Ivory Tower Heretics

Ten Catholic Colleges that Promote Abortion

2009-06-18T12:01:00.002-04:00

Ten Catholic Colleges that Promote Abortion
BY Tim Drake

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:00 AM

Parents wondering what their hard-earned money is supporting at Catholic colleges and universities might be interested in the latest findings from the Cardinal Newman Society.

The organization has discovered 10 Catholic colleges and universities that are promoting student internships with organizations whose missions or activities are directly opposed to the Church's moral teachings on issues related to abortion and marriage.

"Under what definition of 'Catholic education' do students receive academic credit to work for leading pro-abortion organizations?" asked Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society.

The "Dirty Deca" includes the following schools:

Boston College - recommends opportunities for students to work 'pro bono' for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

College of St. Benedict & St. John's University - the school's Gender and Women's Studies program promotes internship opportunities with the pro-abortion Feminist Majority Foundation and organizations supporting same-sex marriage.

DePaul University - the institution's Women's and Gender Studies program offers credit for internships, noting that students have interned with abortion provider Planned Parenthood and the Chicago Women's Health Center, which offers emergency contraceptive services and alternative insemination for "lesbians, bisexual, and queer couples, single women of any sexual orientation, and trans people."

Georgetown University - permits students to receive university funding for interning at abortion advocacy organizations.

Loyola University of Chicago - their website lists opportunities for internships and volunteer opportunities at Chicago's National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority Foundation, Planned Parenthood, and the Chicago Abortion Fund.

St. Edward's University - has allowed students to work at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas to fulfill a "Community Service in Women's Studies" credit requirement.

St. Norbert College - - the college's Women's and Gender Studies program recommends internships at several pro-abortion and same-sex marriage promoting organizations, including NOW, Legal Momentum, Planned Parenthood, the National Women's Health Network, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and PFLAG.

University of Notre Dame - the university's Gender Studies program offers internships for academic credit at places such as the National Organization for Women.

University of San Francisco - the school's Media Studies program has promoted internships with the California Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League and Girlfriends Magazine.

To learn more, visit the Cardinal Newman Society.

Jesuit University of San Francisco President Defends Condom Use for Virus Prevention

2009-06-11T14:59:00.003-04:00

Jesuit University of San Francisco President Defends Condom Use for Virus Prevention

The president of the Catholic, Jesuit University of San Francisco (USF), Rev. Stephen Privett, S.J., publicly defended the use of condoms to prevent the HIV/AIDS virus, according to an interview with Catholic San Francisco published June 10.

Last month USF awarded an honorary degree to South African Bishop Kevin Dowling, which was protested by The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) due to Bishop Dowling's dissent from Vatican teaching on condom use and the South African Bishops' Conference's condemnations of his public statements.

"It is the obligation of a Catholic university's president to embrace Catholic teaching as truth and as the solid foundation of the university's Catholic mission," said CNS President Patrick J. Reilly. "It would be unfortunate for a Catholic leader's public statements to echo those who stridently criticized Pope Benedict XVI's plea for healthy, moral and responsible sexual behavior during his recent visit to Africa."

In the interview with Catholic San Francisco prior to the USF commencement, Father Privett reportedly defended the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, despite the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church that condom use is always immoral.

"HIV/AIDS is an epidemic in his [Dowling's] diocese and in whole areas of Africa," Privett says in the article. "I think people need to understand the difference between a condom as a contraceptive and a condom preventing the spread of a deadly virus that is literally killing thousands of people in Africa."

The Cardinal Newman Society has vigorously opposed USF performances of The Vagina Monologues and dissident commencement speakers such as Nancy Pelosi in 2007. Fr. Privett reportedly defends these as well.

"When we bring these speakers onto campus, we don't bring them as spokespersons for a position with which we disagree," Fr. Privett is quoted as saying, blaming critics for failing to consider the totality of student experiences when they accuse USF of not supporting Church teaching.

"They only see the commencement speaker or The Vagina Monologues. They don't see the other 240 days. They're not at Sunday liturgies. They're not at student retreats. It's the tip and not the whole iceberg."

Yet there have been multiple concerns about the University of San Francisco's Catholic identity, including the following in recent years:

- USF's two health insurance plans for employees both provide for abortion, sterilization and contraception. Complaints led USF to drop similar coverage in a student insurance plan, and officials say they are in favor of improving the employee plans, according to reports by Our Sunday Visitor.

- USF's student health clinic stopped referring students to Planned Parenthood for abortions after the practice was revealed in December 2008.

- USF recently dropped its graduate theology program.

- USF hosted the performance of a play that contradicts Church teaching on homosexuality after San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer refused to allow it to be performed at a diocesan parish.

- USF bestowed an honorary degree upon Irish President Mary McAleese, despite her public dissent from Church teaching on the all-male priesthood.

- USF hosted a film festival co-sponsored by the USF Gender and Sexuality Department and a homosexual student club, which featured at least two films which promote abortion and same-sex marriage.

- USF touted on its website a "birth spacing" study produced by students which promoted the use of artificial contraceptives.

Catholic San Francisco reported that USF philosophy professor Raymond Dennehy is among those who believes the Jesuit institution's Catholic identity has eroded under Fr. Privett's leadership. Dennehy said that the dialogue Fr. Privett hopes to encourage is presented in a one-sided manner on campus, with most guest speakers dissenting against Church teaching.

