Notre Dame's 40+ Year History of Unfaithfulness to the Church

LifeSiteNews.com -- Your Life, Family and Culture Outpost ^ | Wednesday May 6, 2009 | by Patrick B. Craine

[topher]

Wednesday May 6, 2009

---

Notre Dame's 40+ Year History of Unfaithfulness to the Church

by Patrick B. Craine

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, May 6, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) -The University of Notre Dame's invitation of President Obama to deliver their 2009 graduation commencement address on May 17th has generated great controversy in the North American Church and shocked many Catholics who have looked to Notre Dame as the very model of Catholic higher education in America.  This invitation, however, is by no means an isolated incident, and, in fact, is merely a continuation of Notre Dame's progressive self-detachment from the Catholic Church over the last forty years.

Rift Away From Church Began in 1961 Under Fr. Theodore M. Hesburgh

Notre Dame began to distance itself from the Church particularly in the 1960s, under university president Fr. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.  To begin with, in 1961 Notre Dame awarded its Laetare Medal, the same medal recently refused by former ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042702.html), to then-President John F. Kennedy.  This medal is awarded annually to an American Catholic deemed to have made a significant contribution to the Church and society.  By 1961, though, President Kennedy, the first Catholic president, had made himself famous for declaring that his Catholic beliefs would not affect his actions as a politician.  In September 1960, for example, he declared: "Whatever issue may come before me as President…I will make my decision…in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be in the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates."

By honoring the President in this way, Notre Dame helped him set the precedent for Catholic politicians to disregard the Church's teachings, one which we still experience today, for example in the case of Joseph Biden and Nancy Pelosi.


Definitive Break From Church With 1967 Land O'Lakes Statement

On July 23rd, 1967, however, Notre Dame made its definitive break with the Church, along with other American universities, in the Land O'Lakes statement, spearheaded by President Fr. Hesburgh, and signed by him and other Notre Dame officials.  In this infamous statement, the American universities declared their separation from the authority of the Catholic Church: "To perform its teaching and research functions effectively the Catholic university must have a true autonomy and academic freedom in the face of authority of whatever kind, lay or clerical, external to the academic community itself" (http://archives.nd.edu/episodes/visitors/lol/idea.htm).  Notre Dame has never rescinded its involvement in this statement, and, in fact, has operated based on it ever since.

Notre Dame's public entry into abortion politics began in September 1984 with the address of Governor Mario Cuomo of New York, a Catholic following in the spirit of President Kennedy, as Fr. Raymond J. de Souza discusses in his article "Glendon, Notre Dame, and Abortion Politics" (http://www.ncregister.com/daily/glendon_declines_nd_honor/).

Governor Cuomo's aim in speaking at Notre Dame was to argue that Catholics can defend and support abortion rights in good conscience.  Fr. de Souza argues, however, that Fr. Hesburgh and theology professor Fr. Richard McBrien chose to bring him to Notre Dame for that specific purpose, to undermine the Church's pro-life teaching.  Fr. de Souza makes this argument in light of the fact that Notre Dame brought Governor Cuomo to speak only six months after John Cardinal O'Connor's high-profile correction of Catholic Vice-President nominee Geraldine Ferraro for her pro-abortion views.


Dissent Took Hold Under Notre Dame President Fr. Edward A. Malloy

Fr. Hesburgh began the process, but it was under the next President, Fr. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., that Notre Dame's dissent truly began to take hold.  Clearly showing a lack of concern for Church teaching and the dignity of life, in 1992, Fr. Malloy elected to award the Laetare medal to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a staunchly pro-abortion Catholic.  Further, according to The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College (http://www.catholichighered.org/TheNewmanGuide/tabid/356/Default.aspx), Fr. Malloy expressed concerns about Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution Ex corde Ecclesiae, on Catholic universities, indicating that certain provisions were "offensive to the Catholic theological community" (pg. 211).

According to Fr. Edward O'Connor, retired professor of theology at Notre Dame, being quoted in July 2003, "Notre Dame has, for all practical purposes, decided to evade the mandate," (http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/education/ed0198.html) which is the Church's license to teach, conferred by the bishop, and prescribed by Ex corde.  This seems to be the approach pursued by current president Fr. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. as well (see "Catholicism, Inc." by Naomi S. Riley, http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/9410-catholicism-inc).

It was also under Fr. Malloy, in 1995-96, that the Core Council for Gay and Lesbian Students was developed and initiated, with the mission of "identifying the ongoing needs of gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual students, and assist[ing] in implementing campus-wide educational programming on gay and lesbian issues" (http://corecouncil.nd.edu/index.shtml).  This Core Council runs events such as 'National Coming Out Day' and 'Solidarity Sunday', the latter being a Sunday once a year where all Masses celebrate Notre Dame's 'Spirit of Inclusion' for homosexuals on campus.

