Concerning President Barack Obama speaking at Notre Dame
graduation, receiving honorary law degree
March 24, 2009
On Friday, March 21, Father John Jenkins, CSC, phoned to inform me that President Obama had accepted his invitation to speak to the graduating class at Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree. We spoke shortly before the announcement was made public at the White House press briefing. It was the first time that I had been informed that Notre Dame had issued this invitation.
President Obama 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.
This will be the 25th Notre Dame graduation during my time as bishop. After much prayer, I have decided not to attend the graduation. I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well. I have always revered the Office of the Presidency. But 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.
My decision is not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life.
I have in mind also the statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 2004. “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.” Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for.
I have spoken with Professor Mary Ann Glendon, who is to receive the Laetare Medal. I have known her for many years and hold her in high esteem. We are both teachers, but in different ways. I have encouraged her to accept this award and take the opportunity such an award gives her to teach.
Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame. Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth.
Tomorrow, we celebrate as Catholics the moment when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, became a child in the womb of his most holy mother. Let us ask Our Lady to intercede for the university named in her honor, that it may recommit itself to the primacy of truth over prestige.
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1 comment:
Bishop John D'Arcy;
Greetings
Lord watch over you and I while we are apart one from another.Always in these times of trouble.
This stand of your's is of a noble cause, faith driven
History has shown how we are to teach other worlds country's of this one and only faith, MINE
The Lord would become shun by our actions. Greed, Adultery, petifile,murder, and military invassion in Our Lord's name with Mother's Blessing, and YES God Bless ONLY America, what about the rest of his world? You married the church as his bride...
sounds confussing? Baptised
in his spirit of faith, sprinkled with infant blessing to watch over and guide as a parent.
Still the placenta has more life in science than any cell/seed, do we save this? NO we cut the male to show seperation from our neighbor. Not to mention the trama by the infant. Christ child seeded this week by his messenger? why not in 7 days? or even same day as her cousin with John the Baptizer outside the holy city of Israel.
Pray for the President as the leader of your land, and Pray for guidance of our souls-hearts as to the use of our bodies. either to be blessed with new
children that we send off to WAR that we say God is on Our side. Shame. concerned outside a doctor's office walking with signs shaming others instead of showing our youth the value of our bodies, and what we do as an example to others here and around the world.
No we are too worried about the greed of how broke the church is pointing fingers at someone different.
Keep the Faith Father.
WPE,usmc,christian
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