Posted on 04/03/2009 8:59:46 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Bishop Joseph F. Martino and Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty have joined more than a dozen bishops who are protesting the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement next month. In a letter to the university’s president, which the Diocese of Scranton released Thursday, Bishops Martino and Dougherty call Mr. Obama being the school’s commencement speaker and recipient of an honorary doctorate “truly shameful” and “a scandal to the Church.” “The numerous, repeated and extensive anti-life positions taken by President Obama merit his recognition as an unequalled, prominent proponent of the culture of death in our nation,” the bishops wrote in their letter. (Text of diocese letter about Obama to Notre Dame) In the two weeks since Notre Dame, a Catholic university, announced Mr. Obama would appear, Catholics across the country have spoken out against it.
Earlier this week, Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, called Notre Dame’s decision an “extreme embarrassment.”
In response to the controversy, posted to Notre Dame’s Web site, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., university president, calls Mr. Obama an “inspiring leader who faces many challenges” but says his invitation does not mean the university supports all of his positions.
The invitation “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. Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement,” Rev. Jenkins wrote.
Thank you, Bishop Martino.
It’s nice to know that we still have a few defenders of the Faith in the hierarchy.
>>Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., university president, calls Mr. Obama an “inspiring leader who faces many challenges” but says his invitation does not mean the university supports all of his positions.
The invitation “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. Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement,” Rev. Jenkins wrote. <<
That argument will surely open the gates of Heaven to Jenkins./s
You will excuse me for dropping the “Father” title; but respect is earned, not given. Just as I don’t refer to Murtha as a Marine.
It’s not just Obama’s pro-abortion, pro-infanticide positions. It’s the fact that he supports forcing religious doctors and hospitals to do abortion.
He has not simply taken a position inconsistent with Catholic doctrine. He supports an assault on Catholics and their institutions in the health care professions and the extinguishment of their rights of conscience.
I’m not a Catholic, but I am in sympathy with the pain this whole affair must be causing faithful Catholics.
BTW, I have met Bishop Martino. I used to work with a pro-life NGO. We worked in a coalition with groups like the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. I was always grateful that the Holy See had a seat at the table when life and family issues were at stake. (Less so, LOL, when the issue was national sovereignty.)
More than once, the Holy See’s skillful negotiators stopped outrageous proposals.
When Barry starts his speech, I urge everyone in the room to turn around and not face him.
Scranton Bishop Joseph F. Martino and Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty have joined with more than a dozen other bishops and thousands of people throughout the nation who are publicly protesting Notre Dame University’s decision to honor President Barack Obama at the school’s commencement.
In a letter to Notre Dame’s president, Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, Bishop Martino and Bishop Dougherty cite the extensive anti-life positions taken by President Obama and describe the Catholic school’s decision to host him as the commencement speaker and bestow an honorary degree on him as a “scandal to the Church.”
They also cite the 2004 statement by the United States Bishops, which says: “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.”
Faithful in the Diocese of Scranton can express their opposition to Notre Dame’s decision through on online petition sponsored by the Cardinal Newman Society. The petition can be found on a new website dedicated to the scandal: http://www.notredamescandal.com
Below is the letter to Father Jenkins:
April 1, 2009
Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
Dear Father Jenkins,
The numerous, repeated and extensive anti-life positions taken by President Obama merit his recognition as an unequalled, prominent proponent of the culture of death in our nation. Given her Catholic identity, the University of Notre Dame’s receiving the President as the 2009 commencement speaker and her bestowing on him an honorary doctorate are truly shameful, a scandal to the Church and a major blow to hundreds of thousands who have sacrificed to bring forth a culture of life in our midst.
As a Diocesan Bishop and his Auxiliary we cannot overstress our disapproval of these actions by the University.
Through its President, His Eminence Cardinal George, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops acted swiftly and consistently to engage President Obama on human life issues. Your reported comment that “I think if he is going to reconsider his views, I think Notre Dame is the best possible place to begin that process” demeans, we believe, the intelligent urgency exercised by the nation’s bishops in this matter.
Moreover, your argument that honoring President Obama by granting a degree to him “is not intended to condone or endorse his position on specific issues regarding life” is no more than a blatant rejection of United States Bishops’ assessment of what Catholic institutions do when they so act. Their 2004 statement is absolutely clear. “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.”
“Bishops have a particular responsibility to promote Catholic universities, and especially to promote and assist in the preservation and strengthening of their Catholic identity, including the protection of their Catholic identity in relation to civil authorities.” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, no. 28) We are convinced that Notre Dame will one day very much regret rebuffing not only her own Bishop D’Arcy but also the USCCB’s efforts to fulfill their responsibilities in her regard.
Praying this conviction will prove untrue and that Notre Dame will immediately and resoundingly proclaim her Catholic identity in word and act, we are,
Sincerely yours in Our Lord,
Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D.
Bishop of Scranton
Most Reverend John M. Dougherty, D.D., V.G.
Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton
Yea....I'm sure he won't, but this is the lame stuff coming out of the university as they try to cover their mistake. Note, the Laetare Medal is given by the University of Notre Dame each year to someone who has given outstanding service to the Roman Catholic church and society
That pseudo-priest Jenkins would probably think having a visit from the devil would be a basis for further positive engagement. What Jenkins says first is that he is not inviting Obama to ND for a conversation, but to award him the honor because of his leadership. So what the heck is the statement "we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement," if it is not meant to have conversations with him on the subject? He is actually contradicting himself because he really cannot validate the decision made by ND.
If he wants to talk with Obama about his views on abortion, and try to convince him they are wrong, or have "further positive engagement" then he can do that privately and at any time. He does not need to involve the whole college and darken the graduation proceedings by the controversy that awarding Obama an honorary degree will cause and continue to cause. I cannot understand his rationale at all. Where/how/why did he become a priest if he promotes people who are against all the Catholic Church teaches?
...And a BIG, BIG PROTEST IS A-COMIN' which stirs my activist imagination and makes me think Obama is gonna unite us after all :o)
Imagine 20,000 young, old, hip, square, tie-dyed, purple-haired, properly-hatted and mantilla-covered, yarmulke-wearing and rosary-praying, Catholic and not-Catholic-by-a-long-shot, All-Baby-Loving People United CLOSING DOWN THE STREETS OF SOUTH BEND singing
Please forgive me if I've pinged you more than once. I'm getting kinda excited, here... Please click on the links and get involved!
Thank you Mrs. Don-o
Stay tuned!
I may be a USC fan, but it’s time for all true Domers to come out and “shake down the thunder from the sky.”
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