ND Prez Jenkins Has "No Interest" in Asking for Leniency for ND Protesters

LifeSiteNews.com -- Your Life, Family and Culture Outpost ^ | Wednesday June 10, 2009 | By Kathleen Gilbert

[topher]

Wednesday June 10, 2009

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ND Prez Jenkins Has "No Interest" in Asking for Leniency for ND Protesters Despite Calls for “Dialogue”

By Kathleen Gilbert

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, June 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The president of the University of Notre Dame has "no interest" in interfering with the fates of over 80 peaceful pro-life protesters arrested on campus while protesting President Obama's May 17 commencement speech, says the pro-lifers' attorney. One of the arrestees, Lambs of Christ founder Fr. Norman Weslin, issued a statement Monday calling on University president Fr. John Jenkins to heed the arrested group's requests to meet, which Weslin says Fr. Jenkins has ignored.

Pro-lifers from across the nation, including states as far away as New Mexico, Colorado, New Jersey, Florida, and Texas, have been travelling back to South Bend in recent weeks to face arraignment, and will return again to face individual trials later this year. 

Attorney Tom Dixon told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) Tuesday that none of the charges have been dropped, and only two individuals accepted an offer to plead guilty in return for a sentence of time served and a fine. The rest face a maximum sentence of a year and prison and a $5,000 fine. 

Asked about Notre Dame's involvement in the case, Dixon said he has "not heard anything" from the school, "except that they don't have any interest in exploring ways to resolve these matters."

Dixon explained that, due to ethical obligations, he was unable to contact University President Fr. John Jenkins directly, but instead spoke to the office of Notre Dame's general council. Fr. Jenkins became a central figure in the Notre Dame scandal as he forcefully rebuffed the criticisms of over 80 U.S. bishops and 360,000 petitioners concerning the Obama invitation, insisting that Notre Dame was "tremendously proud" to honor the deeply pro-abortion President.

"The general council's office of Notre Dame has responded to me by saying that Fr. Jenkins has no interest in discussing these matters any further," Dixon told LSN. The attorney said he sought help from Notre Dame's Bishop John D'Arcy to intercede with Fr. Jenkins, but has gotten no reply from the bishop's office. 

Dixon said he does not think Jenkins "has any idea just how oppressive are these cases to these people."

"I just have to think that if he did have any idea, he would make some statement about how he doesn't desire to see them prosecuted," he added. 

Dixon says that he will attempt to have the cases dismissed based on his belief that "the law does not allow the University of Notre Dame to have these people arrested for trespass." Dixon cited an example of unfair treatment in the arrest process described by pro-lifers at Notre Dame: while some people refused to leave campus after being warned by Notre Dame police, he said, "There are others who will say that conversation never happened: 'I just walked onto campus and they arrested me.'" 

Pro-life activist and Lambs of Christ founder Fr. Norman Weslin, who was arrested twice at Notre Dame during commencement week, is also calling on Fr. Jenkins to stop turning a deaf ear to requests from the arrested pro-lifers to open dialogue. Weslin was in St. Joseph Superior Court Monday to be arraigned on two charges of criminal trespass. 

Police first arrested Weslin as he carried a cross and prayed aloud while entering campus, and again as he prayed the rosary and carried a banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe onto campus two days later. 

The arrests, captured on video, have been viewed on YouTube over 200,000 times and have become symbolic of Notre Dame's ironic treatment of pro-lifers while the school honored President Obama. 

"A person who comes to Notre Dame to pray for the right to life cannot be a trespasser," said Fr. Weslin in a statement. "We are not protesters, we are lay and religious Christians bearing witness to the truth of life."

"Cardinal George is right. Notre Dame has lost its understanding of what it means to be Catholic," he continued. "We, as the Church’s faithful servants, are trying to restore that understanding to Notre Dame, so it will again possess the grace to be a great Catholic Christian Institution."

Noting Fr. Jenkins' professed belief in the importance of "dialogue," Fr. Weslin said: "We have sought dialogue with Father Jenkins on these issues that are core to our shared faith. ... To date, Father Jenkins has refused our request to meet, opting instead to let the legal system insulate him from dialogue with his brother and sister members of the mystical body of Christ.

"We again call on Father Jenkins to meet with us to try to heal these wounds and to explore ways to prayerfully move forward in reclaiming Notre Dame’s Catholic identity," said Fr. Weslin.

To contact University of Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins:

Office of the President

400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Phone: 574.631.3903
Email:

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See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Notre Dame Not Seeking Leniency for Arrested Pro-Life Protesters: Thomas More Lawyers Now on the Case http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09060406.html

Pro-Life Protesters Arrested on ND Campus to Return to South Bend to Face Charges
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09052902.htm

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09061007.html

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[NTHockey]

If I remember my Catechism correctly - and it’s been a long time - unless the murdered children were baptized, they will go to Limbo. There is neither pain nor hope to see Paradise there.

