USCCB President, Three More Bishops Oppose ND Honor for Obama
At a conference last Saturday, March 28, Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), labeled the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor and host President Obama at the May 17 commencement an “extreme embarrassment” to Catholics, according to a report by LifeSiteNews.com. George is a leading voice in a rapidly growing list of bishops, now also including Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa, Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City, and Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Harrisburg, criticizing Notre Dame’s recent scandalous invitation. “It is a true blessing that so many Church leaders are addressing the Notre Dame scandal in such a direct and unambiguous way,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.
In his talk over last weekend, Cardinal George alluded to President Obama’s pro-abortion positions, noting that, “the problem is in that you have a Catholic university - the flagship Catholic university - do something that brought extreme embarrassment to many, many people who are Catholic. . . So whatever else is clear,” the Cardinal continued, “it is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation, and didn't anticipate the kind of uproar that would be consequent to the decision, at least not to the extent that it has happened.”
Cardinal George urged concerned Catholics to continue calling, e-mailing and writing letters to Notre Dame expressing “the embarrassment, the difficulties.” The Cardinal Newman Society’s (CNS) petition at NotreDameScandal.com calling on Notre Dame to rescind the honors for President Obama has grown to more than 225,000 names in a week and a half. In addition to Cardinal George’s statements, three more bishops have addressed the scandal:
In a letter dated March 31 to Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins, Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa wrote: “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.”
Bishop Walker Nickless of Sioux City wrote in the diocesan news outlet The Catholic Globe that: “This is truly a sad day for the famous university dedicated to our Blessed Mother. I encourage those who care to write to Father Jenkins and express their displeasure with this invitation. May Father Jenkins have the courage to rescind this invitation and not be afraid of the possible embarrassment by admitting that he has made a bad decision. Catholic institutions of higher learning must always be places where the Catholic values we hold so dearly will always be supported and promoted – not where the culture of death is allowed to be honored or valued.”
Excerpts from a letter by Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Harrisburg to Fr. Jenkins are due to be publicly released today; however, some of the content was made public via a letter from the Harrisburg Director of the Respect Life Activities office. In the letter, the director Paul Schenck writes on behalf of the bishop: “Bishop Rhoades also supports those who exercise their freedom of conscience and speech to express their opposition to the university’s decision to have President Obama as commencement speaker and honoree.” He continues: “It is disheartening and distressing when an institution that is regarded as Catholic, such as Notre Dame, fails to follow the guidelines set forth by the Bishops of the Catholic Church, especially in these vital moral matters. It is not political nor partisan to stand for the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the human person. President Obama clearly does not stand for or advance the cause of the defenseless unborn and their mothers and families. This is the tragic reality we must come to terms with as Catholics living in an increasingly secular environment.”
The complete list of responses from bishops to the Notre Dame scandal is posted in the Resources section at NotreDameScandal.com.
The Cardinal Newman Society is encouraging Catholics to join their prayers to those of the students at NDResponse.com on Sunday, April 5, at 2:40 p.m. as they pray the Holy Rosary for an end to the scandal at the University of Notre Dame.
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