Posted on 03/24/2009 1:26:23 PM PDT by NYer
NOTRE DAME, Indiana, March 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The bishop of the diocese where the University of Notre Dame is located, Bishop John D'Arcy, released a statement this afternoon strongly criticizing the university's decision to invite President Obama to offer this year's commencement address and receive an honorary law degree on May 17. The bishop said that he would boycott the event.
This past Friday afternoon it was announced that President Obama had accepted the invitation put forward by the university. The announcement sparked a strong backlash from Catholics and Notre Dame alumni, who say that Obama's liberal policies on abortion and other social issues should preclude him from being honored at the prestigious Catholic university. As of Tuesday afternoon, a petition launched by the Cardinal Newman Society protesting against the president's appearance had been signed by over 75,000 people.
Bishop D'Arcy wrote that he has decided not to attend the graduation - a decision he said was "not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life."
"President Obama," said the bishop, "has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life."
"Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame," wrote the bishop. "Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth."
D'Arcy also explained that while he has "always revered the Office of the Presidency," and means no disrespect to the president, "a bishop must teach the Catholic faith 'in season and out of season,' and he teaches not only by his words — but by his actions."
Reflecting on the U.S. bishops' statement disallowing honors to pro-abortion politicians, Bishop D'Arcy wrote: "Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for."
The bishop said that he was not informed about the invitation until shortly before the White House announcement confirming Obama's acceptance Friday afternoon.
The bishop ended by invoking "Our Lady to intercede for the university named in her honor, that it may recommit itself to the primacy of truth over prestige."
Following a deluge of outrage from tens of thousands of concerned Catholics following the announcement that Obama had accepted the invitation to speak, University president Fr. John Jenkins stated over the weekend that he would not reconsider the invitation.
To view the bishop's full statement, go to: http://www.diocesefwsb.org/COMMUNICATIONS/statements.htm
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/
To contact the USCCB:
Cardinal Francis George, President
Archdiocese of Chicago
phone: 312-751- 8200
email: mfox@archchicago.org
Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, Chairman, Committee on Education
Diocese of Worcester
phone: 508-791-7171
committee email: catholiceducation@usccb.org
To contact Notre Dame's bishop:
Bishop John D'Arcy, Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese
Fort Wayne Chancery
phone: (260) 422-4611
We go as far as the charter allows and not farther. If ND wishes to dispose of its Catholic charter, then can invite whoever is not in violation of the charter they subsequently choose. The present charter is to maintain the Cathoic character of the university. It is compatible with having speakers who are not Catholic, it is not compatible with having speakers fundamentally opposed to Catholic values.
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, commented, “Although widespread public anger has rightfully focused on bonuses AIG paid to top executives using taxpayers’ money, that anger would be at an even higher pitch if the public knew that our tax dollars were being used by AIG to promote Islam and Shariah law, which provides support for terrorist activities aimed at killing Americans and destroying America.” The basis of the lawsuit is that AIG intentionally promotes Shariah-compliant businesses and insurance products, which by necessity must comply with the 1200 year old body of Islamic canon law based on the Quran, which demands the conversion, subjugation, or destruction of the infidel West, including the United States. Dick Thomson is here to explain.
http://avemariaradio.net/showArchive.php?id=kpm
“Although widespread public anger has rightfully focused on bonuses AIG paid to top executives using taxpayers’ money, that anger would be at an even higher pitch if the public knew that our tax dollars were being used by AIG to promote Islam and Shariah law, which provides support for terrorist activities aimed at killing Americans and destroying America.”
Sorry to interrupt the thread but does anyone know about this...one can listen to it at the above link.
PS: I’ve signed the petition, sent emails and will also write letters re-ND.
So, to make it plain and simple, Obama is not eligible to speak on Notre Dame's platform or be bestowed with Notre Dame's honors.
True, the "no platform, no honors" ruling has been manfully enforced by some bishops, only intermittently by others.
This event is galvanizing people in a way I cannot remember seeing in the past 20 years, because
That's why the brouhaha. Here. Now.
True, but again, the media was hyping up the chance for people to be part of ‘history.’
Just calling themselves “Catholics” is all that matters to them, I think. I don’t like it, but it’s no different from, for example, the non-observant Jew who somehow identifies as a Jew for ethnic purposes.
Glad to see SOMETHING but in my humble opinion he pretty much scored a field goal when we NEEDED a touchdown.
Let’s make some noise — this is an outrage:
Also, Father Jenkins can be reached at 574.631.3903.
Something like 54% of weekly-maass attending Catholics voted for Bambi, but most of them were Hispanic Catholics who are very left-wing because they are under the control of mostly Anglo clergy who are very, very left-wing.
I believe the non-Hispanic (and non-university, since the university is a big leftie hang-out) Catholic vote was considerably lower.
On the other hand, 78% of Jews voted for Bambi. Why? Neither one of these groups, Catholic or Jewish, had any excuse for voting for Bambi.
We have a lot of people who are Catholic dur to their birth and upbringing, but they long ago left the teachings of the Church. Phil Donahue, who went to Notre Dame, was on Fox today saying that the Church needs to enter the 21st Century and allow birth control, divorce, abortion, gay marriage, etc.
Of course Donahue is divorced, pushes for all of these liberal issues, and generally has left the Church except for claiming Catholicism when it suits him.
These may be all posted, but continue to send messages!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2210995/posts?page=28#28
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2210995/posts?page=87#87
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2210995/posts?page=101#101
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2210995/posts?page=102#102
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2212664/posts?page=29#29
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2212664/posts?page=37#37
Good list of contacts! Thanks!
Then the Church’s position on voting for pro-abortion candidates should have been screamed from every pulpit and ambo, but it wasn’t. And do you know I think? I think that, if Obama had been white, this would have happened.
Well, at least this one bishop is. As for the rest of the RC Church, we shall see...
Go back to sleep, Chief, this obviously doesn't concern you.
Good news! Thanks.
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