In 1997, the Officers of the university put out a statement entitled 'The Spirit of Inclusion' that emphasizes the need for inclusiveness without acknowledgment or explanation of the Church's teaching on homosexuality (http://corecouncil.nd.edu/nd_response/inclusion.shtml).  Also of note during Fr. Malloy's presidency is the inauguration of two highly controversial annual events - The Vagina Monologues in 2002, and the 'Queer Film Fest' in 2004 (see http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/feb/05021406.html).


Break From Church Continues Under Fr. Jenkins

The Notre Dame that Fr. Jenkins took over when he became President on July 1st, 2005 was vastly changed from that during Fr. Hesburgh's presidency.  Besides the changes noted above, The Newman Guide informs us that the number of Catholic faculty dropped from 85% in the 1970s to about 53% in 2008 (pg. 214).

To his credit, Fr. Jenkins has initiated an attempt to improve the percentage of Catholic faculty from this abysmally low number, yet he has allowed controversial events to take place on campus that are contrary to Catholic teaching.  As well, his previous record of speaker invitations indicates that his invitation to President Obama should not have come as a great surprise.

The Queer Film Fest has continued under Fr. Jenkins despite the protest of the bishop, John M. D'Arcy.  Fr. Jenkins has, rather, encouraged the organizers to take a more academic approach to the films (Newman Guide, pg. 211).  The Vagina Monologues also continued, again despite the strong criticism of Bishop D'Arcy.  Fr. Jenkins did put a halt to the production in 2007, but reallowed it in 2008 in an attempt to maintain a spirit of openness, dialogue, and academic freedom.  The Monologues were cancelled this year by the producers due to the controversy surrounding it (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040712.html).

In 2006, President Mary McAleese of Ireland was the commencement speaker and was given an honorary degree, in spite of her criticism of the Church, particularly over the issue of women's ordination.  Then, in 2007, Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan, was welcomed as the commencement speaker for the Graduate School of Notre Dame and was given an honorary degree, despite her advocacy for and initiative in the area of embryonic stem cell research (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/may/07050704.html).

Fr. Jenkins has argued that inviting and honoring President Obama opens the possibility of dialogue with him.  As he says, "However misguided some might consider our actions, it is in the spirit of providing a basis for dialogue that we invited President Obama" (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040808.html).  On this note he has been criticized by many people, bishops, priests, and laypeople, faulting him for a false notion of dialogue and academic freedom.  It would seem, though, that this has been the approach he has taken throughout his presidency, and that he is merely following in a longstanding Notre Dame tradition initiated by Fr. Hesburgh in the 1960s.

For the current list of bishops who have criticized President Obama's commencement at Notre Dame:

66: Bishops Decry "Toxic Residue" of Notre Dame Scandal
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09050509.html

See also:

Glendon, Notre Dame, and Abortion Politics by Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

http://www.ncregister.com/daily/glendon_declines_nd_honor/

The section on Notre Dame in The Newman Guide to Catholic Colleges
http://www.scribd.com/full/12181481?access_key=key-pzfplfsgyh4k066qiqo
 

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09050601.html

---

Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.

[topher]

The article is interesting, as it gives a history of President John F. Kennedy, and how he betrayed his Catholic heritage, and set the bad example for other Catholic Politicians...

Also, the bad example of Fr. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. -- president of Notre Dame back in the 1960's -- stands out in the article...

[topher]

Ping -- some interesting history of Notre Dame and JFK...

I believe Archbishop Chaput touched on the stand by JFK in his book Render Unto Caesar...

I will have to re-read the book...

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[wombtotomb]

Vatican 2 misinterpreted. This is the common thread to all Catholisims ills today. Thank God so much is happening now. Catholics are being awakened, the young people are embracing orthodoxy and life, we have a Pope promoting orthodoxy in large measure, and the wheat is being seperated from the chaff. The pruning has begun, the harvest will be great. To live in these times, while painful, is also joyous. Keep the faith, fight the fight, the Kingdom of God is at hand..........

[rockinqsranch]

What does, or did Kennedy’s decision, and statement have to do with Notre Dame policy?

Kennedy was a politician, not a factor at Notre Dame.

My Barber was Catholic. So what.

[Shethink13]

What does, or did Kennedy’s decision, and statement have to do with Notre Dame policy?

Kennedy was a politician, not a factor at Notre Dame.

My Barber was Catholic. So what.

Did you miss this sentence in the article?

By honoring the President in this way, Notre Dame helped him set the precedent for Catholic politicians to disregard the Church's teachings, one which we still experience today, for example in the case of Joseph Biden and Nancy Pelosi.

