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It's absolutely crucial to put his life and words and actions under a microscope, and let's not call it sniping, or venomous. Few men in the past 50 years have done more damage to the Catholic Church in America than Fr Hesburgh, whether he thought he was doing what was best or whether he had vile purpose. But his catastrophic reign must be analyzed in the attempt to learn what can be done to reverse his destructive pronouncements.

Father Hesburgh has always held a special place in the hearts of Catholic Democrats like Pelosi and Biden who want to be able to vote in favor of abortion rights yet still be perceived as being in the good graces of the Church. Pro-choice Catholic politicians are grateful to Father Hesburgh because for the past 40 years he has been providing them with the kind of Catholic cover they have needed to continue voting to expand abortion.

Msgr. Kelly wrote that during his years as Notre Dame’s president, “Father Hesburgh’s ecclesiology became steadily more hostile to the hierarchy… In 1972, when he was a delegate to the International Congress of Catholic Universities, at a meeting held on Vatican territory—within mere feet of the office of Pope Paul VI—he threatened to walk out and take the American delegation with him if Rome dared to impose norms for the conduct of American colleges.”

he told a Wall Street Journal reporter that he had “no problem with females” as priests in the Catholic Church.

Father Hesburgh defied Bishop John D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend and supported the honoring of President Barack Obama at Notre Dame’s commencement ceremony

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2387/the_problematic_legacy_of_fr_hesburgh.aspx