Zee Hypocrisy She's... C'est Magnifique!!
Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing
And the arrogance is pretty unbelievable, too. Here's some of the article from the Catholic News Service; (Emphasis mine)
Despite criticism, Notre Dame firm on Obama as commencement speaker
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- University of Notre Dame officials were standing firm on their choice of President Barack Obama as commencement speaker at the institution's May 17 graduation, in spite of a large number of Catholics calling on them to rescind the invitation.
The Indiana university, run by the Congregation of Holy Cross, and the White House announced March 20 that Obama would be Notre Dame's 2009 commencement speaker and confirmed he will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the graduation.
"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," said Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame.
"Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement," he said in a March 23 statement.
The announcement on Obama was promptly followed by a flurry of criticism from Catholics, who said the president's support of legal abortion and embryonic stem-cell research makes him an inappropriate choice to be the commencement speaker at a Catholic university.
The Cardinal Newman Society -- a Manassas, Va.-based Catholic college watchdog group -- announced March 23 it had collected more than 54,000 signatures so far in an online petition that calls for Notre Dame to rescind its invitation to Obama to be this year's commencement speaker.
The petition drive initiated by the Cardinal Newman Society called it "an outrage and a scandal" for the university to honor Obama and asked Father Jenkins to "halt this travesty immediately."
"This nation has many thousands of accomplished leaders in the Catholic Church, in business, in law, in education, in politics, in medicine, in social services and in many other fields who would be far more appropriate choices to receive such an honor," the petition says.
By close to 3 p.m. EDT March 24, the Web site www.notredamescandal.com reported having received more than 73,840 signatures on the petition.
Bishop John M. D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend -- the diocese where Notre Dame is located -- issued a statement March 24 saying he will not attend the 2009 Notre Dame commencement as a silent protest of Obama's policies regarding life issues. He said it will be the first time he will be absent from the ceremony in the 25 years he has been bishop of the diocese.
"I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well," Bishop D'Arcy said. "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."
The bishop also said he was disappointed with Notre Dame's choice of Obama as its commencement speaker, a pick he called "prestige over truth," and cited a 2004 statement by the U.S. Catholic bishops: "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."
"By inviting Barack Obama as commencement speaker, Notre Dame is telling the nation that the teaching of the Catholic Church on this fundamental matter (of abortion) can be ignored," Ralph McInerny, a philosophy professor at Notre Dame, said in a March 23 column on his Web site, The Catholic Thing.
"For one whose 54-year career as a member of the Notre Dame faculty [Father Jenkins] is coming to an end this June, it is a bitter thing to reflect on the 2009 commencement speaker," he said.
Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Jesuit-run Georgetown University in Washington, said he found it curious that Notre Dame would receive so much flak about its choice of commencement speaker, given that no such outrage occurred when the archbishop of New York invited Obama to speak at the 2008 Al Smith dinner. (Hey stupid, the Al Smith Dinner is named after a Catholic. That's it.)
"This is absurd," Father Reese said in a statement. "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.
"Other pro-choice speakers at Al Smith dinners included Al Gore and Tony Blair, a Catholic," he continued. "What is OK for a cardinal archbishop is certainly OK for a university." Ahh... I get it now. Gutless is as gutless does. But thank God that there are still at least some real Catholics left on the campus of the UND.
Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing
And the arrogance is pretty unbelievable, too. Here's some of the article from the Catholic News Service; (Emphasis mine)
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- University of Notre Dame officials were standing firm on their choice of President Barack Obama as commencement speaker at the institution's May 17 graduation, in spite of a large number of Catholics calling on them to rescind the invitation.
The Indiana university, run by the Congregation of Holy Cross, and the White House announced March 20 that Obama would be Notre Dame's 2009 commencement speaker and confirmed he will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the graduation.
"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," said Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame.
"Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement," he said in a March 23 statement.
