The flap over Notre Dame's invitation to Barack Obama to address the graduation audience (and receive an honorary degree) show no signs of letting up.On the one hand, opposition to a Catholic university so honoring a radically pro-abortion politician is still growing. More than 30 bishops (including Notre Dame's own) have made their criticism of the school's action public; alumni protests are very strong and vociferous; conservative Catholic organizations have blacklisted the university; and hundreds of thousands have registered their own protest through letters, calls, e-mails and online petitions.
But, on the other, Rev. John Jenkins, the liberal president of the University of Notre Dame, is sticking to his guns. Disregarding both Catholic teaching and the good of Notre Dame (no doubt enrollment, donations and public support will be seriously affected by the scandal), Jenkins remains committed to Obama's visit.
(And Obama, the Great Unifier, remains committed to show up.)
One of Jenkins' defenses of his position involves his gross distortion of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' 2004 document “Catholics in Political Life.” That document clearly states, “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.”
Open and shut, right? Disinvite Obama.
But no. Jenkins insists that the document only refers to miscreant Catholics. And since Barack Obama isn't a Catholic (What the heck Obama actually is, religiously speaking, Jenkins doesn't know.), then Notre Dame can honor him. Who cares about a little abortion zealotry? Who cares about the Mexico City policy? Pro-abort judges? Embryonic stem cell experiments? Immoral sex education? Eliminating conscience rights? Removing Christianity from the public square?
Jenkins claims (and without laughing too) that Notre Dame has “tried to follow both the letter and the spirit" of the “Catholics in Political Life” document. Uh, right. Just like Teddy Kennedy, Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Nancy Pelosi have tried to follow Catholic teaching, Fr. Jenkins?
I'm afraid that Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of the Lincoln Diocese has Fr. Jenkins' number when in his own letter of protest, the good bishop wrote, "Permit me to add my name as well to the long list of Bishops of the Catholic Church who are utterly appalled at your dedication to immorality and wrong-doing represented by your support for the obscenity called 'The Vagina Monologues' and your absolute indifference to the murderous abortion program and beliefs of this President of the United States."
"The fact that you have some sort of past connection with the State of Nebraska makes it all the more painful that the Catholic people here have to see your betrayal of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church. I can assure you of my prayers for your conversion, and for the conversion of your formerly Catholic University."
"Formerly Catholic."
It's so true that even evangelicals like myself are making sure to register deep revulsion over Notre Dame's indifference to its moral reputation and responsibility. I hope you do too.
University of Notre Dame
Office of the President
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Phone: 574.631.3903
Email: president@nd.edu
