Notre Dame Refuses to Reverse Course

It looks as if President Obama will give that commencement speech at Notre Dame come hell or high water, despite the fact that over 60 bishops have issued individual protests to university officials.

Predictably various media outlets are now running "analysis" stories about how Catholics are warming up to Mr. Obama again, contending that his 100th Day speech, in which he said that passing the (craptastic) Freedom of Choice Act was not an immediate priority, was a sign that pro-life Catholics are making inroads into the presidential heart.

(Note to my Catholic viewers: Please maintain a general mistrust of the mainstream media, the lapdog of the evil Prince of the Air. They do not even recognize when their chain is being yanked.)

I've neglected to mention that Mary Ann Glendon, an American law professor, former ambassador to the Vatican from the U.S., and current president of the Pontifical Council on Social Sciences, who had been selected to receive Notre Dame's prestigious Laetare Medal on the same day, has declined to accept the award in protest of Notre Dame's conferring of a degree upon Mr. Obama. She wrote:

First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops' express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions "should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles" and that such persons "should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution's freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

She's absolutely right. But it takes a lot of humility and courage to turn down one of the most prestigious awards a Catholic layperson can receive. I salute her for that. Many would have taken the award and kept quiet about their objections. Not professor Glendon.

Another voiced raised in objection to Notre Dame's actions is that of "Jane Roe" of Roe vs. Wade fame.

The woman whose pregnancy provoked the Roe v Wade court case that legalised abortion in the United States in 1973 has condemned the decision by Notre Dame University to invite the fiercely pro-abortion Barack Obama to deliver its commencement address on May 17.

Norma McCorvey - the "Jane Roe" of Roe v Wade - is now a Catholic pro-life campaigner. And she has joined 60 Catholic bishops in condemning the university 's decision to honour the most "pro-choice" politician ever to sit in Congress.

"Obama is not the ideal person to speak to a young bunch of kids that are going out into the world for the first time," she told me.

"These people will have to remember that it was him who spoke at their graduation for the rest of ther natural lives. We have many in the pro-life movement that are better qualified to do this.

"I am really surprised more parents haven't pulled their kids out. I have heard that many of them will not show up this reason."

Norma is a brave lady: in the 1980s she revealed herself to be the "Jane Roe" of the famous case, and in the 1990s she converted to Christianity. In 1998 she became a Catholic and now campaigns for civil rights "for everybody, including the unborn". (Incidentally, she never had an abortion: the case took so long that she had the child, which was adopted.)

That's Damian Thompson, blogging at the UK Telegraph. He adds this:

As I wrote the other day, "Notre Shame" is is turning into one of the biggest PR disasters of Barack Obama's presidency, and is quickly eroding his fragile support among American Catholics.

Fr John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, is now the most unpopular priest in America. He and his liberal friends simply cannot see that a Catholic university cannot hold up a campaigner for partial-birth abortions as a moral exemplar for young people, even if he is the first African-American President of the United States.

That pretty much says it all.

Will Mr. Obama Wear the Notre Dame Robe?

Will President Obama wear the doctoral robe at Notre Dame?

This will be an interesting test of whether Mr. Obama has issues with Christian symbols. From the Christian News Service online:

Notre Dame expects President Obama to wear the school’s traditional doctoral robe--which is emblazoned with a cross and a prayer to the Virgin Mary--when the president receives an honorary law degree from the university at its May 17 commencement ceremony.

“Yes,” replied Notre Dame Spokesman Dennis Brown, when CNSNews.com asked him if Obama would wear the robe that has been worn by previous graduation speakers at Notre Dame.

Another Notre Dame official confirmed that “everybody” wears Notre Dame's traditional doctoral robe when they receive an honorary law degree from Notre Dame.

In 2001, when President Bush received an honorary law degree from Notre Dame, he wore the school’s traditional doctoral robe inscribed with the prayer to the Virgin Mary. In 2008, when actor Martin Sheen received the Laetare Award from Notre Dame at its commencement ceremony, he wore the same traditional Notre Dame robe.

The official explanation from the White House for this past week's atrocious cover-up of the name of Jesus at the president's Georgetown University speaking engagement was that they didn't want any imagery other than the American flag; no mixed messages, they said.

I don't think a lot of us buy that explanation, but if Mr. Obama wears the Notre Dame robe, I'll be willing to shut up about it. (I still think Georgetown should have refused, but that's my beef with them.)

