is there going to be a question and answer session? How does this encourage Obama to change his radical anti-life/anti-marriage views? As Catholics we absolutely must stay true to our convictions and our faith. Whether ND agrees with all of Obama's positions or not is irrelevant. His very presence will be perceived by many, whether accurate or not, as the Catholic University's acceptance of Obama and his views. There are several other honorable men and women the university could have speak that would have views much more in line with what the University is supposed to be all about. Any "disrespect" shown to Obama in this case is tiny when compared with the disrespect Obama has shown toward the unborn. Every person deserves respect, but not every person deserves to be honored. I applaud the bishop for making his voice heard, standing up for what is right, and doing so in a very respectful and meaningful way. I pray that many more will follow his leadership. The pro-life community continues to pray for the conversion of our president, and that God bless and guide all our civil and religious leaders as they have so much influence on the lives of so many.

At some point, everyone has to make a choice, especially if you are President. There is no place to hide. Respecting a position and then agressively going the exact opposite direction is not respect, it is repudiation of the idea. The decision reveals the underlying truth of your opinion, not the speaches and spin. In this situation, is there a policy that he could have taken that was more antagonistic to the decisions made by the church?

No matter your personal opinion of the entirety of Obama's persona, it is clear that on most of the hot button controversial issues of the church he has not chosen to be anywhere close to neutral. Quite the opposite, he has completely opposed them. He has done so immediately, without hesitation and without the "dialog" and "outreach" and "listening" that many now ask of the church. Within days of taking office, he played his cards, which is well within his right as President. It is also appropriate for all people to recognize that decisions reveal truth and that truth has consequences. We should not be shy as a faith or a community at large to openly and clearly state our agreement or disagreement with those decisions. Disagreement does not mean we are bad, right wing, religous nuts who cling to our bibles. Not wanting to hold him up for special recognition does not mean we are mean-spirited and antagonistic. We can be thoughful people of faith that honestly believe he is wrong. We can honestly think it is is more than appropriate for us to avoid situations that would confuse anyone about that disagreement.

The President having a meeting with the CEO of AIG would be appropriate. I am quite sure if the President offered up the medal of freedom to the man, everyone would quickly recognize that as more than tacit approval of his actions, and the firestorm would ensue.

Engagement and dialog and breaking bread are a far cry from publicly recognizing someone with your highest honor. I would think anyone of good faith would be able to understand the difference.

Word for Holy Week

Click on the bible for the readings for Holy Week and some notes to help you understand them.

A Blessing for Lent

Click above for a sung Lenten blessing

Lent 2015

For a pocket cross with this scripture verse, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to Concord Pastor, 55 Church Street, Concord, MA 01742

Music for Winter Prayer

(Click on the image for a prayer)

href="http://ekaterinasfluff.com/album/the-keys-of-e">The Keys of E by Ekaterina

A daily prayer

A song and prayer for Lent

I need a clean heart this Lent, Lord, so in these 40 days I pray you'll: sweep, dust, cleanse, mend, repair, forgive, purify and strengthen this heart of mine... And because I need a new spirit within me, Lord, I pray you'll: renew my listless spirit, lift up my drooping spirit, rekindle my burned-out spirit, open up my selfish spirit, refresh my failing spirit, energize my tired spirit, pardon my sinful spirit and put a right spirit within me, within this heart of mine...

Are you thinking about becoming a Catholic?

The best place to start is always one of your local Catholic churches. Drop in some Sunday and see what's going on. Then you might speak to the pastor or someone on the parish staff about how they can help you and respond to your questions.