Catholic College Profs Among “Catholics for Obama” 2012

Catholic Exchange ^ | August 23, 2012 | Matthew Archbold

[NYer]

Relying heavily on left-leaning academics at Catholic colleges and universities, the Obama campaign on Monday unveiled its “Catholics for Obama” team for 2012 in an effort to boost its Catholic vote.

Thomas Groome, of Boston College

Among those leading the group are several pro-abortion rights politicians along with faculty members at Catholic colleges including Sister Jamie Phelps, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans; Nicholas Cafardi, a canon and civil lawyer who teaches at the Duquesne Law School in Pittsburgh; Thomas Groome of Boston College, a theologian; and Stephen Schneck, director of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at Catholic University of America.

Cafardi just last week took to the pages of the National Catholic Reporter to convince readers that Obama was more pro-life than Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. He didn’t mention in that piece that he would soon be publicly affiliated with the Catholics for Obama group. Presumably, that affiliation will be pointed out in future writings.

Schneck is on the board of directors of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which was co-founded by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ director of faith-based programs, Alexia Kelley, to generate Catholic support for President Obama’s policies. Last year Schneck led a faculty effort to embarrass Republican House Speaker John Boehner, when he delivered the commencement address at The Catholic University of America. In February Schneck joined with other politically liberal Catholics in an open letter “celebrating” the “accommodation” proposed by President Obama with regard to the HHS contraceptive mandate — a compromise that the U.S. bishops have explained is entirely unacceptable to Catholics, and which has still not been written into the regulations.

Other members of Obama’s 21-member team includes Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Edward Kennedy who was uninvited by a Catholic college at the request of the local bishop in May, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland, who pushed for that state’s law legalizing gay marriage.

“What’s distinctive about Catholics and politics is our ancient idea of the common good,” Schneck told David Gibson of the Religion News Service. “We measure that by how the working class and poorest among us are doing. Government, for us Catholics, is obliged to be caring. It’s obliged to serve and to help build the country as whole. President Obama ‘gets’ this at a deep level.”

The Catholics for Obama website touts Obama’s opposition to Paul Ryan’s proposed budget, saying: ”We are proud of the President for his opposition to the budget proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan, embraced by Republicans in Congress, and heartily endorsed by Mitt Romney. The Republican plan would shred our nation’s compassionate safety net, gutting Medicare, food assistance programs, Head Start, and many other programs—all while cutting taxes for the wealthy.”

As far as social issues such as abortion, the only reference on the home page is veiled:

As Catholics, we believe that every human being is made in the image of God. From this we discern that, individually and as a nation, we share a moral obligation to care for one another. As the President has so passionately affirmed throughout his career: ‘I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper.’ The President has upheld and advanced this principle in many ways, including his support for pregnant women and the Adoption Tax Credit.”

The Romney campaign kicked off its “Catholics for Romney” team two weeks ago. The six national co-chairs are all former ambassadors to the Vatican including Frank Shakespeare (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 1986-1989), Tom Melady (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 1989-1993), Ray Flynn (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 1993-1997), Jim Nicholson (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 2001-2005), Francis Rooney (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 2005-2008), and Mary Ann Glendon (U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See 2008-2009).

“President Obama has declared war on religion by forcing religious institutions to go against their faith,” the website states. “Mitt Romney will stand up and protect religious freedom whenever it is threatened.”

[NYer]

Campus Notes is the blog of The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). Founded in 1993, the mission of The Cardinal Newman Society is to help renew and strengthen Catholic identity in Catholic higher education. They can be contacted at: alert at cardinalnewmansociety dot org.

Matthew Archbold is a contributing writer to Campus Notes and to National Catholic Register, as well as the co-founder of the popular website, Creative Minority Report.

[DarthVader]

Apostates for Obama! What a shame.

[Fedupwithit]

Yeah, because Boston College Catholics play so well in those southern states like, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida....another pathetic ploy by the regime..

[aimhigh]

I remember listing to a Bishop being interviewed on Fox. He said 40$ of the priests were gay. There’s the Obama wing.

[jersey117]

Then they’re not true Catholics.

[MNJohnnie]

There are a lot of “Catholics” who are going to get a very big surprise on judgement day when they try to explain their support for infanticide on demand politicians like Obama/Biden.

[Slump Tester]

If I could afford it, I get a bunch of bumper stickers made that say "No Fetus Can Beat Us!"

They'd look great slapped on next to the "Catholics for Obama" ones that we'll probably start seeing now.

[manc]

cant be Catholic if they want bozo the clown just like you can;t be a conservative if you have no problem with the homostapo even their agenda

[NTHockey]

Heretics for 0bambi would be better.

Apostate: (n) deserter of one’s faith, cause, etc.

Heretic: (n) 2. baptized Roman Catholic who willfully and persistently rejects any article of faith.

[maxwellsmart_agent]

These people are not catholic. They can say they are catholic but they do not do what catholics do or believe what catholics believe. Calling them catholic is an attempt to change the whole structure of the church. Sorry, but we are not going to do that.

[353FMG]

Catholics for Obama?

Is that the same as Catholics for Mohammed?

[lazypadawan]

Exhibit #549 on how Dorothy Day ruined the Catholic Church in America. They think that the Gospels were all about government handouts, punishing the productive with high taxes, and letting illegals run into the country nilly-willy, while whistling Dixie on 50 million abortions. The blood money from those abortions go into the pockets of Democratic politicians, including faux left-wing Catholics like Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, the Kennedy Klux Klan, etc..

[COBOL2Java]

I remember listing to a Bishop being interviewed on Fox. He said 40$ of the priests were gay. There’s the Obama wing.

$40 priests? Those are pretty cheap, if you ask me!

[COBOL2Java]

Cafeteria Catholics for Obama!

[manc]

yea I saw that the other day.

[Salvation]

Fixing the title.

Catholic College Profs Among “Catholics CINOs for Obama” 2012

[Cronos]

I would join a group called "Catholics for Obama to GET OUT"

[bboop]

‘Catholic’ university professors are FOR Obama? I am stunned, I tell you. A great list to help parents decide where to invest their tuition money!

[AliVeritas]

Could you post that video? I’d like to know which bishop it was.

Thank you.

[aimhigh]

I saw it live, and didn’t record it.