Obama Protest: Bishop Boycotting Notre Dame Graduation Over President's Stem Cell, Abortion Views

INDIANAPOLIS — The Roman Catholic bishop whose diocese includes the University of Notre Dame says he will boycott President Barack Obama's commencement speech at the Catholic school because Obama's policies on stem cell research and abortion run counter to church teaching.

Bishop John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend said in a statement Tuesday that Obama's recent decision to federally fund embryonic stem cell research "has now placed in public policy ... his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life 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," D'Arcy said.

Obama has said the decision was aimed at easing human suffering.

The Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, said Monday that the invitation for the May 17 event did not mean the university supports all of Obama's positions. A school spokesman, Dennis Brown, said he saw no circumstances under which it would rescind the invitation.

The White House issued a statement Tuesday saying Obama welcomes the "spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on important issues."

"While he is honored to have the support of millions of people of all faiths, including Catholics with their rich tradition of recognizing the dignity of people, he does not govern with the expectation that everyone sees eye to eye with him on every position," the statement said.

D'Arcy's boycott comes 25 years after former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo gave a speech at Notre Dame in which he argued that Catholic politicians like himself could oppose abortion without trying to outlaw it. Cuomo said bishops shouldn't try to make their anti-abortion sentiments the law of the land until they had convinced their own flocks to stop having abortions.

Besides the embryonic stem cell research funding policy, Obama has lifted restrictions on federal funding of international family planning groups that perform abortions or provide information about them. However, he has said his Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships would make it a priority to help reduce the abortion rate.

"As a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth," D'Arcy said.

Obama will be the ninth U.S. president to receive an honorary degree from Notre Dame and the sixth sitting president to address graduates. Other commencement speakers have included Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

D'Arcy announced his boycott on the same day that a spokesman said Evansville Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger would boycott Vanderburgh County Right to Life's annual dinner because keynote speaker and Republican National Chairman Michael Steele said in a recent magazine interview that abortion was "an individual choice." He later clarified that he opposes abortion and believes the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion should be overturned.

Gettelfinger said abortion opponents should remain unequivocal in stating those beliefs.

Diocese spokesman Paul Leingang said the bishop would break with recent practice and stay away from the April 16 banquet.

A message left by The Associated Press with a Republican National Committee spokesman seeking comment from Steele was not immediately returned.

Comments

[njtrublu]

01:03 AM on 04/05/2009

What is "the church"? Is it "the church" down the road from my house, "the church" about 2 miles from my house? Please refer to the Roman Catholic church as the Roman Catholic church. Catholic means universal so when you state "catholic" I guess you mean all Christians, not just your particular brand of Christianity.

And............I am tired of old, white Roman Catholic priests telling everyone what to do and how to think.

I also asked in a previous post how many students at Notre Dame are Roman Catholic. Does anyone know? Is it a requirement to be Roman Catholic in order to enroll at a Roman Catholic college/university of higher learning? Just curious.

[Cat401]

06:40 PM on 04/02/2009

This is one of the reason I'm NOT Catholic and NEVER want to be. These Priest are so ready to judge some one but they have Priest in their church raping boys. What a shame. How can your judge any one???? Your are suppose to show love no matter what and not judge. If I as Obama won't go and keep his own faith because these SO CALL Catholics or FAKE.

[counterpart76]

03:00 PM on 04/02/2009

OK, All you right wingers defending this can't tell me why this Bishop didn't boycott GWB when he spoke, because he is Pro Death Penalty which the Catholic Church does NOT believe in. No righty can tell me. You are so self righteous until facts fly in the face of your argument. I don't have a problem if the Bishop or other Catholics think or protest over Obama speaking there. They are right that his views fly in the face of Catholic views, but these same people seem not to have a problem with GWB and his view on the Death Penalty and the Iraq war (GWB spoke there before the war FYI). So to me, if you are protesting Obama speaking there but not GWB when he did, you are a Hypocryte!

[danxd]

04:09 PM on 03/27/2009

Dubya spoke there, didn't he. Dubya who has killed more people in Texas as Govenor. Dubya who killed thousands of innocents in Iraq. That Dubya.

Who cares. This type hypocrisy is why I am no longer a Catholic. Or religous in general.

Nevermind about starving poor people, or peace on earth. Religon must again butt into science and inhibit advances in medicine.

[jmlnh]

11:04 PM on 03/28/2009

George W Bush spoke at Notre Dame in 2001 BEFORE 9/11...well before the war. Get your facts straight.

Also, the Catholic Church cares very much about starving poor people, and peace on earth. The Catholic Church provides food, disaster relief, and education all over the world! Your assertion that the Church doesn't care about the poor or about peace is just plain wrong.

The Church isn't "butting into science," it is declaring what scientists KNOW to be true - that life begins at conception. Deliberatively destroying human life, even when trying to save another, is WRONG. The ends do not justify the means. Scientific research has PROVEN that adult stem cells can be used to save lives.

[counterpart76]

03:02 PM on 04/02/2009

Ok, but GWB was supporting the death penalty when he spoke there, please defend that, stop ignoring FACTS.

