Notre Dame's President at a Crossroads (predicted ND prez responses)

Inside Catholic ^ | March 23, 2009 | Deal W. Hudson

[NYer]

 

 

For the past few years, the buzz about Rev. John I. Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame since 2005, has been very positive. In spite of his refusal to ban The Vagina Monologues from the campus, Father Jenkins was viewed as strengthening the Catholic identity of the nation's most beloved Catholic institution.

 

But with one bold stroke, Father Jenkins has radically altered the perception of his leadership. His decision to honor President Barack Obama at Notre Dame's commencement this year has been met with stunned disbelief among Catholics across the nation. The Cardinal Newman Society immediately launched a petition drive, NotreDameScandal.com, and within 48 hours it collected over 10,000 signatures.

 

In 2006, Father Jenkins defused the uproar over The Vagina Monologues with a statement on "Academic Freedom and Catholic Character," which argued that "a Catholic university is where the Church does its thinking, and that thinking, to be beneficial, must come from an intellectually rigorous engagement with the world."

 

Will Father Jenkins use the same argument to defend his invitation to Obama? Perhaps. Obama's pro-abortion views are, no doubt, part of "the world" that, in Father Jenkin's view, his university must engage. Now that the president has accepted the invitation, Father Jenkins could refuse to disinvite him on the grounds it would "suppress speech," as he argued in permitting The Vagina Monologues to be performed on campus.

 

More likely, Father Jenkins will simply say that Obama is the president of the United States and, as such, should be welcomed on campus as a political leader who is making history with every speech and appearance. Why shouldn't the community of Notre Dame become part of that history? Such an encounter, Father Jenkins could say, has unmistakable educational value.

 

This argument would be convincing -- if Notre Dame were not a Catholic university honoring a political leader committed to removing all restrictions on abortion-on-demand in the United States. Whatever educational value there is in the visit of a U.S. president to the campus is trumped by the spectacle of moral support being offered by Notre Dame to Obama's position on abortion.

 

The U.S. Catholic bishops have been clear on this point. In their 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life," the bishops wrote, "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."

 

In short, the moment Father Jenkins places the honorary doctorate into the hands of Barack Obama, the university will be viewed as either supporting his pro-abortion views or turning a blind eye to them.

 

Father Jenkins also has the option of making what could be called the "Faithful Citizenship" dodge. He could say that the university gave Obama this honor without intending to honor his pro-abortion views. Readers may recall that the bishops' 2008 document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," left the same opening to allow Catholics to vote for pro-abortion candidates like Obama and his Catholic running mate, Joseph Biden.

 

 

Since the Friday afternoon announcement of the honor being conferred by Notre Dame on President Obama, there have been no statements from any of the bishops, including the ordinary of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Bishop John M. D'Arcy. A few days ago, Bishop D'Arcy issued a strongly worded statement on Obama's decision to allow federal funding for the destruction of embryos for their stem cells. He wrote,

 

This decision by the president is an imposition of a utilitarian ideology, which allows a group of human beings that some believe do not share human dignity, to be used and exploited. Human history, of course, is rife with examples of the strong dominating the weak and defenseless. Doesn't the promise of a democratic America -- of respect for the dignity of all -- hold us to a higher standard?

 

A bishop who is capable of such eloquent conviction will surely publicly express his disappointment in the leadership of Father Jenkins. Bishop D'Arcy, who has challenged Notre Dame before, must invoke the guidelines of "Catholics in Political Life" or risk some of the other bishops doing it for him. (The University of Notre Dame may lie within Bishop D'Arcy's diocese, but Catholics across the country feel ownership, regarding it as a national, rather than regional, institution.)

 

Barring some miracle of divine intervention, the world will soon watch as the preeminent Catholic university in the country lauds the world's leading advocate for killing children in the womb. Under Father Jenkins's leadership, Notre Dame has had an "intellectually rigorous engagement with the world," and the world has won.

[NYer]

And here is the initial response from ND President Jenkins. (HT to Thomas Peters at American Papist)

---

Fr. Jenkins responds to criticism

In a Notre Dame Observer interview:

Jenkins made clear the University is not honoring the president for his stances on these issues, but for his leadership.

"The invitation of President Obama to be our Commencement speaker should in no way be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions on specific issues regarding the protection of life, such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research," Jenkins said.

These "crucial differences" in positions on the protection of life are not being ignored in extending the invitation to the president, Jenkins said, but rather can be used as a catalyst for dialogue. (More.)

I'll respond later.

[silverleaf]

the only redemption I can see- also honor Sarah Palin with a degree

and have her speak after Obama

[WayneS]

WHAT leadership?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I take exception to honoring Obama on the grounds his “leadership” alone.

[Beckwith]

...but for his leadership

Now, that's funny!

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Is he a fruitcake?

How could he stand at the altar at Mass one minute, and then sign on to honor pro-abortionist Obama with an honorary Doctorate of Laws the next?

[Cicero]

“Leadership” is absolutely preposterous. Obama has led NOTHING in his life, but has taken a series of ascending positions by corruption and stealth.

What leadership, what accomplishment? How about waiting to see HOW HE DOES before awarding him for it?

The ONLY thing he has accomplished is to be the first black president—to the eternal shame of all black people everywhere.

[rhema]

The Notre Dame president has it backwards. If you want dialogue with the most openly pro-abortion president in U. S. history, invite him to address a student forum where there's opportunity for give and take. (If you want to be especially gracious and accommodating, make sure there's an outlet for a teleprompter.)

Where moral clarity lives, meanwhile, the students can grasp what their leaders can't, as this letter from a Notre Dame senior shows:

I am writing to express my outrage over the invitation extended to Barack Obama to speak this May at Commencement. What is one of the greatest Catholic universities in the world doing inviting a person who so openly and insistently seeks to institute policies so fundamentally opposed to our Catholic values? Central to our Catholic mission is the defense of life at all stages and in all forms. Yet the University is honoring a man who is continually removing limits on embryonic stem cell research and abortion: in short, the most liberal, anti-life President our country has ever seen. If Our Lady's University does not take a stand against such abuse, who will?

In this era of moral relativism when so-called "Catholics" are openly supporting anti-life candidates, why is Notre Dame reinforcing these misguided beliefs. Notre Dame cannot seriously label itself as a Catholic institution any longer if Mr. Obama is allowed to speak at graduation. You cannot be a Catholic and pro-choice, nor can you be a Catholic institution and give honors and awards to pro-choice politicians. Lest you forget, Fr. Jenkins, the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops explicitly forbade such invitations in their 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life." They write, "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." It seems pretty clear that Notre Dame, having given Barack Obama 1) an award (an honorary degree), 2) an honor (an invitation to speak at Commencement) and 3) a platform (a captive audience of more than 10,000 people), finds itself turning its back on its Catholic identity. It appears, Fr. Jenkins, that three strikes and he's out.

[Cicero]

I should add that a “Doctor of Laws” suggests some sort of legal accomplishment. But he has never written a single article in his academic field, not while he was President of the Law Review, and not during his ten years as a college instructor. He couldn’t make tenure even with the benefit of affirmative action.

[Uri’el-2012]

Jenkins made clear the University is not honoring the president for his stances on these issues, but for his leadership.

Jenkins is providing leadership for all on the wide road to destruction !

Mat 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach Adonai

[Remole]

“a catalyst for dialogue”

I’ve taught at 3 Catholic Colleges in my career so far, and have tenure now at the 3rd, and I’ve come to see this claim as a mere smoke-screen. And here’s why: that dialogue never happens. All that will happen (at ND) and all that has ever happened is the same kabuki dance: the school invites someone whose stances are opposed to the Catholic tradition but who gives name recognition to the school; when outrage from some alums, students, and faculty occurs, the administration defends the invitation on the basis of “dialogue”; and then, after the event, the school goes back to its normal routine, and no actual dialogue (serious, sustained discussion among faculty etc) ever really happens.

[marshmallow]

In 2006, Father Jenkins defused the uproar over The Vagina Monologues with a statement on "Academic Freedom and Catholic Character," which argued that "a Catholic university is where the Church does its thinking, and that thinking, to be beneficial, must come from an intellectually rigorous engagement with the world."

An "intellectually rigorous engagement with the world" is a rather nebulous phrase which can be construed in a variety of ways and used to cover a multitude of sins. The president of ND obviously feels it includes listening politely and applauding while a purveyor of infanticide puts forward his views unchallenged. It's one thing to invite Obama to ND to debate and engage in intellectual argument. It's quite another to provide him with a forum and honor him.

If the Church believes it possesses the fullness of truth, then it can not sit back and applaud error which is what will occur if Obama speaks unchallenged. There is no justification for abortion and to listen politely without response implies that there is. It's unlikely that Obama will address the abortion issue but ND most certainly should.

Jenkins should have invited Obama to take part in a forum on life not given him a pulpit in which to speak. That is not "intellectually rigorous engagement with the world". If Obama comes to ND and the college fails to even mention abortion and life issues, then this supposedly Catholic academic institution has failed in its mission.

As usual, the local bishop is out to lunch but that's a given.

[SaintDismas]

I know that we’re suppose to pray for the souls who are on an errant path, and a conversion (to Christ, for real)of the president would indeed be a wonderful miracle. I just wonder aloud about the real motives behind this invitation from the university priest/president.

[Varda]

Fr. Jenkins would give an honor to Hitler for making the trains run on time but of course no one should associate an honor with approval of the man./s

[jennyjenny]

Dialogue? Fine, then let one of the graduates give a speech right after him to give an opposing view.

[dsc]

“The invitation of President Obama to be our Commencement speaker should in no way be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions on specific issues regarding the protection of life, such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research,” Jenkins said.

Since there’s no other way that any rational human being could take it, the only question to ask is whether Jenkins is a fool or a scoundrel.

[Ann Archy]

Fr. Jenkins is NOT the Model Catholic.

[353FMG]

“The ONLY thing he has accomplished is to be the first black president...”

It is quite an accomplishment for a possible non-US citizen to hoodwink the American people and occupy the WH.

(But then again, the American people are easily fooled)

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

What leadership?