Barack Obama's Notre Dame visit provokes huge Catholic backlash, PR disaster

Daily Telegraph (London) ^ | May 5, 2009 | Gerald Warner

[Zakeet]

Barack Obama's ill-fated decision to speak at the commencement ceremony of the Catholic University of Notre Dame on May 17 and to accept an honorary degree, despite his aggressively pro-abortion activities, has turned into a nasty car-crash for the White House. The Catholic and broader Christian backlash against this outrage has built up a head of steam beyond anything the cack-handed university administration could have anticipated.

Last week the first 300,000 signatures on a petition opposing the invitation to Obama were delivered to Notre Dame. This section of the petition was sent in advance so that it could be seen by the members of the Boards of Fellows and Trustees at their meeting last Friday. But, with signatures coming in at an average of 8,800 per day, there will be many more to follow.

[Snip]

Every spin doctor knows the most dangerous ploy is to attempt to present a hostile community as friendly by suborning a minority element of it. In this instance the Vichy Catholics selling the pass to the anti-life forces have been swamped by genuine Catholics. The university's defiance of the US Bishops' Conference resolution on awards to pro-abortionists has forced the American bishops to denounce Obama publicly. The cracks that were disgracefully papered over by "liberal" Catholics during the presidential election have been split wide open.

Thanks to Jenkins and his fellow collaborators, Barack Obama is now on a direct collision course with the Catholic community and that confrontation will now endure for the remainder of his presidency and influence the next election. Who said Catholic lefties were useless?

[MinuteGal]

Obama will never withdraw his name and divine personage from this event, never.

He WANTS chaos and division in the Catholic Church. Leftists and radicals such as he WANT chaos and division in ALL religions.

When opposition is fully quelled or fearful is the time when they step in and take over total control of their targets.

Obama wants chaos, division and fear in our country's economic situation. Now that he has a great deal of it, he's stepped in to take it over. He wants banks, auto manufacturing, health care, education.....now his sights are set to control Wall Street. Next week it will be a different major target.....undoubtedly freedom of speech (radio).

Chaos and division must continue so the control and destruction of our institutions can continue.

How can we conservatives see things so plainly while the rest of the country watches American Idol and plays Bingo?

And, I should add, Fr. Jenkins, a highly-educated, willful man, is either gulled completely or is an Obama/radical cultist.

Leni

[Oldpuppymax]

This will be a typically fraudulent event, with seating assigned according to voting/political preference and TV cameras suddenly “on the blink” in case of protests in the general area. Of course most of that general area will be off limits to conservatives.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Well I hope that some undergraduates find a way to sabotage the Messiah’s teleprompters.

[bdeaner]

I was reading HERE that Jenkins has refused to meet with student groups who wish to dialgue with him -- even under his strict conditions. He was originally open to it, but has now backed down. What a douche.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"In this instance the Vichy Catholics selling the pass to the anti-life forces have been swamped by genuine Catholics. The university's defiance of the US Bishops' Conference resolution on awards to pro-abortionists has forced the American bishops to denounce Obama publicly. The cracks that were disgracefully papered over by "liberal" Catholics during the presidential election have been split wide open."

"Vichy Catholics" - nice!

When they started whoring after Harvard and worldly prestige they began the process of selling out the faith for diminishing returns. Judas Iscariot got 30 pieces of silver. ND got less - acceptance and approval by liberals, secular humanists, and babykillers.

But they can tell you all about what Rudy Bultmann and Wittgenstein think. Was it really worth it? Well, they've got their fake messiah, Obama. And he will get the fake doctoral degree, sealed with a handshake.
The Oprahfication™ of Notre Dame will be complete.

They should send Kolchak the Night Stalker in to investigate the diabolically obsessed and infested president of ND.

©2009 HMBA

[lady lawyer]

“Yet most Catholics, notably Hispanics, voted for B. Hussein.”

Most of the time, there’s no love lost between the black and Hispanic communities. But, nothing unites like a common enemy — in this case, white people.

[ichabod1]

Didn’t they call themselves “The Continuing Church” or something in Germany when they knuckled under to Hitler’s state control?

[NYer]

I was reading HERE that Jenkins has refused to meet with student groups who wish to dialgue with him -- even under his strict conditions.

(((( head shaking )))) The irony, of course, is that Fr. Jenkins initially justified his invitation to Obama on the basis of dialoguing with him. Just another ploy. He vastly underestimated the reaction of pro-life Catholics.

[xsmommy]

the biggest problem with that assertion is that Catholics are free to self-identify, which counts a ridiculous % of CINOS. if you took the same % of self identifying Christians, they would also have a disproportionate % voting for Obama. But if you say evangelicals etc. you get a different %. Catholics, unfortunately are tarred with the same brush by being lumped in with CINOS.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

That is probably the reason he was so excited about inviting Obama. It's an issue of pride for him to put Obama on parade at graduation, flamboyantly flouting Catholic policy and teaching in "act up" mode. There was something suspicious about the lengths to which he was billing to bend over backwards to accomodate Obama and rationalize the decision with a talking points memo twisting Catholic doctrine, policy, and canon law. They can play Twister together as they bend Notre Dame over.

[netmilsmom]

Look, I’m about as Catholic as one can get. My Uncle is a Bishop and I’m at an Uber traditional church where we kneel for communion.

My question is, Where is the Vatican on this?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"(((( head shaking )))) The irony, of course, is that Fr. Jenkins initially justified his invitation to Obama on the basis of dialoguing with him. Just another ploy. He vastly underestimated the reaction of pro-life Catholics." 48 posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 10:42:07 AM by NYer

Excellent point. The claim of the Land O'Lakes Conference movement to modernize and secularize Catholic colleges and universities was that this would "improve" their educational quality. What good is a Catholic educator who refuses to talk to students??? What kind of college president will not meet with and converse with students? Particularly on grave issues of concern and matters relating to Catholic identity and the Catholic mission of Notre Dame.

[marshmallow]

Yeah, it also jogs my memory concerning a previous controversy at ND. Remember when there was a gay film festival at ND a year or two back and Jenkins said it would go on because "there would be no suppression of free speech" at ND? This despite protests.

It's all making sense now.

The gay film festival.........the Obama invite.......

I think we're seeing a pattern.

[Cboldt]

-- the biggest problem with that assertion is that Catholics are free to self-identify --

There were plenty of problems with his assertions, and you're right on the money with a big one. I found a number of polls on the subject, provided links and summaries, and my opponent in argument persisted in asserting 2/3rds of Catholics voted for Obama, and a majority of Catholics are pro-choice (implying unrestricted abortion on demand). I accused him of intellectual dishonesty (a long-winded way of calling him a liar), and added him to my ever-growing list of twits.

The left is going to persist in the lie that the negative reaction among Catholics, to Obama's role in the NC commencement, is a "fringe, kook" element of Catholics and society at large, and should be dismissed, marginalized and ridiculed. God bless 'em, because I won't.

[verga]

This is a damn shame. Can you imagine the feelings of the Graduates? This is supposed to be a happy time; a time for celebration not a controversial political event. This is all about politics. If I were among the Notre Dame graduating class I would tell them to send my diploma in the mail.

No this is a golden opportunity for them to stand as Real Catholics, or CINOs. There are about to enter the real world and this will afford them the opportunity to demonstrate how much or how little their faith truly means to them.

I saw a thread last week that said that so far the university is expected to lose over 8 million in donations.

[kassie]

Sadly- there were many white Catholics in my own family who proudly voted for BS.

[Salvation]

BTTT!

[ichabod1]

It’s not about politics, it’s about a contemporary, invisible holocaust.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Should prove interesting to see if anyone dares to address this aspect of the story.

Obama's coming out party at Notre Dame.

[mckenzie7]

He WANTS chaos and division in the Catholic Church. Leftists and radicals such as he WANT chaos and division in ALL religions.

I bet, even now, Obama is laughing and licking his chops at this division and particularly at Father Jenkins who is his little dupe. He probably doesn't even see how he is being used by Obama!

Let us pray for Obama and more so for Father Jenkins! FatherJenkins doesn't understand that he is scandalizing the whole church

It isn't just biological parents that need parenting skills!