[NewYorkStateofMind]

09:42 AM on 03/27/2009

these people would feel right at home with the T-al-iba-n

it is a different side of the same coin

[jmlnh]

11:08 PM on 03/28/2009

This is a ridiculous comparison!

Notre Dame is a Catholic university. The leaders of the Catholic Church (as well as the members of the Catholic Church) have every right to criticize the decision to invite a pro-abortion politician to speak at Notre Dame's commencement.

[novowel4me]

07:16 PM on 03/26/2009

I'm assuming he's also boycotting events where pro death penalty advocates speak.

[jmdoman]

11:11 PM on 03/26/2009

You're an anti-catholic bigot.

[novowel4me]

01:16 AM on 03/27/2009

I was raised Catholic and received 12 years of Catholic education. I also am aware as I'm sure you are there are many contradictions in Catholic teaching, this being one.

[novowel4me]

01:21 AM on 03/27/2009

PS. Name calling is usually and indication a person no longer has an intellectual response to a challenge. I accept your capitulation.

[jmdoman]

11:17 PM on 03/26/2009

The death penalty is not always wrong, as a matter of Catholic doctrine. Abortion - the deliberate dimemberment of an innocent unborn child - is always wrong, according to Catholic doctrine. You may disagree with the Catholic Church, and think that the shredding of an unborn child at the whim of the mother is A-Okay. But you can't criticize the Catholic Church for simply following its own principles.

[novowel4me]

01:15 AM on 03/27/2009

Name the instances that Jesus supported.

[gatogato]

02:52 PM on 03/27/2009

Why don't they demand that invitro be stopped? Same thing.

[hortonhearsawho2]

11:33 AM on 03/26/2009

He will be attending the elementary school graduation tho....

[jmlnh]

11:09 PM on 03/28/2009

snide comments like this have nothing to do with the topic we are discussing

[concernvoter]

08:22 AM on 03/26/2009

The Bishop needs to check himself out. I bet he have been accused of messing around with young boys in the Catholic Church.

[jmdoman]

11:12 PM on 03/26/2009

Typical left-wing response. Don't deal with the issue - just smear your opponent.

[counterpart76]

12:49 PM on 03/27/2009

Right, because those on the right never do that. Have you been on GOPUSA, if you don't agree with them, they call you all sorts of names but don't make actual intellectual arguments. So please don't act like the left is the only one who smears.

[danxd]

04:11 PM on 03/27/2009

LOL

The pot calling the kettle black.

Friggin conservatives

[jmlnh]

11:17 PM on 03/28/2009

Again, making a snide comment like that is an attempt to change the subject in order to bash the Catholic Church.

No, concernvoter, this Bishop has never "messed around" with children. In fact, when he was in Boston, he wrote letters to his superiors to voice his concerns about the reassignment of priests who had molested children.

During his last 25 years as Bishop in Indiana, he has worked very hard to remove problem priests, and to screen seminarians very carefully to prevent future problems. He is to be highly commended for his efforts in this area.

[gatogato]

02:00 AM on 03/26/2009

Man Boy Love Club strikes again

[jmlnh]

11:25 PM on 03/28/2009

I am so sick of people automatically assuming that all priests are pedophiles!

The actual number of priests who have molested children is a VERY SMALL MINORITY of the total number of priests in this country. The majority of priests are wonderful, decent men who do a lot of good work in their parishes and communities. Unfortunately, all we remember are the few who have done bad things and ruined the reputation of the Catholic priest.

Pedophiles are everywhere - in every city and town, in every occupation, in every religion, and in every social class. It is not a problem exclusive to the Catholic Church. And by the way, the majority of abusive priests were not actually pedophiles, but ephebophiles (homosexuals attracted to adolescent boys). But that is a whole other discussion!

[gatogato]

12:28 AM on 03/29/2009

But it was the Catholic Hierarchy who shuffled these guys around knowingly to other parishes. And they threatened parishoners who were families of victims or victims themselves with excommunication if they went to the police or sued. So get tired all you want. I am tired of the church elders who thought they were above the law. And the crap about ephebophiles is a load of crap and another attempt to slur homosexuals. The FBI profilers do not agree with that. Pedophiles go for both sexes.
The scandal was not that the PEDOPHILES were there to begin with but the way the church hid and denied and allowed so many more to suffer.

[gatogato]

01:33 AM on 03/26/2009

Why doesn't the Catholic hierarchy stick to what is does best - moving pedophiles around in their churches and using the parishoners money to pay off the victims when they can no longer shame them into silence.
I want the Catholic Church to pay taxes. They are a political group.

[jmdoman]

11:15 PM on 03/26/2009

When the Catholic Church does wrong, it is right to criticize it. When the Catholic Church acts...welll...CATHOLIC, you smear it. So now religious people have NO right to say ANYTHING about politics?? What line of reasoning (if any) led you to this thinking?

[gatogato]

02:51 PM on 03/27/2009

The Papacy has no business trying to control our government.

[danxd]

04:13 PM on 03/27/2009

Because this is the United States of America where government and religon are seperate, BY LAW.