The announcement on Obama was promptly followed by a flurry of criticism from Catholics, who said the president's support of legal abortion and embryonic stem-cell research makes him an inappropriate choice to be the commencement speaker at a Catholic university.
The Cardinal Newman Society -- a Manassas, Va.-based Catholic college watchdog group -- announced March 23 it had collected more than 54,000 signatures so far in an online petition that calls for Notre Dame to rescind its invitation to Obama to be this year's commencement speaker.
The petition drive initiated by the Cardinal Newman Society called it "an outrage and a scandal" for the university to honor Obama and asked Father Jenkins to "halt this travesty immediately."
"This nation has many thousands of accomplished leaders in the Catholic Church, in business, in law, in education, in politics, in medicine, in social services and in many other fields who would be far more appropriate choices to receive such an honor," the petition says.
By close to 3 p.m. EDT March 24, the Web site www.notredamescandal.com reported having received more than 73,840 signatures on the petition.
Bishop John M. D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend -- the diocese where Notre Dame is located -- issued a statement March 24 saying he will not attend the 2009 Notre Dame commencement as a silent protest of Obama's policies regarding life issues. He said it will be the first time he will be absent from the ceremony in the 25 years he has been bishop of the diocese.
"I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well," Bishop D'Arcy said. "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."
The bishop also said he was disappointed with Notre Dame's choice of Obama as its commencement speaker, a pick he called "prestige over truth," and cited a 2004 statement by the U.S. Catholic bishops: "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."
"By inviting Barack Obama as commencement speaker, Notre Dame is telling the nation that the teaching of the Catholic Church on this fundamental matter (of abortion) can be ignored," Ralph McInerny, a philosophy professor at Notre Dame, said in a March 23 column on his Web site, The Catholic Thing.
"For one whose 54-year career as a member of the Notre Dame faculty [Father Jenkins] is coming to an end this June, it is a bitter thing to reflect on the 2009 commencement speaker," he said.
Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Jesuit-run Georgetown University in Washington, said he found it curious that Notre Dame would receive so much flak about its choice of commencement speaker, given that no such outrage occurred when the archbishop of New York invited Obama to speak at the 2008 Al Smith dinner. (Hey stupid, the Al Smith Dinner is named after a Catholic. That's it.)
"This is absurd," Father Reese said in a statement. "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.
"Other pro-choice speakers at Al Smith dinners included Al Gore and Tony Blair, a Catholic," he continued. "What is OK for a cardinal archbishop is certainly OK for a university."
posted by Kevin Whiteman at
4:59 AM
5 Comments:
Bishop John M. D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend -- the diocese where Notre Dame is located -- issued a statement March 24 saying he will not attend the 2009 Notre Dame commencement as a silent protest of Obama's policies regarding life issues.
Why not a loud protest?
"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."
OK, then how do you teach silently. And when you protest someone's actions or beliefs, you don't necessarily attack them (as a human person) personally. So start teaching!
Geez!
Gutless? I'm not sure. I sure don't have the guts to face eternity in hell with a happy face in exchange for political clout and popularity!
Bishop D'Arcy should do what the local Bishop here, [jaw clenching] M. Clark does - film himself giving a speech about why this is wrong and require that it be shown followng the homily at each Mass in the weeks prior to the graduation.
Except unlike Bp. Clark, what Bp. D'Arcy has to say would be actually be relevant and correct in its teaching message about the Faith.
The article describes the Cardinal Newman Society as a "watchdog group." I was under the impression that they are a student association.
Way to spin, eh?
ObamaCath Reese shows us what will happen after ND. Then they will say he attended the Al Smith dinner with Cardinal Egan, and was even honored by Notre Dame. That means that Catholic leadership acknowledges my care for the poor outweighs the single issue voter. See, they endorse me. They love me. I am almost Catholic...
I hope the ND students who care about life have some very nice plans if this is allowed to continue. It does appear they are starting to get organized. I sent a fairly nice check to the group today for the express purpose of any type of protest they want to do and told them to let me know if they need more.
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