Posted on 04/29/2009 8:37:53 PM PDT by topher
Wednesday April 29, 2009Archbishop Chaput Criticizes "Creative Reasoning" Behind ND Defense of Obama Invitation: 53 Opposing Bishops
By Kathleen Gilbert DENVER, Colorado, April 29, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver has weighed in on the controversy at Notre Dame, criticizing the school's defense of its decision to honor President Obama and praising former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon's refusal to accept the Laetare Medal at the same ceremony. 53 bishops and over 340,000 Catholics have protested against Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama to give the commencement address and receive an honorary law degree on May 17. In an email to LifeSiteNews.com, Archbishop Chaput confirmed that he had advised concerned Catholics to make their "disappointment known to Father Jenkins, respectfully and also firmly." "I very much admire Mary Ann Glendon's decision to decline the Laetare Medal, as well as Bishop John D'Arcy's excellent leadership in this matter," said the Archbishop. "I'm glad so many bishops have expressed their concern."
Chaput also lauded ND alumnus and Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn's recent comments criticizing the school's "route to incoherence" in a campus event sponsored by Notre Dame's Center for Ethics and Culture. (To view McGurn's speech, go to: http://ethicscenter.nd.edu/documents/NDWitnessForLife-Final.pdf) Chaput said it was "difficult to imagine any way" the Obama invitation could be justified in light of the U.S. bishops' 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life." The directive states: "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."
"Notre Dame didn't need to do this to show its openness to 'dialogue,'" Chaput continued. "And candidly, very few Notre Dame faculty members would accept from their students the kind of creative reasoning now being used to defend the invitation." Asked whether he believes that Notre Dame should disinvite President Obama, Chaput replied, "I think the leadership of Bishop D'Arcy is what counts in this matter, as well as that of Cardinal George. I'm happy to follow their counsel." The bishops who have so far expressed disapproval of Notre Dame's invitation to Obama (in alphabetical order) are: 1. Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN 3. Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin, TX 12. Bishop Paul Coakley - Salina, KS 21. Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger - Evansville, IN 30. Bishop Paul Loverde - Arlington, VA 39. Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN 48. Bishop Richard Stika - Knoxville, TN |
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Archbishop Chaput Criticizes "Creative Reasoning" Behind ND Defense of Obama Invitation: 53 Opposing Bishops
And, they have fixed the mispelling of Archbishop Hughes name as well as correcting the first name of Bishop Morlino...
Chaput also lauded ND alumnus and Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn's recent comments criticizing the school's "route to incoherence" in a campus event sponsored by Notre Dame's Center for Ethics and Culture. (To view McGurn's speech, go to: http://ethicscenter.nd.edu/documents/NDWitnessForLife-Final.pdf)
The speech is posted under an article on FreeRepublic.com:
A Notre Dame Witness for Life (Talk at Notre Dame U - April 23, 2009)
Finally!
Contact him!
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