[soccermom]

I’ve been saying this for months. Anyone who think ND’s honorary degree to Obama was their first betrayal hasn’t been paying attention. Any parent who would send his child to this school under the impression that it is a “Catholic” school had been duped.

[rockinqsranch]

Thanks, but let me try this thing one more time here.....

It’s about Notre Dame, not about Politicians.

[exist]

Now I’m glad they lost to Boston College to cough up the National Championship that year.

[Salvation]

At least some bishops are speaking out against Notre Dame's invitation to Obama!

The bishops who have so far expressed disapproval of Notre Dame's invitation to Obama (in alphabetical order) are:

The bishops who have so far expressed disapproval of Notre Dame's invitation to Obama (in alphabetical order) are:

1. Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN
2. Bishop Samuel Aquila - Fargo, ND
3. Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin, TX
4. Bishop Gerald Barbarito - Palm Beach, FL
5. Bishop Leonard Blair - Toledo, OH
6. Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua (Archbishop Emeritus) - Philadelphia, PA
7. Bishop Lawrence Brandt - Greensburg, PA
8. Archbishop Daniel Buechlein - Indianapolis, IN
9. Bishop Robert Baker - Birmingham, AL
10. Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz - Lincoln, NE
11. Archbishop Eusebius Beltran - Oklahoma City, OK
12. Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Cantú - San Antonio, TX
13. Archbishop Charles Chaput - Denver, CO
14. Bishop Paul Coakley - Salina, KS
15. Bishop Edward Cullen - Allentown, PA
16. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo - Houston, TX
17. Archbishop Timothy Dolan - New York, NY
18. Bishop Thomas Doran - Rockford, IL
19. Auxiliary Bishop John Dougherty - Scranton, PA
20. Bishop Robert Finn - Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO
21. Bishop Joseph Galante - Camden, NJ
22. Bishop Victor Galeone - St. Augustine, FL
23. Cardinal Francis George - Chicago, IL; President, USCCB
24. Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger - Evansville, IN
25. Archbishop José Gomez - San Antonio, TX
26. Bishop Bernard Harrington - Winona, MN
27. Bishop Robert Hermann - St. Louis, MO
28. Bishop William Higi - Lafayette, IN
29. Archbishop Alfred Hughes - New Orleans, LA
30. Bishop Michael O. Jackels - Wichita, KS
31. Bishop James V. Johnston - Springfield-Cape Girardeau, MO
32. Bishop Peter Jugis - Charlotte, NC
33. Bishop Joseph Latino - Jackson, MS
34. Bishop John LeVoir - New Ulm, MN
35. Bishop Jerome Listecki - La Crosse, WI
36. Bishop William E. Lori - Bridgeport, CT
37. Bishop Paul Loverde - Arlington, VA
38. Bishop George Lucas - Springfield, IL
39. Bishop Robert Lynch - St. Petersburg, FL
40. Bishop Joseph Martino - Scranton, PA
41. Bishop John McCormack - Manchester, NH
42. Bishop Robert Morlino - Madison, WI
43. Bishop William Murphy - Rockville Centre, NY
44. Bishop George Murry - Youngstown, OH
45. Archbishop John J. Myers - Newark, NJ
46. Archbishop Joseph Naumann - Kansas City, KS
47. Bishop R. Walker Nickless - Sioux City, IA
48. Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN
49. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien - Baltimore, MD
50. Bishop Thomas Olmsted - Phoenix, AZ
51. Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk - Cincinnati, OH
52. Bishop Reymundo Pena - Brownsville, TX
53. Bishop Glen Provost - Lake Charles, LA
54. Bishop David Ricken - Green Bay, WI
55. Cardinal Justin Rigali - Philadelphia, PA; Chairman, USCCB Pro-Life Committee
56. Bishop Kevin Rhoades - Harrisburg, PA
57. Bishop Alexander Sample - Marquette, MI
58. Bishop Edward J. Slattery - Tulsa, OK
59. Bishop Richard Stika - Knoxville, TN
60. Bishop Anthony Taylor - Little Rock, AR
61. Bishop George Thomas - Helena, MT
62. Bishop Robert Vasa - Baker, OR
63. Bishop Michael Warfel - Great Falls-Billings, MT
64. Bishop Thomas Wenski - Orlando, FL
65. Archbishop Donald Wuerl - Washington, D.C.
66. Bishop David Zubick - Pittsburgh, PA

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042807.html

For a list of contact information regarding the Notre Dame scandal, go to: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032706.html

[Shethink13]

It’s about Notre Dame, not about Politicians.

Apparently, you have a problem with reading comprehension. I was foolish enough to give you the benefit of the doubt that you might have just missed that one sentence.

[Oratam]

Thirty pieces of silver.

[rockinqsranch]

There is a thing that happens within the brain commonly referred to as thought process. Try using it sometime.

