What a courageous and classy lady. God bless you, Professor Glendon!
Posted on 04/27/2009 7:51:41 AM PDT by Mike Fieschko
April 27, 2009
The Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame
Dear Father Jenkins,
When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame’s most memorable commencement speeches. So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty.
Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President Obama, I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.
First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.
Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:
• "President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal."
• "We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about."
A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.
Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.
It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.
In order to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision, I will release this letter to the press, but I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.
Yours Very Truly,
Mary Ann Glendon
Mary Ann Glendon is Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. A member of the editorial and advisory board of First Things, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 2007 to 2009.
Take that, Fr. Jenkins.
Amazing !!
So sadly Awesome !!
May God RICHLY Bless her !!
Excellent screw you to Notre Damn.....er, I mean Dame.
What a shame, Ms. Glendon is the one who truly deserves to be honored.
GOD BLESS Mary Annn Glendon!!!!! A LAY person who is MORE Catholic that “Fr” Jenkins, and who knows RIGHT from WRONG!!! Thank you, kind lady of principle......you have Medal in Heaven waiting for you!!
True, but isn’t she proving her worth even more by doing this? it certainly is pushing ND to the wall now, with this. Good for her!
Indeed, it’s the most powerful protest of all... two sides though, no?
How wonderful! To have a monster who sees NOTHING wrong with letting newborn babies die of exposure because the “mother” doesn’t want the baby is disgusting. The guy is an egomaniacal disgusting fraud.
She is to be admired!
Now that’s how a classy and obedient Catholic responds to the insult perpetrated by Jenkins and his crew!
what do you mean two sides? i think it’s better that our side not participate in the charade at all, it pulls the rug out completely from under ND. they were using her as colorable counterpoint to him and she said, um, no thanks, won’t play that. So now they have to choose to HONOR a proabort all on his own there, as their commencement speaker. will they look for someone else to give a counterpoint? i hope no one steps up. it’s forcing their hand to not have any prolifers participate.
I am only making comment to the fact that Ms. Glendon has been and continues to be the one Catholic we should be looking up to in this matter. Fr. Jenkins and crew should be ashamed of their direction with this matter and have, by their refusal to rescind the OBAMA invite, disenfranchised true deserving, devout Catholics everywhere.
Obama disgusts me and ND’s decision to honor and laude him is revolting.
Ms. Glendon is absolutely right to decline, after it became apparent that she was just “window dressing”. Her participation would imply that she approves, which she might not do.
i appeared agitated to you? LOL
I wasn't 100% sure of what her stand would be in this matter, and i am pleasantly surprised to see her do this, it was the perfect response.
What a courageous and classy lady. God bless you, Professor Glendon!
Let's hope ND makes a decision to do what is morally right on this...
She will be.
I do hope so, but i wonder if they have hopelessly boxed themselves in here. there is a marginally better chance of them extricating themselves from this, than if it were, say, Georgetown University, who would NEVER back down.
Obama is making it necessary for Catholics to draw a line in the sand, at long last.
She keeps the Faith.
Atta girl Mary Ann.
Lord, please bless this brave woman, this Esther of our times.
She has stood for the least of us, even when it cost her something.
She gladly forsook a human honor in favor of an honor only You can bestow.
Please amplify her powerful, yet humble example.
Amen.
exit82
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