Posted on 04/11/2009 4:22:19 AM PDT by Man50D
Betrayal is not too strong a word to describe the actions of Notre Dame in inviting President Barak Obama to speak and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from the university. This betrayal explains why normally docile Catholics have been stirred to unprecedented protest and anger.
Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame who offered the invitation, has felt the wrath of thousands of Roman Catholics who see him as a Judas Iscariot. In a more sober assessment, Jenkins should be viewed as Peter the apostle, in his emotional denials to a watching and judgmental world, rather than as a Judas, the brazen traitor.
Sophisticated opinion might scorn such appraisals. "What is the big deal?" they question. Any university with serious aspirations and credentials should welcome the President of the United States to speak on campus, the thinking goes. Surely the president of a nation that observes the separation between church and state should not be prevented from addressing a university commencement just because his policies or issues are not in agreement with particular religious doctrines. It is patently wrong to prevent the airing of ideas from authoritative sources that may not concur with Church teachings. Great universities must engage in the great discussions of the day. Truth must never hide from controversy. It ought never be determined that questions of right and wrong have been settled, and only those that agree with the settled consensus be given a hearing. Finally, openness and tolerance of disagreement are the hallmarks of great centers of learning. Surely Notre Dame is just such a great center of learning.
This is how Jenkins would like to frame the controversy. Taking the intellectual high road (he believes) in addressing the critics, Jenkins poses as a positively heroic scholar and patriot...
"... In every statement I have made about the invitation of President Obama and in every statement I will make, I express our disagreement with him on issues surrounding the protection of life, such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research. If we repeatedly and clearly state that we do not support the President on these issues, we cannot be understood to 'suggest support'.
"...We need to do more to persuade all people that human life is precious and human dignity must be defended. This requires more effective dialogue and engagement with all public officials... However misguided some might consider our actions, it is in the spirit of providing a basis for dialogue that we invited President Obama.
"On May 17 we will welcome the ninth President who will receive an honorary degree from Notre Dame. It will be an important opportunity to bring the leader of our nation to Notre Dame, and, I hope, a joyful day for our graduates and their families."
(Father Jenkins to the Board of Trustees at the University of Notre Dame:)
Sounds pretty reasonable. No?
In Jenkins' view, there is simply a "disagreement" and the president is simply "misguided."
Playing to elite opinion rather than the churchgoing rabble, he uses words like "dialogue" and "engagement" rather than condemnation in referring to the culture of death embodied in the policies of our new president. Being judgmental, after all, is without doubt the gravest sin to modern eyes and Father Jenkins knows this and counts on it. Besides, on social issues (whatever they are) the new progressive president effectively cancels out his misguided notions on life.
But if we are to believe the prelate, where exactly does the imaginary engagement of Obama occur? Is Jenkins inviting Obama to address a seminar on life issues? Will there be a rebuttal of the president's pro-abortion policies after his address? Will they "roundtable" and "brainstorm" and "dialogue" about abortion, stem cell funding, euthanasia, and infanticide?
Sadly, what the awakened and disgusted American Catholics see happening is lost on, or of no interest to, Father Jenkins and his supporters. The university officials are obviously much more interested in securing the good graces of the ninth president to address the school than in supporting Church teaching. As intellectuals they share denseness with thinly disguised contempt.
As Hilaire Belloc said one hundred years ago, "Real intelligence resides in the ability to make distinctions." In this case the distinctions are everything. Notre Dame means literally Our Lady. The University of Our Lady has been founded, promoted, supported and loved by devout Catholics of this country for a long time. The issues of life have been settled in the eyes of the church for over two thousand years and no amount of engagement will change that. Notre Dame should never bestow an honor on the likes of our current president.
The event all works perfectly for the President. Cocktails and chatter with some noted Catholic VIP's, photo-ops, good-humor, perhaps a few thoughtful frowns, some vague-but-pleasing Obama rhetoric, and off the president goes. On to the Naval Academy and another commencement ceremony with a new legitimacy and the unofficial imprimatur of America's great Catholic University.
“In a more sober assessment, Jenkins should be viewed as Peter the apostle, in his emotional denials to a watching and judgmental world, rather than as a Judas, the brazen traitor.”
No, not Peter. Peter was faithful before the denial and repented. I don’t see any repentance coming from Jenkins even if he’s forced to back down. Hmmmm...I sometimes think he’s more like Pilate in some ways.
I have Catholic friends who are “supposedly” pro-life, but they voted for Obama. We went a few rounds about how they could say they were pro-life and still vote for him, but to no avail. Seems like the President of Notre Dame experiences the same disconnect as my friends.
Is it not possible to fire Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame?
That surely would send a proper message to this baby killing magic negro.
your friends are very likely CINOs.
Actually, their question, which we all heard again last night, the voice of sophistication ringing down through the ages, is "What is truth?" I've always imagined Pilate said it with a sneer, just before they dragged Him away to Golgotha.
Has Jenkins washed his hands yet?
Pope is a busy man with a lot on his plate BUT,
You would think he’d be interested in keeping Americas Catholics in line.
However is he up on local events like this one? No idea how in or out of touch he may be.
To have this baby killer speak at a college named after our “Blessed Mother” is a slap in the face to the Mother of Christ.
If Barrack Obama had any decency he would refuse to go to Notre Dame. That let’s that out. He has none. He enjoys the controversy.It plays to his arrogance.
Airing of ideas is fine in its place. This is a commencement ceremony not a debate or ethics class. Jenkins most likely was one of the 53% of Catholics who voted for the baby killer. He signs his name with C.S.C. at the end. C.S.C. stands for Congregatio a Sancta Cruce or Congregation of the Holy Cross. That cross held Jesus. Notre Dame is named for Jesus' mother Mary. Imagine if Mary had aborted her child?
The issues of life have been settled in the eyes of the church for over two thousand years and no amount of engagement will change that. Notre Dame should never bestow an honor on the likes of our current president.
Obama is the worst kind of "politician." He is a politician that supports "partial birth abortion."
Just out of curiosity, do you know how they feel about Barry's opposition to the BAIPA? And Barry's lying about his opposition to the BAIPA? Barry's even to the left of NARAL when it comes to the BAIPA.
For some of us unwashed ignorants could you perhaps write in English and not Acronym? What does BAIPA stand for.
A letter to Jenkins,
Mr John I. Jenkins,
As a Catholic for over 60 years I address you in this manner because you certainly can’t be a priest which means in Persona Christe , in the person of Christ .
What is truly sad, is how could you stray so far from logic, as to invite such a damnable creature as Obama to give a speech at the commencement ceramony.
Obama is the leading protagonist for the Abbatoir practice of Abortion , INCLUDING Partial Birth Abortion ,How sinister ,How evil , How Singularly Sinful, Have you forgotten the words of Christ, “ it would be better for a man to tie a millstone around his neck and be thrown into the Sea than to Hurt children” ?
The holacaust is to remember the 6,000,000 Jews horrifically murdered by Hitler and His minions,Yet you pay homage to Obama and the abotionists who have murdered over 51,000,000 American Children, and to an Evil Leader (Obama) ,who does everything he can to continue and make funds available for this Horrible and Horrific Practice .
I am sure the statue of Our Lady on top of the Dome is crying at this time.
Please do not represent yourself as a Catholic Priest, since you only exsaserbate the Scandal
presently brought about by evil Homosexual Priests.
Please reconsider your position and have yourself reformed and reinitiated as a true folloe=wer of Jesus Christ.
Your response is requested.
Truly in Sorrow,
BTTT
Unforturnately Father Jenkins gives these people the excuse they need to say "see it is okay".
Born
Alive
Infant
Protection
Act
May I ask if you received a response? I wrote him as well and received no reply.
I think the fruit of the efforts of both JP II and BXVI are evidenced in the reaction of a large number of American Bishops. The change in the church these two have wrought in the last 30 years is striking. Pope BXVI may prefer having passionate involved communicants than silent pew sitters waiting for others to take action.
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