[ardara]

There are very serious Political implications to president Obama being honored at Notre Dame.If Obama feels he can continue to get away with his pro-abortion actions,he will pursue the Freedom of Choice Act.This could set the pro-life movement back some 30 years.

[rockinqsranch]

"There are very serious Political implications to president Obama being honored at Notre Dame.If Obama feels he can continue to get away with his pro-abortion actions,he will pursue the Freedom of Choice Act.This could set the pro-life movement back some 30 years."

I'm aware of all of this, and am with, support everybody here on Obama and the Notre Dame issue.

I'm 100% behind the two petitions to prevent Obama from addressing the Graduation proceedings in which he will be honored with an award IMO he shouldn't be honored with due IMO his Leftist Zero Sum perspective, thus sanctioning of the culling of the herds of Humanity via his support for abortion/Infanticide. (Zero Sum, culling is a discussion for another thread I believe, but relative to my point this thread.)

The point I'm trying to make is the appearance of a Leftist coup in the '60's not only at Notre Dame, as the following excerpt from the article indicates:

"On July 23rd, 1967, however, Notre Dame made its definitive break with the Church, along with other American universities, in the Land O'Lakes statement, spearheaded by President Fr. Hesburgh, and signed by him and other Notre Dame officials. In this infamous statement, the American universities declared their separation from the authority of the Catholic Church: "To perform its teaching and research functions effectively the Catholic university must have a true autonomy and academic freedom in the face of authority of whatever kind, lay or clerical, external to the academic community itself" (http://archives.nd.edu/episodes/visitors/lol/idea.htm). Notre Dame has never rescinded its involvement in this statement, and, in fact, has operated based on it ever since."

The decision, and statement in the campaign by J.F.Kennedy in 1960 IMO provided an excuse for the actions taken by Fr. Hesburgh that followed. (I am also thinking about how Fr. Hesburgh became President of Notre Dame, and also how Malloy whom then succeeded him. By vote of whom? Whom do these Notre Dame "Presidents" past and present actually represent?)

The sixties as an era in our history was a radical era in which existing factions of Leftism accelerated their activities by multiple methods. The Left was well established in Universities by then. To infiltrate, and dominate a Religious, especially a Catholic establishment of higher education would be beneficial to the acceleration of their goals.

My point then is as Fr. Jenkins is apparently today addressing the decline of Catholics in the cadre of the school, then perhaps he is trying to turn about that which occured forty years ago, but then perhaps he is trying at the behest of his handlers to create that illusion, but why? I don't know, but it is apparent we all need to think about those manipulators behind the scenes of the Notre Dame mess whom are successfully ducking publicity of their responsibility in this matter.

Who really is the influence behind the direction of Notre Dame? What is the correct address of the responsible Party(s)?

That's my point.

[jaydubya2]

Kennedy’s statment was improper, but what actions did Kennedy do in office that was against Catholic teachings? besides screwing around...I thought he was a decent (not perfect) Catholic?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Notre Dame honored Kennedy as a model of what a "public Catholic," in their estimation, should be: one deliberately detached from Catholic faith and morals.

Right up there with the Anti-Algebra Mathematicians, Teetotaler Wine-Tasters, and Pork Barbecue Jews.

Motto:

"The Only Good Catholic is a Bad Catholic."

[topher]

In terms of the Houston speech and other comments by President John F. Kennedy, it is addressed by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFMcap, in his book: Render Unto Caesare: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life.

Chapter 7 deals with Kennedy. The title of the chapter: What Went Wrong.

Pages 133-137 deal with Kennedy...

There is one thing worth quoting from the book [middle of page 136]:

Kennedy did make one important statement about his faith: "But if the time should ever come--and I do not concede any conflict to be even remotely possible--when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign my office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do the same."

Suppose JFK was confronted by the issue of abortion and it bothered his conscience to remain as president -- by his own words -- he would be forced to resign.

That is assuming the scourge of abortion bothered the conscience of a politician...

Apologies for the long posting...

[jaydubya2]

Thanks, that's an interesting comment from Kennedy. Too bad we have so few politicians they would make and abide to that statement today.

[rockinqsranch]

“Notre Dame honored Kennedy as a model of what a “public Catholic,” in their estimation, should be: one deliberately detached from Catholic faith and morals.”

Yes, correct, I understand that. What is driving me up the wall is that “Notre Dame”, as is the “White House” is an inanimate entity whose direction is a reflection of the leadership, or occupant of the time. Certainly Fr. Hesburgh was a leader for positive change yet seemingly within the scope of the Catholic Church, yet it seems to me it was under his extensive tenure the direction of the inanimate Notre Dame began to drift to the Left.

I presume Notre Dame’s Presidents are chosen by a Board of Commissioners, or a Board of Trustee’s, and I wonder about their influence as well the influence of donors to the school.