Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Notre Dame Becomes a Symbol of Catholic Dissent
Inside Catholic ^ | May 18, 2009 | Deal Hudson

Posted on 05/18/2009 8:50:45 AM PDT by NYer

The "party's over" at Notre Dame, as the old Comden and Green song says:

The party's over
It's time to call it a day
They've burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
It's time to wind up the masquerade
Just make your mind up the piper must be paid

Notre Dame chose to honor President Obama. Fr. Jenkins defended the choice with arguments that should make a freshman blush.  The mainstream media glossed over the widespread criticism, the withdrawal of Amb. Mary Ann Glendon, and ridiculed demonstrators, like Fr. Frank Pavone, praying at the university's gate. 

But at the end the day, the party's over and Notre Dame will will pay for the piper for many years to come. 

What is the price?

 ND has become the symbol of dissent in the Catholic Church (a designation actually deserved by Boston College). 

Many bishops will no longer support the institution and many prospective students and their parents will look elsewhere.  Without those students, and the goodwill of the bishops, ND will become even more secular than it already is.

Until Fr. Jenkins leaves, and the board membership is overhauled, ND has destroyed its relationship with thousands of alums and hundreds of significant donors.  Millions will be lost by the university over the next decade.

The saddest thing of all, and the most tragic, Notre Dame has committed a scandal that, for the time being, has seriously divided and weakened the evangel of the Catholic Church.

The commencement itself, if you watched it, was a spectacle of non-stop self-congratulation, supercilious flattery, and scripted self-justification.  Eloquence was not to be found, though every inane claim to the moral highground received thunderous applause, until even the robed dignitaries placed carefully behind Obama began to look bewildered. Except for Fr. Jenkins, of course, whose face beamed with the delight of a boy who had avoided punishment for coming home with a failing report card. 

I recommend everyone put this behind them and pay attention to the meeting today between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. The president is far better on the issue of Israel and Palestine than he is on the Catholic Church and its teaching on life issues.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Philosophy; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: abortion; catholic; ndu; obama
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061 next last
To: Aria

Worst yet, is how easy it will be for the Antichrist.


41 posted on 05/18/2009 9:55:49 AM PDT by usslsm51
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Great essay until you get to the last sentence. The author completely loses it there.


42 posted on 05/18/2009 9:56:55 AM PDT by Faith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: usslsm51
Worst yet, is how easy it will be for the Antichrist.

Yes. This is a trial run.

Wake up, America! Eternity is a very long time.

43 posted on 05/18/2009 9:59:28 AM PDT by Faith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Aria
Obama was like Jello, before the last election.

We could not pin him down, on ANYTHING!

That will not be the case in 2 years or in 4 years.

Yes, much damage will be done between now and then, but like Carter giving us Reagan, like Clinton giving us Republican control of Congress -—

Obama WILL see a backlash. People who wanted “change” and thought conservatives were nuts, in our characterizations of Obama, will now see the truth.

The public must be TAUGHT by example. Obama had no record to attack. Well, he did, but his record was so slim that it was difficult for us to prove our points. He often lied about his record, as he STILL does.

Swing voters were mad at Bush.

Now, swing voters will be mad at Pelosi and Reid and Obama.

The winds are shifting.

44 posted on 05/18/2009 10:00:02 AM PDT by Kansas58
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: the invisib1e hand

I think I should have said, “heresy.”


45 posted on 05/18/2009 10:01:04 AM PDT by the invisib1e hand (the machines will break.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: ducdriver

Actions speak louder than words. ND should be sued into removing any mention or reference to the Catholic Church, since they obviously don’t hold true to the beliefs of that religious body! Jenkins should be excommunicated as well—but he probably won’t be because it isn’t politically correct or something in the Church, sadly. :*( And those students who have been corrupted by ND’s false teachings, and now HolyO’s endorsement, will go out into the world and spread those horrific lies, that abortion is OKAY as long as we all decide to agree to disagree.

This is crazy!! :*(


46 posted on 05/18/2009 10:04:26 AM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --"God help us all, and God help America!!" --my new mantra for the next 4 years)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: NYer

“Catholic Dissent” = Protestantism

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Just don’t honor evil people who advocate pre and post-delivery baby murder (Obama) and call it Catholic.


47 posted on 05/18/2009 10:05:02 AM PDT by FormerACLUmember (Chains you can believe in.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer

I find it depressing to no end how many “Catholics” don’t care a whit about what the Catholic Church teaches. We are paying the price for decades of poor catechesis and the impunity with which Catholic politicians, like Rev. Drinan, Cuomo, the Kennedies, Ferraro, Kerry, Pelosi, Biden, etc. have been able to thumb their noses at Catholic Church while still claiming to be “good Catholics” for purposes of getting the votes of little old Irish and Italian churchgoing ladies.


48 posted on 05/18/2009 10:11:58 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kansas58

I too hope they shift.

The thing about abortion is...we had Republicans in the WH and Congress and what was done? You’d think at least partial birth abortion would have been outlawed.

I just read this a.m. that Michelle Obama considers PBA a “letitimate medical procedure”. And she is supposed to be smart? She’s either stupid or evil.