Because churchs are tax exempt to ensure the seperation of church and state.

So religous leaders should count their beads and stay the heck out of my life.

[miamia]

06:15 PM on 03/25/2009

How much did he protest the child-abuse and cover up by his colleagues?

[jmdoman]

11:20 PM on 03/26/2009

So, therefore, he can't say anything about any topic, ever again. Not even if a Catholic university goes against Catholic teaching. In fact, this bishop is doing his job - which is to uphold Catholic doctrine in his diocese. If he wasn't doing his job before, shame on him. But now he is. If you disagree with the Church, just say so, and why. Don't just make ad hominum attacks.

[counterpart76]

10:32 AM on 03/27/2009

So why did he attend the 2001 graduation when Bush spoke. Bush is very pro death penalty, something the Catholic church is also against. If he is going to protest someone who is Pro-Choice in their policy because it goes against Catholic Doctrine, he should apply that standard to All Presidents and All Catholic doctrine. By not doing so his decision looks partisan IMO.

[jmlnh]

11:42 PM on 03/28/2009

As a matter of fact, this Bishop DID protest the reassignment of abusive priests in Boston. Look it up.

He has also worked very hard for the past 25 years in Indiana to weed out abusive priests and screen seminarians in order to prevent this from happening again. He deserves our respect for all he has done for his diocese.

[Christian1]

05:42 PM on 03/25/2009

Where in the Bible, or anywhere else did you read that? Unless it's just an uneducated opinion, of course, then disregard the question and I won't waste anymore memory on you.

[eden4barack08]

04:16 PM on 03/25/2009

Ronald Reagan, George H Bush and GWB were pro-death penalty, with GWB being personally responsible for many of them as Gov of TX.
I didn't hear these bishops defending "life" then.

[SingingGuy]

05:30 PM on 03/25/2009

Yes, GWB not only presided over an unprecidented number of executions, but he is quoted as having been indifferent to their pleas for commutation. He ignored most and actually mocked at least one.

Then as President he brought us into the needless Iraq war where nearly 5,000 of our soldiers have died and countless Iraqis ( probably 1,000,000 or more ). And, we can't forget the torture!

Where was Bishop D'Arcy's bold stance when GWB was honored at Notre Dame? I guess that kind of carnage didn't quite rise to the indignant level.

I am a practicing Catholic who has long ago learned that my Church throughout history has often been run by men who are greatly flawed and that I need to keep focused on the fact that I am there to worship God and his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. If it were not for that, the Catholic Church would have perished long ago.

[kwun23]

06:02 PM on 03/25/2009

Singing Guy I completely agree with your last paragraph, but bottom line, are you a practicing Catholic who is pro-choice?

You simply cannot be a Christian and be pro-choice. This is a black and white issue, an abosolute truth of biblical faith.

[ciscoguy]

06:11 PM on 03/25/2009

That kind of carnage happens more often in a week in abortion clinics than in Iraq and Afghanistan combined, but I can see how trying to make that comparison would try to make you feel better about your pro-choice vote.

Being Cathoic is more than just getting baptized, going to church and receiving Christ. The right to life is the most fundamental right of humanity. For you to say it's someone else's problem, that is a dereliction of your responsibility as a Christian. You may life your life as a Christian in other ways that are more convenient to you, but why do you allow your most innocent and vulnerable neighbors get slaughtered by the millions?

[ciscoguy]

05:45 PM on 03/25/2009

You want to compare the deaths of 50 million innocents to the execution of a handful of murderers? All you have are moral equivalencies - and very poor ones at that. The left cannot debate abortion on its own terms because any rational thinker knows when human life begins.

[gatogato]

01:59 AM on 03/26/2009

Why don't you outlaw invitro fertilization? Far more embryos are lost there then in abortion.
And don't tell me the Church speaks out about it. Your moral equivalencies are no better.
And I do not care to have our government run by the Papacy, which in my opinion has been tainted from the beginning.

[eden4barack08]

09:35 AM on 03/26/2009

Ah so, you're not pro-life as much as you just wanna play God and decide whose life is worth more than the other. Somehow I doubt this is what Christ wanted out of you.

[JohnStoj]

02:42 PM on 03/25/2009

We may be late to the starting line, but there is an online petition which has been established by a Notre Dame alumnus, not some politically motivated organization, which is available:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/haveObamaatND/

Please sign up if you can. The other petition has garnered national media attention and already has over 125,000 signatures.

[jmdoman]

11:48 PM on 03/26/2009

This petition points to the sad fact that many Catholics don't give a hoot for what their professed Church teaches - and also that they prefer passing fame to standing by their principles. In my opinion, we'd all be better off if such people stopped claiming to be Catholic at all. Being Catholic, by DEFINITION, means that you believe what the Catholic Church teaches. If you don't, that's fine. Just stop claiming to be Catholic.

[24kgold]

01:03 PM on 03/25/2009

People just want to get on TV, Obama is a brand name and he's making temporary rockstars out of many. They need to stop.... That tactic backfired on Cramer.