Posted on 05/19/2009 12:06:06 PM PDT by Lorianne
Organizers of a group asking alumni and donors to withhold donations to the University of Notre Dame following its controversial commencement invitation to President Barack Obama claim to have confirmed nearly $14 million in donations have been withheld by those concerned about the university’s Catholic identity.
The group, ReplaceJenkins.com, said it had received over 1,400 pledges from alumni and donors promising to withhold future donations.
ReplaceJenkins.com was launched by alumni and financial supporters of the university who said they would withhold their contributions until Rev. Jenkins is replaced by someone who "is committed to the authentic identity of Notre Dame, grounded in the teachings of the Catholic Church."
Group spokesman David DiFranco, a 1995 graduate of Notre Dame, said the donors were "at least loosely aware" of what he called the university’s "trend away from its Catholic identity."
"But the invitation of President Obama to speak and to receive an honorary degree, combined with the weak responses presented by Father Jenkins as a defense to those who have criticized the decision, is what drives most alumni to our site," he said.
Fr. Jenkins’ action brought national attention to a problem "decades in the making," DiFranco said.
"A shrinking percentage of Catholic faculty and the efforts of secular-minded board members has long been eroding the Catholic heritage and foundation that makes Notre Dame great. President Obama’s invitation represents the culminating scandal in this trend."
DiFranco said nearly all alumni who had contacted ReplaceJenkins.com had already decided to cease supporting the school.
"Our website merely tallies the sum of their collective decision," he
It used to be an esteemed Catholic University. The problem for them now, is that they are no longer an esteemed Catholic University. They sold OUT their Christian premise to the Press; to what they saw as "prestige". They F'ed up big time, to put it mildly.
The question is now: Why would any real Catholic support them? The dynasty has come to to a halt, hopefully not a completely full-stop.
I’m sure GCC is an excellent school.
Like what? Sending defenseless, skulls full of mush out into the world?
BTW, does anyone know if a course in logic is part of a mandatory, core curriculum? I think I already know the answer.
The reason why this statement is so disgusting is because he's comparing a controversy regarding basic human rights, i.e., the right to life, with the fortunes of a football team. He is bloodless.
http://www.collinsreport.net/2009/04/13/send-back-our-notre-dame-gear-if-father-jenkins-won%e2%80%99t-listen-to-us-maybe-he%e2%80%99ll-listen-to-his-wallet/ Collins Report on playing hard ball with Father Jenkins.
The Obama episode isn't the first time they've been accused of abandoning their Catholicism, it's been going on for years. The thing is, if they stay totally Orthodox (whatever that means), then they remain largely ignored and irrelevant in the National cultural debate. What truly orthodox Catholic school has a bigger voice in the National conversation than Notre Dame? And the reason they are listened to in that National debate is because they are credible, and even highly regarded, as a University as well as a Catholic institution.
You wouldn't have known it based on the reaction to Fr. Jenkins' speech, obama's speech, judge Noonan's speech, and the parents, and the kids at commencement. Unless I knew better, I never would have thought I was at a Catholic college. They were virulently pro-obama and anti-protester. When the judge mentioned the evils of genocide, torture, and slavery, the first and last got polite applause while torture got a thunderous ovation. Clearly a political statement, not a reasoned, Christian one.
Withholding donations (until ND more strongly upholds its tradition) is a valid response. The donors have spoken. Now the ball is in ND's court. Do they continue liberalizing, or do they hang tough and prove they can be excellent AND Catholic at the same time.
"The Land 'o' Lakes rebellion," to be precise.
University presidents are nothing more than salemen.
If you can’t raise the dough, then you got to go.
Vatican’s going to assign him to a parish in Iraq.
Read it, thank you for the link. (And forget trying to explain “respect” to the post-modern generation of “irony”. I don’t think it can be done. They are truly puzzled that anyone would refrain from at least showing a lack of respect, no matter what’s running through their heads. Also, a question of lack of self-discipline, they can’t help but pull the trigger no matter the target).
Really? Who holds them in high regard? By what standard should a liberal arts college be regarded highly? A term of degree implies some absolute standard of measure.
AMEN!
if Charlie Weis went 3-9 they’d drop $30 million....
He joked about the football team at commencement, too, and the crowd liked it.
"Now, since this is Notre Dame I think we should talk not only about your accomplishments in the classroom, but also in the competitive arena. (Laughter.) No, don't worry, I'm not going to talk about that (meaning football)."
As much as I dislike obama, I think it was just good-natured ribbing the same as might be delivered by George W. or someone else I like.
###############
Of course they were esteemed as a University. Throughout the World. And they were supposed to be a "Catholic University", until they sold out, as the article I posted says, "to presige instead of principle".
There's no reason to "blend" anything. They were highly regarded as a Catholic University, which is the most powerful union until it becomes undermined and liberal and actually sells out. If they can somehow PROVE (at sometime in the future) that they are a Catholic University then the donations will flow back in. Gonna be a difficult challenge with the current "leadership" still in place.
I fully agree with the first sentence. But I'm not even confident of the twinge of guilt. The ovations obama got were stunning.
Well, I do. As does U.S. News & World Report, and every other major publication that ranks colleges and universities. As do the medical schools, law schools, and other graduate schools that admit Notre Dame graduates at an impressively high rate. As do the corporate, government, and non-profit employers that hire Notre Dame graduates in large numbers every year.
But I guess they don't count. Because Notre Dame invited an American President, who isn't a Catholic, to speak at Notre Dame despite his holding views that don't agree with the Catholic Church.
True, but they will probably GAIN more donations and support from the more liberal supporters (who seemed to be 90% of the parents and students at commencement from what I saw and heard.
The Vatican neither owns nor runs ND.
The only ranking of colleges that I would take seriously would be the ranking of schools of hard sciences.
I had a friend who graduated from Harvard Law who couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. All he studied was neo-Marxist "critical legal theory." I'm sure U.S. News & World Report ranks Harvard Law very highly though.
Outside of the hard sciences, college today is a joke.
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