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Prestige or Principles – The Scandal of Notre Dame |
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Prayer-Soldier writes "Five previous Presidents have spoken at the graduation exercises of the University of Notre Dame. The sixth such opportunity for graduates to be addressed by their national leader, however, has sparked a major outcry from the supporters of the Catholic institution. Many would be honored to gain the attention of the highest office of the land, but the issue for many Catholics is not the office, but the works of the man. Since assuming office, President Obama has reversed executive orders prohibiting the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research and the use of taxpayer money to fund organizations that perform and promote abortion in developing nations. He is also promoting the Freedom of Choice Act, which would remove nearly all limits on abortion.
President Obama's views on abortion and embryonic cell research are in such stark opposition to the views of the Catholic Church that it has left many Catholics asking, “What were they thinking?” when it was learned that university officials had extended the invitation. It is a tradition of the University to invite new Presidents to speak to its graduating class, but to many Catholics, it wasn't the leader of their land that was being invited, but a man that is working to enact laws that are in direct opposition to their most fundamental beliefs.
In defense of the invitation, University President, Fr. Jenkins stated, “You cannot change the world if you shun the people you want to persuade....” This explanation, however, has not been accepted by many Catholics. Petition signatures grow by the hour at Notradamescandal.com, a web site established by the Cardinal Newman Society to protest the invitation to the President. The Cardinal Newman Society is a non-profit organization whose stated mission is to renew and strengthen Catholic identity at America's 224 Catholic colleges and universities.
The Petition states, “It is an outrage and a scandal that “Our Lady’s University,” one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage.” The petition cites a 2004 United States Council of Catholic Bishops which states, “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.” To date, the web site has collected over 334,000 signatures to their petition.
More than 29 Catholic Bishops have criticized the invitation and Bishop John D'Arcy, the Bishop of the Diocese in which Notre Dame resides, announced that he will not attend the event. Despite the growing opposition it is extremely unlikely that President Obama will be uninvited or that he will cancel his engagement. The stage is set, then, for the graduation to become politically charged by those on either side of life issues. Whatever comes of the day, hopefully, those who chose to protest will do so with responsibility.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3: 15-17"
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Posted on Friday, April 24 @ 22:52:48 MDT by drbonebrake
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Re: Prestige or Principles ?The Scandal of Notre Dame" (Score: 1)
by highlygraced1 on Saturday, May 16 @ 08:44:07 MDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | The invite came from Notra Dame. The signatures and petitions should deal with the invite and all the processes that were involved with that invite. This speaks to me of an in house Notra Dame rebellion with President Obama being used as the scapegoat and with the President's acceptance of the invite as being opportunistic. I am prolife. |
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