Notre Dame sticking with Obama for commencement

Chicago Tribune ^ | AP

[Hawk720]

The University of Notre Dame is sticking with its invitation to President Obama to speak at its May 17 commencement despite criticism from some Roman Catholics that his views on abortion and stem cell research run counter to Catholic teachings.

"I don't foresee a circumstance in which we would rescind the invitation," Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown told The Associated Press in an e-mail message Monday.

The Cardinal Newman Society, an advocacy group for greater orthodoxy on Catholic college and university campuses, has set up a protest Web page, notredamescandal.com, that includes the phone number, e-mail and mailing addresses of Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins.

The group calls Obama's upcoming commencement appearance "an outrage and a scandal."

Jenkins issued a statement Monday saying that the invitation did not mean that Notre Dame supported all of Obama's positions.

"The invitation to President Obama to be our Commencement speaker should not be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions on specific issues regarding the protection of human life, including abortion and embryonic stem cell research," Jenkins said. ... But the Rev. Thomas Reese, a Washington-based Jesuit, said Monday that the "controversy over commencement speakers at Catholic universities pops up every spring along with the tulips."

He called the uproar over the president's visit "absurd."

"If Cardinal Edward Egan of New York can invite Obama to speak at the Al Smith dinner in October of 2008 when he was only a presidential candidate, then there is certainly nothing wrong with Notre Dame having the President speak at a commencement," said Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

[Ann Archy]

Reese is the Washington based JESUIT....Catholic Lite.

[ErnBatavia]

And we are “sticking” to our refusal to send any more donations to ND.

Best to support Pete Carrol and the archenemy anyhow...

Stick with a winner.....

[areukiddingme1]

“I hope Notre Dame never wins another football game.”

I’m actually glad my Conservativegrandma is no longer with us — if the cancer hadn’t taken her life, this certainly would have and she loved the boys of the golden dome, but this would have broken her heart.

[areukiddingme1]

Hhhhhhuuuummmmm, cocaine, pot, rape, steroids, gun convictions, ties to compton, former gang members, low academic standards, high after college arrest rate or “zero,” gosh, USC isn’t looking so bad after all.

[kellynla]

no thank you

[Diago]

Contact Fr. Jenkins: Call him at 574.631.5000, fax him at 574.631.2770, write a personal email president@nd.edu, or mail your letter to 317 Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

It sounds like you loved your grandmother very much.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well, boys, looks like meat is back on the menu
and massive civil disobedience
IS
on the calendar
for May 17, 2009
at the University of Notre Dame.

For more info on this:

http://www.stopobamanotredame.com/

---

...and in related news...

YES WE CAN ---STOP THIS! (If I've pinged you twice-- or more -- sorry. I am vibrating. With Hope and Change! Read on...)

Cardinal Newman Society has a petition re this to NDU. Sign here.
http://notredamescandal.com/SignthePetitiontoFrJenkins/tabid/454/Default.aspx

Update: Petition (above) now has 60,000 signatures and is getting new signers at a rate of over 700 a minute. People, this is phenomenal!

ND will HAVE to disinvite. All they have to say is, "We cannot provide sufficient security, and we don't want the graduation to look like an armed camp."

Or they can tell Obama, "Sorry, we just realized you have a scheduling conflict. Something real, real important having to do with the ...uh ... Presidency."

To contact Notre Dame:
Phone: (574) 631-5000
email form: http://president.nd.edu/contact-us

Notre Dame Fellows:
Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., President, U. of Portland
(503) 943-7101

Patrick F. McCartan, Senior partner, Jones Day
(216) 586-7272
Email: pmccartan@jonesday.com

William M. Goodyear, CEO, Navigant Consulting
main: (312) 583-5700

list of all Notre Dame Fellows:
http://www.nd.edu/leadership/fellows/

The USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) created the policy 5 years ago that NO Catholic organization is to offer a platform or honors to a person in fundamental violation of the basic norms of morality. Ask them if they are going to enforce this, and if not, why not:
To contact the USCCB:

Cardinal Francis George, President
Archdiocese of Chicago
phone: 312-751- 8200
email: mfox@archchicago.org

DO IT NOW, SO YOU CAN SAY YOU WERE ON THE WINNING SIDE OF THE CATHOLIC BATTLE OF THE (FOR FAR) CENTURY.

[Mrs. Don-o]

See the above.

[dforest]

I will go at this from a different angle. At this point in time, Obama isn’t looking too good as a POTUS. Obama is a kook.

There is NO sane reason to have Obama there. This will hurt ND.

[kellynla]

Thanks for posting the numbers.
I WILL be busy this pm calling ND!!!

[Mrs. Don-o]

QUICK CLICKHOT NEWS, BIG CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE COMING TO NOTRE DAME.

[SoldierDad]

Ping for later

[GatorGirl]

I’ve signed and expressed my position to all I can.

OR when they disinvite they could say, this is a Roman Catholic institution and your stance on the issue of life is repugnant to the foundation of our Faith.

[Ditto]

Wasn’t Liberation Theology created by the Jesuits?

No, I think it was created by the KGB. They just had some useful idiots among the Jesuits who preached the message.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well said, GG!

[elpadre]

“ND will HAVE to disinvite. All they have to say is, “We cannot provide sufficient security, and we don't want the graduation to look like an armed camp.”

Or they can tell Obama, “Sorry, we just realized you have a scheduling conflict. Something real, real important having to do with the ...uh ... Presidency.””

No, ND is better than that. Be honest. Just state “we made a mistake in inviting you. The Body of Christ rose us and corrected the university. Too many of your beliefs are incompatible with the Christian faith. I would like to reserve several hours of your time soon and help you see the error of your ways and beliefs, and allow you to repent and confess your wrongdoing. If you do this, then we will invite you next year. Cheers!”

[Mrs. Don-o]

You’re right, elpadre. Nil nisi veritas.

[Eva]

I should have not posed my statement as a question. Liberation theology was developed by socialist Jesuits in South America who were more interested in CHANGE than in CHRIST.

[gorilla_warrior]

The government has no business subsidizing colleges and universities. Government subsidies have resulted in complete control by marxists. Even so-called “private” colleges and universities are controlled by marxists. Alumni: boycott your alma mater until it proves that it has reformed its hiring and tenure practices to stop discriminating against non-liberals.