ND President Jenkins: "We Are Tremendously Proud" to Honor Obama at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, April 21, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - University of Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins heaped fuel on the fire yesterday by gushing that President Obama's highly controversial platform at the school's commencement would be a "tremendous event" for Notre Dame.

"We are very proud and honored to welcome the first African-American President of the United States in a few weeks as our commencement speaker," said Fr. Jenkins at a town hall meeting celebrating 60 years of black student-athletes at Notre Dame, according to the South Bend Tribune. Obama will also be receiving an honorary law degree from the school during the May 17 commencement exercises.

The audience received Jenkins' remarks with cheers.

"This is a tremendous event for us. We're tremendously proud," said the Notre Dame president. "President Obama clearly could have chosen any university in the country to give a commencement address, and they would have been just delighted to have him, but he's coming to Notre Dame, and we're exceptionally proud."

So far over 325,000 petitioners and 42 U.S. bishops have publicly condemned the decision of the university to host and honor what many pro-life activists have labeled "the most pro-abortion president in history," with some strongly calling for Jenkins to disinvite the president or to step down from his position. (To sign the petition: http://www.notredamescandal.com)

Taking note of the furor from the pro-life Catholic community over the Obama honor, Jenkins said the invite has "touched a very sensitive nerve in the Catholic community, the issue of abortion and the issue of life, and that's very important to us."

"I think it's unfortunate that the great event of President Obama coming to this campus has been a little clouded by that controversy," said Jenkins, "but we believe what we believe, and we're clear on that, but at the same time, we recognize this remarkable leader and this remarkable person who has accomplished so much.

"He will speak to our graduates in such a powerful way. He's one of our great orators of our time, and we're just so proud to have him."

Jenkins continued: "To welcome the first African-American president will be ... gratifying for all of us.

"President Obama represents a real watershed in the history of our country, I believe. We will welcome him in style, and be happy to have him here."

To express your concern to Fr. Jenkins:

University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
46556, USA
phone: 574.631.5000
email form: http://president.nd.edu/contact-us

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

"Fr. Jenkins Will Probably Lose His Job": Nine More Bishops Make 42 against ND Scandal
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09042003.html

Canon Lawyer: Notre Dame Prez Reasoning "Too Bizarre for Words"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09041403.html

for how much Fr. Jenkins praised and gushed over Zero, you’d think he worked for MSNBC along with the other obama crotch sniffers...

21 posted on 04/21/2009 4:50:16 PM PDT by kerbear413 (Socialism breeds Mediocrity)

But, he has one of the great teleprompters of our time!

22 posted on 04/21/2009 4:51:42 PM PDT by Goreknowshowtocheat

2 Timothy 3:12-14

¹²In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,

23 posted on 04/21/2009 4:54:49 PM PDT by Blackhawk (God said it, I believe it, That settles it.)

Taking note of the furor from the pro-life Catholic community over the Obama honor, Jenkins said the invite has “touched a very sensitive nerve in the Catholic community, the issue of abortion and the issue of life, and that’s very important to us.”

Apparently not as important as Jenkins having the opportunity to grovel at the feet of a baby killer.

Jenkins is absolutely relishing in having the obamanation on the premises.

24 posted on 04/21/2009 4:56:20 PM PDT by KarenMarie

ND President Jenkins: “We are Tremendously Proud” to Honor Obama at Notre Dame.

Oooops: not Proud but “Stupid”. There fixed that!

26 posted on 04/21/2009 5:12:42 PM PDT by TNoldman (Conservative Values FOREVER!)

27 posted on 04/21/2009 5:14:18 PM PDT by 50mm (My respect for zero has reached zero)

Wow, this guy Jenkins is a real scumbag.

28 posted on 04/21/2009 5:14:26 PM PDT by Lancey Howard

29 posted on 04/21/2009 5:14:53 PM PDT by TAdams8591 (President Bush's recession, Obama's depression.)

Is it Deuteronomy 6?

Doesn’t God warn us not to consort with foreigners and adopt their ways?

30 posted on 04/21/2009 5:18:59 PM PDT by Finalapproach29er (A woman will be the next President; I hope it's Palin instead of HRC.)

To: Finalapproach29er

ND obviously needs a new President.

31 posted on 04/21/2009 5:22:32 PM PDT by Czar ((Still Fed Up to the Teeth with Washington))

I note that Father Jenkins appears a little condescending in his words. ‘Black Athletes, African American President’. I think that is offensive. People who think that the rest of the world doesn’t have them spotted when they play their aren’t I a great person to have an African American here to speak card, are only fooling themselves. I just revised my opinion of him. He’s not what he first appeared. And that explains a lot!

32 posted on 04/21/2009 5:27:58 PM PDT by maxwellsmart_agent

but at the same time, we recognize this remarkable leader and this remarkable person who has accomplished so much.

He has accomplished nothing. The man is a fraud, a thief, a liar, a betrayer, a marxist, and a baby killer. I left the Catholic Church because of a lot of people just like this Fr. Jenkins. In fact this fellow seems to have something for the big 0.

33 posted on 04/21/2009 5:31:50 PM PDT by Nuc1 (NUC1 Sub pusher SSN 668 (Liberals Aren't Patriots))

Apparently, the collar around this nimrod’s neck is a little too tight.

34 posted on 04/21/2009 5:34:36 PM PDT by MGMSwordsman

The man is a fraud, a thief, a liar, a betrayer, a marxist, and a baby killer.

You forgot ambergreaser.

35 posted on 04/21/2009 5:37:11 PM PDT by aruanan

So Diversity trumps Life, huh Father?

Nice to know.

36 posted on 04/21/2009 5:37:17 PM PDT by GatorGirl (Proud Citizen of the Gator Nation)

To plagiarize Ronaldus Magnus, “I didn’t leave the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church left me”.

37 posted on 04/21/2009 5:42:56 PM PDT by 230FMJ (...from my cold, dead, fingers.)

I guess Jenkins spares not a thought for all those potential future African-American presidents that BO, and himself by default, kills with impunity.

38 posted on 04/21/2009 6:09:34 PM PDT by Bookbuck

Fr. Jenkins is going to have an awful time at his particular judgment if he doesn’t wise up in time and repent of this monstrous evil.

And it really is monstrous what he’s doing here. The giving of scandal by a Catholic priest in inviting, welcoming, and praising an enthusiastic advocate of abortion, and conferring an HONORARY degree from a Catholic university on him is an enormous sin.

39 posted on 04/21/2009 6:10:44 PM PDT by Deo volente

Black Americans are currently being slaughtered at the rate of nearly 1500 PER DAY by the death industry that Zero embraces.

40 posted on 04/21/2009 6:12:07 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794