49 posted on 05/18/2009 10:22:17 AM PDT by Aria ( "The US republic will endure until Congress discovers it can bribe the public with the people's $.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

I watched this scandal yesterday. It was sickening.


50 posted on 05/18/2009 10:23:06 AM PDT by ishabibble (ALL-AMERICAN INFIDEL)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Aria
MO is BOTH stupid and evil.

As for the “what have the Republicans done”? question:

We have our hands tied, since much of what we try to do is thrown out by the courts.

I am hopeful that the radicalism of Obama will convince the next Pro Life Congress to restrict the jurisdiction of the courts, on the abortion issue.

Read the Constitution, Congress definitely has the power to tell the Courts to back off on the matter. However, such an act would be painted, by the MSM as “radical” -— and unfortunately, we have some prolife leaders who do not see the value of making abortion a “States Rights” issue. (As it was before Roe). I would go a bit further, however, in defense of Republicans: Look at what did NOT happen, due to Republicans being in power! The stuff that Obama is trying to do now, or HAS DONE, like funding abortions in foreign countries, was not possible with Republican control of Congress.

51 posted on 05/18/2009 10:37:42 AM PDT by Kansas58
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Unam Sanctam
We are paying the price for decades of poor catechesis and the impunity with which Catholic politicians, like Rev. Drinan, Cuomo, the Kennedies, Ferraro, Kerry, Pelosi, Biden, etc. have been able to thumb their noses at Catholic Church while still claiming to be “good Catholics” for purposes of getting the votes of little old Irish and Italian churchgoing ladies.

This goes beyond poor catechesis. You are absolutely right about the politicians. It all began with Cuomo stating that he personally agreed with the Church's position on abortion but did not feel it was right to impose his beliefs on others. Father Benedict Groeschel tackled this question last night, when a young college student posed a similar question. He explained that such a response is relativism (as we witnessed yesterday at NDU), and the proper response to this is to point to natural law against which no one can argue.

52 posted on 05/18/2009 10:48:50 AM PDT by NYer ("Run from places of sin as from a plague." - St. John Climacus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Zionist Conspirator
They fit into that species known as liberals. The shame of it is many, many jews in this country do to.

Israel better know who their friends are or they will find themselves with daggers in their back.

53 posted on 05/18/2009 11:43:38 AM PDT by Recon Dad (Marsoc Dad)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Recon Dad
They fit into that species known as liberals. The shame of it is many, many jews in this country do to.

Unfortunately, you miss my point. I was referring to the conservative author of the critique of Notre Dame at the head of this thread. This conservative Catholic excoriated Notre Dame (rightly) for honoring Obama but then turned around and said Obama's position on Israel is better.

Traditional Catholic theology is NOT friendly to Zionism. Many right wing Catholics are in fact quite hostile to Israel (though certainly Israel also has many conservative Catholic friends as well). Unfortunately, the article's author seems to be among Israel's critics.

54 posted on 05/18/2009 1:57:27 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Haqrev 'et-matteh Levi veha`amadta 'oto lifney 'Aharon HaKohen; vesheretu 'oto.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Nothing to dissent about by REAL Catholics!

Only the Catholics in Name Only (CINOs) are dissenting from their Catholic views.

BTW, I always thought it was disobedience against God and the Church? Hmmmm.

Oh, it’s called spin...............


55 posted on 05/18/2009 3:29:35 PM PDT by Salvation ( †With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HamiltonJay

to your #12

EXACTLY


56 posted on 05/18/2009 6:10:06 PM PDT by victim soul
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: NYer
every inane claim to the moral highground received thunderous applause, until even the robed dignitaries placed carefully behind Obama began to look bewildered.

What is so bewildering about an e-mail inspired and planned performance by the Obama-Jugend?

57 posted on 05/18/2009 6:15:37 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HamiltonJay

Exactly. When will there be some defrocking and excommunications of the swarms of satan’s termites within the Church? WHEN? Can we get a little help here? Holy Father. Bueller? ANYONE?

(crickets chirping)

[Perhaps the crickets will provide some leadership.]


58 posted on 05/18/2009 6:16:00 PM PDT by Enoughofthissocialism
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Salvation

Heaven gives Notre Dame priest thunderous standing ovation

http://www.aipnews.com/talk/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4691&posts=1


59 posted on 05/18/2009 6:16:58 PM PDT by victim soul
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Enoughofthissocialism

The American Catholic Church harmed itself beyond measure when it began letting admitted homosexuals into the priesthood.... This decision has lead to the nonsensical crap being spewed by some in the cloth.

The Teleprompter Turd if more than welcome to believe that abortion is simply an option... to any Catholic that believes in the faith, its murder, pure and simple. There is no difference between a politician who advocates abortion and a member of any of countless governments that has killed innocence for its own designs. The Nazi’s the Khmer Rouge, Stalin, etc etc etc.

There is no middle ground on this issue, if you are Catholic, abortion is MURDER, its not a gray area, its not up for debate. Others who are not catholic may believe otherwise, as is their right, but any Catholic who believes we should honor any man who is and advocate for infanticide is clearly ill informed in their faith.

The unitarians may have shades of grey on what they believe, but Catholicism is very very clear about itself.


60 posted on 05/18/2009 9:52:04 PM PDT by HamiltonJay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson