Notre Dame is Right to Welcome Obama

In the last few days a handful of "agents of intolerance" have piped up to criticize the University of Notre Dame for inviting President Obama to address commencement this Spring.

FOX contributor Newt Gingrich even twittered it writing, "It is sad to see Notre Dame invite president obama to give the commencement address Since his policies are so anti catholic values." (The typos are verbatim.)

This criticism is almost becoming an annual event that is, as one Catholic priest put it, as predictable as "tulips in Spring."

This is an effort by a small cabal of ultra-conservative partisans to separate Catholicism from its calling for social and economic justice and peace. A Republican operative who has simultaneous roles at other Right-Wing groups founded the group attacking Notre Dame.

There are similar efforts housed in Right-wing institutes and non-profits that seek to influence protestant churches and Judaism. Their goal is to undermine religious social thought that might tilt things towards progressive policies rather than the now-failed conservative policies. And this isn't about abortion. For the funders of these groups this is about the giant fights in Washington right now over the economy, health care and the future of our planet.

These Obama and Notre Dame critics are not speaking for a serious number of the tens of millions of American Catholics who voted for Barack Obama--nor even probably most of those who voted for John McCain.

As an alumnus of Notre Dame (Class of 1997 and one-time class president) who has gone on to a career in Democratic and progressive politics I am proud that my alma mater is welcoming our president.

There is no doubt that Notre Dame, as a Catholic institution, will disagree with the president on specific issues like abortion. But there is a great and large swath of Catholic teaching that addresses policies for people who are poor, sick, aged, immigrants, those with disabilities, war enemies and those in prison. These attacks on Notre Dame are an attack on Catholic social teachings.

And there are several Catholic thinkers and academics recognizing that at this moment in our history perhaps we need a renewal--or in religious terms--a revival of Catholic social thought.

Professor Douglas Kmiec of Pepperdine, a Catholic scholar, professor of law at Notre Dame for nearly 20 years, a staunch pro-life Republican and a former Reagan administration legal official made just this case in endorsing Barack Obama during last year's presidential campaign. He wrote recently in response to a reporter's query that:

Given the jolt of the present conditions, all of us will have an opportunity to re-think the extent to which we in our individual lives have become servants of money and thus allowed the agents of debt finance to wrongfully-direct our vast technology and personal talents simply toward the multiplication and satisfaction of consumerist and materialist attitudes. There is a real chance of redirecting our know-how to the preservation of the environment, a more soundly balanced work-family relationship, and energy policies that will make it unnecessary to occupy foreign nations--from which, by the way, the President is bringing our troops home--yet, another, campaign promise, if not moral achievement, to praise....

The charges by the Cardinal Newman Society and their ilk are not representative of Notre Dame students or alumni--nor the vast majority of weekly church-going Catholics like myself. They should be dismissed for what they are--a radical ultra-conservative cabal driving a political agenda through Catholicism.

Those of us who support Notre Dame need to rally behind the university at this moment. The Christian Right (made up of evangelical protestants) is now getting behind this effort with a phone calling campaign. They have a tremendous organizing capacity that is matched on the other side only by secular groups who won't instinctively weigh into a debate like this.

I urge my fellow Notre Dame alumni, family members and supporters to contact the university and show your support for Notre Dame and President Obama.

Contact:

Rev. John Jenkins,
CSC400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
[phone]
[e-mail]

Yours in Notre Dame.

Go Irish.

Comments

[JonS]

Fifty some years ago, Theodore Hesburgh set Notre Dame on a course to become a great national and international Catholic university by requiring its academic programs and its students to fully explore the secular and religious worlds without letting either one overwhelm the other. It was a sort of separation of church and university that allowed the study of both the secular and religious to flourish on their merits. Throughout his career, he set a sterling example of that vision through his work at the university and in his distinguished public service.

Apparently, a fair number of ND students have succumbed to more than a little fogginess of that vision. That indicates to me that the message itself has been lost in ND's expression of its mission in its university catalog statements, during orientation week for freshmen, and, maybe, elsewhere. Fortunately, the current president seems to be keeping things (or trying to bring things back) on track. He is to be commended and supported on his refusal to be cowed by those that would turn ND into just another institution for religious indoctrination according to the most reactionary and fundamentalist elements of that religion. It is, after all, a university and not a boot camp in some politico-religious war.

Let those who disagree start their own "university", but they should not be allowed to destroy ND and its best way for continuing to achieve excellence in education and personal development.

ND class of '65

[damorris1]

Great post!! Thanks.

[notsostimulated]

Catholics should be praying for President Obama instead of using him as example of a spiritual man.

[ArthurTwoShedsJackson]

I guess Cheney is more your idea of a "spiritual man".

[irishcatholicdem]

Great article. I sent a letter to Father Jenkins and Chuck Lennon today.

- Class of 1998

[jemma]

Please if you could:

http://www.wesupportnotredame.org/

[floridagal2]

Thank you, jemma. Your link gave me the opportunity to sign the petition. I appreciate that.

[augusteighteenth]

This is a great article and excellent convo is coming from it in comments.

[Genep34]

All of these so called Catholics would welcome Bush to Notre Dame - after all he is pro life but the fact that his policies spilled the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocents in Iraq, displaced 4-6 million more and tortured an untold number even more seem to go unnoticed.

As a catholic it nauseates me to see this immoral hypocrisy.

[Winthorpe]

I'm shocked, shocked to hear of hypocrisy in the Catholic Church.

[chrissyks]

I am a Catholic alumna of the University of Notre Dame. While some Catholics believe that abortion needs to be solely addressed through legislation, other Catholics believe that it can be significantly reduced through financial help to the poor (a position taken by our President). I think it is completely disrespectful for any United States majority-elected president to be not welcomed at any American university (regardless of religious affiliation). By disrespecting our president, we disrespect democracy. Whether you are alumni, Catholic or just a concerned citizen, if you agree and support our president giving the commencement address at Notre Dame, please sign my petition.
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/4ObamaatND
Thank you.

[grf67]

How can these republicans claim to be taking a stand on a moral issue when they were the ones cheerring as bush invaded Iraq and led to the killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraquis? Apparently the loss of life is not that important to them. What mindless hypocrites.

[Annespeaks]

Somebody should tell the likes of Gringrich and Limbaugh and O'Reilly that just SAYING you are a catholic does not make you one (see their multiple divorces, incitement of hatred and division, rejection of stimulus money which would help the most needy just so they can look good to their base, and above all, their greatest sin, utter narcissim and self-promotion). I honestly doubt these three men could even explain the meaning of the Holy Trinity. It's pathetic.

I never post comments, but as both a Catholic and even just as a human being, I am just so very tired of these self-important, sinful people crusading against good men (President Obama) in the name of MY faith when they clearly know little about the very faith they profess and distort it to serve their very personal and earthly ambitions. We need to speak out more. We need to do more. Well done Tom.

[overcat]

The anti abortion crowd is a one trick pony. They seem to have just about every issue boiled down to a pro/anti abortion question, period. Life is far more complicated than that, but apparently not to many of them. The polarity of the issue makes it serve as a good front for many who have other more nefarious motives, which is most likely the case here. This is just the conservative hate machine cranked up full throttle against Obama - and therefore the majority of voters - attacking him from any angle they can find. If by some fluke of lunacy Notre Dame balks at having the legally and fairly elected President of the United States honor them by speaking at their commencement, I think it would be appropriate for the White House to withdraw and bestow the honor on a more deserving institution. Maybe Notre Dame could get Dick Cheney instead.

[cole699]

These people are funny as hell first what the hell is the big deal about President Obama being Pro-Choice last time i checked we are not a third world country so it should a womens right to choose.And the catholics that are protesting him speaking get a life all this hot air is coming from a religion that wont even allow its members to where protection so please save the hot air for more important stuff

[henrywolff]

He can speak, but you shouldn't give him an award and this isn't the right forum. Abortion is not just a little issue.

[bowthai]

I agree that abortion is not just a little issue, but neither is poverty or discrimination. Where, praytell, is the right forum to speak out in favor of the many other aspects of Catholic teaching which are equally important and address too the sanctity of life? Surely the commencement ceremonies of a leading Catholic university with a commitment to social justice is the right forum for a president who has inspired millions with his own experience of service and affinity for the poor and dispossessed.

[moUSAnMe]

The complainer's daddy's probably work for wall street or big banks.

[suemag]

All well and good, but there were parish priests instructing their parishoners not to vote for Obama because of his pro choice stance. You can't have it both ways. That's why I'm an ex -catholic.

[IntellectuallyHonest]

I used to vote pro-life no matter what and regretted it in time to vote for John Kerry in 2004. The right-wing pro-life Catholics that helped elect Bush twice are almost as bad as the neo-conservative Jews that manipulated us into the Iraq war and are trying as hard as they can to get us to attack Iran. Bill Clinton was a great president, but I guarantee you that even now there are some pro-life Catholics that still think Clinton did a bad job. I didn't vote for Clinton in '92 or '96; thank God my vote didn't count. The Catholic pro-lifers have to stop thinking of things in black and white. Their views extend to the merits of Prohibition (the modern day version).

[Zigman61]

It's a commencement. Period. They should be proud to have the President as the speaker. Period. Religion has caused so many problems, so much heartache, so much hatred - in the name of what? The world gets worse as time goes on, not better. It's truly sad.

[kissy kai]

They need to start taxing all religions who have something to say about politics.