What did they do to deserve such a fate? Jenkins will have much to answer for. I’m no saint, but I would not want to be in his shoes.

dico ut telum! dico ut telum!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

There must have been some reason Notre Dame chose a pro-abortion president.

[353FMG]

“..infested and diseased the church (not just Catholic, Protestant, too) a long time ago.”

.
I think that the real culprit in the destruction of the Catholic Church is humanism which turned into liberalism which ended up in political correctness which resulted in 54% of the Catholic vote to go to someone who will try to destroy the very people who voted for him. Dumbass CINOs.

The Church does not seem to remember that its Founder was perhaps the least politically correct Person ever — His political incorrectness caused Him to be condemned to a horrible death. As the Church daily intones: “A death He freely accepted”.

[LibLieSlayer]

When he faces his final judgment he will be told, “You once had the chance to make things right”... IMHO only.

LLS

[katiekins1]

ONE more letter. ONE more phone call. Please support these peaceful, prayerful. nonviolent prolifers. And remind Fr. John Jenkins of his oft-repeated-? now ?inoperative?? -? commitment to ?dialogue

Will do so with pleasure.
Also I will contact our
Notre Dame Parish Priest with this request in hand along with all the unacceptable antics of
Fr. Jenkins. It pains me to type (Fr Jenkins) He is not worthy of the title..

Thanks for the ping.

[LibLieSlayer]

When he faces his final judgment he will be told, “You once had the chance to make things right”... IMHO only.

LLS

[dblshot]

Seems ironic given the cry of Santuary! Sanctuary! in Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame.

[presently no screen name]

Can't help but think of Judas when reading about Fr. Jenkins. He sold out Jesus. Jenkins has sold out the innocent babies along w/those who are representing Christ on this earth. We are in this world but not of this world. He's denying God's children dialogue and sold them to the world system. "You deny ME and I'll deny you to The Father". Jenkins does not take God's Word as truth - and "HE'S a Man that cannot lie". There is no peace without Christ.

"You will suffer for My Name's sake" - and that's where our dear brothers and sister are at now but God will never leave them nor foresake them. What satan meant for bad, God will turn for good.

Now I'm make my calls. Thanks for the update.

[Unam Sanctam]

What an arrogant jerk.

[presently no screen name]

Actually, his name is John Iscariot Jenkins.

I didn't know that but how befitting he has the name Iscariot just like the betrayer - Judas Iscariot.

[utahagen]

Jenkins is Judas, not Pilate. Jenkins knew damn well his actions would send a message of support to the pro-choice side. Jenkins sold out the truth was thirty pieces of silver (in the form of attention and prestige).

[TWfromTEXAS]

Oh I'm not a whiner, sometimes however things are just not worth the effort needed to argue with people.

[SuziQ]

Not surprising. It will be supreme justice if a whole bunch of talented students who had received acceptance at ND now REFUSE to attend, and choose a more Catholic college, and write Fr. Jenkins personally to inform him of that decision.

I'm sure Ave Maria University in FL would love to have them. They've just built a large new dorm to accommodate the largest class of incoming students in the school's short history.

[SuziQ]

I didn’t mean to incriminate all religious leaders but many theological seminaries that have been infested with those who are leftists first and who have opted to use the church as their vehicle of “change.”

I knew exactly what you meant, and you're exactly right!

[presently no screen name]

Maybe some school alumns will start a helping-hand fund for them

Excellent idea! And a note to ND telling them they choose to support, encourage individuals who despise evil and thus take a stand for Christ against it. And that they are sure Fr. Jenkins would agree that taking a stand against evil and FOR Christ is always the better way to go. However, if he disagrees, they would like to hear from him; otherwise they will take a no response as ND and unsigned are in agreement.

[DarthVader]

Fr. Jenkins = False Prophet = Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

He should read 2 Peter 2 to see what their fate is.

[Mr. Lucky]

He’s pulling your leg.

[presently no screen name]

Satan’s job is to tear down anything good so where does he accomplish that - where goodness is. Where the Word is spoken and taught. It’s all about Good vs. evil - so that’s why you will see satan’s pawn in seminaries, churches, boy scouts. our country/gov’t - in God we Trust - one rotten apple spoils the group.

“The thief (satan) came to kill, rob and destroy”. “I came to give you life”. Any wonder why satan uses his minions to kill babies - because it’s against God. Anything against God comes from evil. You are exactly right in your humble opinon - they do USE the church for their own agenda.

[presently no screen name]

His name being - John I. Jenkins - thought poster knew what the “I” stood for.

[Fu-fu2]

“There must have been some reason Notre Dame chose a pro-abortion president”

Notre Dame admin has strong ties to Chicago Dems. They would not “cross” Obama. My experience in general has been that the Chicago Catholic diocese is tied in with the Dem Party. Some do it out of a belief in “social justice.” Some for political reasons....