If, on the other hand, it's a problem for him ...

Add Archbishop Beltran to Our Thank-You List

The Catholic church in Oklahoma speaks with one voice: Notre Dame, rescind Mr. Obama's invitation and honorary doctorate!

Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran of Oklahoma City has sent a letter to University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins in which he says that “Notre Dame University has certainly turned against the Catholic Church,” and that he is “appalled, disappointed, and scandalized” by the school's honoring of President Obama.

Beltran’s letter joins a chorus of people expressing their disagreement with the invitation and honoring of a president at odds with the Catholic Church's teachings.

I love how the archbishop concludes his letter:

"May Our Lord and Savior and Giver of Life bless you during this penitential season of Lent."

Subtle, yet pointed.

Thank you, Archbishop, for joining Bishop Slattery in this effort to prevent Notre Dame from committing the sin of false witness against Christian principles.

Tulsa Bishop Earns Oklahomily Thank You

My heartfelt thanks go to Bishop Edward Slattery of the Diocese of Tulsa for sending a letter to Father John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, asking him to rescind the invitation of President Barack Obama to speak at this year's commencement. Father Jenkins also plans to award Mr. Obama an honorary doctorate.

Bishop Slattery is one of thirteen (and counting) American bishops who are making this request. There is also an online petition sponsored by the Cardinal Newman Society that currently has over 225,000 names. Will these accomplish anything? Who knows? If Father Jenkins will listen to his conscience instead of his pride, perhaps so.

Here is most of what Bishop Slattery wrote:

I am writing to plead with you to cancel the invitation you gave to President Obama to speak at the University and the plans to honor him with a doctorate degree. Many, many Catholics and alumni of the University of Notre Dame are waiting for you to do so – some of them live here in Tulsa and are graduates of Notre Dame.

As you know, President Obama is aggressively promoting abortion on demand not only here in the United States but all over the world. In fact, he wants doctors to be required to perform an abortion whenever the mother asks.

Faithful Catholics and all men and women of good will are appalled by the sin of abortion. It is a cancer in our society which is eating away at all the other pro-life issues because abortion destroys human life at its very beginning and has become so common.

For President Obama to be honored by Notre Dame is more than a disappointment, it is a scandal – especially to young adults. His being honored by Notre Dame will make it easier for a woman who contemplates abortion to actually submit herself to this cruel and deadly procedure. At the same time, the University of Notre Dame will have distanced itself from the Bishops of the country who unanimously have asked that no politician promoting abortion be honored by any of our institutions.

On the other hand, your cancellation of the president’s visit will be noted and remembered as an affirmation of the intrinsic value of human life, a courageous example of prophetic witness worthy of a Catholic institution.

I promise my prayers for you, for President Obama, and for all those who lead our Church and our society.

It is not incendiary. It is thoughtful.

It is much kinder than my ongoing gut reaction, but that's why he's the bishop and I'm continually struggling to improve my conduct.

A university that uses the name of "Our Lady" should exemplify the qualities of the mother of Jesus, not the clamor for the attention and praise of the worldly. It is not just a scandal for Catholics, but for all Christians who believe that taxpayers should not be forced to participate in evil acts that destroy life.

The Cardinal Newman Society said this:

... Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality. Whatever may be President Obama’s admirable qualities, this honor comes on the heels of some of the most anti-life actions of any American president, including expanding federal funding for abortions and inviting taxpayer-funded research on stem cells from human embryos.

The honor also comes amid great concern among Catholics nationwide about President Obama’s future impact on American society, the family, and the Catholic Church on issues such as traditional marriage, conscience protections for Catholic doctors and nurses, and expansion of abortion “rights.”

Yes, it will be embarrassing for Father Jenkins to disinvite Mr. Obama and withdraw the offer of an honorary doctorate, but it's still the right thing to do. It's not merely Father Jenkins' pride on the line; it's the loss of pride of every graduate who holds dear the principles they were once taught at the university.

Each day that Father Jenkins persists in his refusal makes it that much harder for him to do the right thing. Better to do it now and get it over with. May 17 is still six weeks away.

I'm sure the president can find plenty of other places who would love to hear him speak.

And if it angers him that he's disinvited, perhaps he will think of "why" the invite was rescinded, and maybe it will trouble his conscience.

And maybe he will do a little soul searching of his own.

Stranger things have happened.