Pelosi Invoked Fr. Hesburgh to Turn 'No' Health Bill Vote to 'Yes'

LifeSiteNews ^ | 3/29/10 | Kathleen Gilbert

[wagglebee]

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, March 29, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, the prestigious former president of the University of Notre Dame, may have helped swing a critical House Democrat vote to the "yes" column after House Speaker Pelosi asked for his help, reported the LA Times and the Associated Press last Tuesday. 

The South Bend Tribune confirmed the report on Friday.

Hesburgh was called in to persuade U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) to vote for the health care bill despite the vast expansion of abortion funding embedded in it. Donnelly had been a member of the group of Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who opposed the bill without Hyde-amendment restrictions on abortion funding. Stupak and several other Democrats eventually agreed to vote for the legislation in exchange for a presidential executive order purporting to ban federal abortion funding. 

The order, however, was dubbed meaningless and "a symbolic gesture" by both the National Right to Life Committee and Planned Parenthood.

The LA Times' Richard Simon and Faye Fiore hailed the Speaker's initiative. "The key to Pelosi's success on the healthcare vote is intimate knowledge of her members and the kinds of influences that will move them," they wrote.

Elizabeth Shappell, Donnelly's press secretary, claims Hesburgh did not tell Donnelly how to vote but only advised him to "vote your conscience."

As president of Notre Dame in 1967, Fr. Hesburgh spearheaded the infamous Land O'Lakes statement, in which the heads of several American universities declared their separation from the authority of the Catholic Church.

The University of Notre Dame has been struggling to repair its pro-life credentials ever since its invitation to President Obama to speak and receive an honorary degree at the school's commencement exercises last year - a decision supported by Fr. Hesburgh. In pursuit of this goal, President Fr. John Jenkins' this year attended the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. and the university has created a "Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life."

Yet critics such as Notre Dame professor emeritus Charles Rice have said out that such efforts are a "mockery" as the Notre Dame 88, arrested last year at Jenkins' behest for offering a pro-life witness against the Obama honor on campus, continue to face charges.

When Joe Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League confronted Jenkins over the "ND 88" at the 2010 March for Life, Scheidler complained that the experience was like talking to a "stone."

[wagglebee]

The secular destruction of Notre Dame is complete.

[Ann Archy]

My Jewsih husband is more Catholic than Hesburgh.

[wagglebee]

Pro-Life Ping

[wagglebee]

Ping for your lists.

[wagglebee]

The desecration of Notre Dame continues.

[Gay State Conservative]

Mr Hesburg will get his “reward” at a time of his Creator's choosing.

[wagglebee]

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[livius]

Disgraceful, disgraceful, disgraceful.

[Salvation]

More info from Notre Dame.

[AliVeritas]

And we thought he’d go to hell for Land O’ Lakes alone...

[unkus]

My Jewsih husband is more Catholic than Hesburgh.

---

I thought Hesburg was dead

[bray]

What does the Catholic Church have against the Bible?

Pray for America

[kitkat]

***The LA Times’ Richard Simon and Faye Fiore hailed the Speaker’s initiative. “The key to Pelosi’s success on the healthcare vote is intimate knowledge of her members and the kinds of influences that will move them,” they wrote.***

I’ll just bet her success comes from “intimate knowledge of her members and the kinds of influences that will move them.” And used all the muckraking skills at her command to threaten them.

[genetic drift]

Is there any member or congress that has any morals?
A political philosophy?
A mind of his own?

[PGR88]

Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?

[Adder]

These people are going to burn for this travesty.

[Mr. Lucky]

In the most important sense, apparently he is.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"What does the Catholic Church have against the Bible?"

That's kind of a non-sequitur. The Catholic Church has two factions, the faithful and the unfaithful. The faithful are, in relation to the Bible, faithful. The unfaithful are not. (I mean this respectfully, but: "Duh.")

Remember, too, that at this time almost 2,000 years ago, almost all of the twelve Apostles were--- other than one who was hanging from a tree branch --- headed for the tall grass, while the faithful Church --- Mary and John --- were at the foot of the Cross.

[mlizzy]

It's not complete yet: "Anyone who has read the works of Fr. McBrien, and several other professors, knows that there is a threat to (Notre Dame's) Catholicism from within as well. But unlike Harvard or Yale, Northwestern or Southern Cal, all former Christian universities that are now secular schools, Notre Dame has the weapon to fight all heresies, namely Notre Dame Herself ... for the modern infidels to take control here, they would have to blow the Dame off the Dome, rip the heart (the Eucharist) out of Sacred Heart (Church) and lastly, rock by rock, tear the Grotto apart. And legions of Her sons and daughters would willingly die martyrs before they would allow that to happen." -from "Champions of Faith" by Tom O'Toole

And I was told that Fr. Hesburgh is somewhat senile these days. For Nancy to go to him was wrong.

I enjoyed the comment by Joe Scheidler; pretty much nailed it! ...

[FightThePower!]

A corrupt evil priest. He will stand before god.