Referring to Bishop Dowling's honorary degree, Dennehy said, "Dialogue is having speakers both pro and con. This is giving an award, and you can bet your bottom dollar that (USF) would not do that if (the speaker) were anti-gay marriage."

From Spirit Daily

2009-06-05T08:21:00.005-04:00

FROM THE MAIL: EXAMPLES OF TEACHING AT 'CATHOLIC' SCHOOLS DEMAND URGENT ACTION

The controversy over Notre Dame (allowing President Barack Obama, a pro-choice advocate, to speak at its commencement, and more to the point, awarding him an honorary degree) raised questions about what else Catholic colleges are allowing.

Indeed, commencement speakers are but the tip of the iceberg -- as our viewers can attest.

In one case, it was recalled that a priest named Matthew Fox taught at Holy Names, a small Catholic college in Oakland, for 12 years -- until 1996 -- despite his rejection of basic Catholic teachings, his extraordinarily unorthodox beliefs (he taught in a room with a skylight, expecting UFOs), and the fact that he worked with a practicing witch (who instructed priests, while Father Fox was big with nuns)

The examples, allegedly, and unfortunately, are multitudinous.

"My daughter just finished her first year at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska," wrote Pam Percival of Nevada. "When her father and I visited the college before her enrollment, we were impressed by the positive, upbeat attitudes of the students and many signs of faith around the campus. The address to the parents given by Father John P. Schlegel, S. J., was no less impressive -- assuring the parents that he would not let us down.

"It wasn't long, however, that we realized that we had a serious problem to deal with: our daughter was losing her faith.

"We were hearing about all the drinking parties, alcohol and boyfriends overnight in the dorms. My daughter began to miss attending some Sunday Masses at first -- and then it became the norm. She told me that not many people went, 'The church is almost empty.' Never mind going to Confession! While she was living at home, she had never missed a Sunday Mass unless she was sick.

"In addition to having her attend CCD classes, I had taught her all that I could about her Catholic Faith from good traditional Catholic resources. Now her Theology Professor, a Protestant gentleman, teaching 'Christianity in Context,' was refuting things that I had taught her. She said he made her feel like a fool. One such argument was about the contents of the Ark of the Covenant (the staff of Aaron, the manna, and the Ten Commandments) -- and how these items prefigured Jesus, His priesthood, and the Holy Eucharist. He was teaching the students that no one ever knew what was in the Ark of the Covenant and that it didn't matter anyway!"

From a Boston College alumnus, Alice Slattery, come distressing details about a male theology professor who is allegedly "married" to another man.

He teaches a course in spirituality and sexuality!

Boston College seems to be a case in need of Rome's special attention.

For 33 years, a woman named Mary Daly taught there, and that would be okay if she was not a radical anti-male activist (she believes the number of males on the planet must be reduced) and advocates research on parthenogenesis -- the growth and development of an embryo or seed without fertilization by a male.

She is perhaps best known for her second book, Beyond God the Father (1973).

"Ex-nun Mary Daly teaches lesbian witchcraft," noted a major Catholic news site. "She has written several books, including the anti-male and anti-Catholic Beyond God the Father andWickedary, a dictionary of sorts for witches.

"In Wickedary, Daly provides definitions as well as chants that she says can be used by women to free themselves from patriarchal oppression," notes Wikipedia.

"She also explores the labels that she says patriarchal society places on women to prolong what she sees as male domination of society.

In Wickedary, notes Catholic Culture, Daly defines the Beatific Vision as: "the 'face to face' vision of god in patriarchal heaven promised as a reward to good Christians; an afterlife of perpetual Boredom: union/ copulation with the 'Divine Essence'; the final consummate union of the Happy Dead Ones with the Supreme Dead One."

Daly believes, apparently, that it's the role of women to unveil the "liberatory" nature of labels such as "Hag," "Witch," and "Lunatic," we learn. She was dismissed for not allowed males into a course she taught.

"I went to Boston College from 1976 to 1980," says a viewer named Benjamin S. Joyce of Cape Cod. "I took a theology course in 'liberation theology' by Dr. James Fowler, Harvard Divinity, in the fall of 1976 (I think this was before John Paul II 'condemned' it). My friend was told by [a Jesuit in the department], 'Let me let you in on a secret, Hell doesn't exist.'"

"Sadly my alma mater, the University of San Diego, falls into this category of Catholic in name only," writes another viewer named Sandy. "Not long ago, the head of the theology department was a homosexual; there is a 'pride' club on campus. The list of 'atrocities' at USD is a long one.

"We were taught by the nuns of the Sacred Heart, and forty years ago the environment was a truly Catholic one and contributed to the spiritual formation that I treasure. There is an exceptionally beautiful chapel on the grounds of what was the College for Women. We would process there in our caps and gowns for every First Friday Mass.

"Can you imagine that happening today!"

"A 'feminist theologian' who thinks that God can be called 'Gaia,' after the Roman mother-earth goddess, has accepted a one-year honorary professorship at the University of San Diego, according to an announcement by the school, which describes itself on its web site as 'a Roman Catholic institution,'" reported a Catholic news site.

"Rosemary Radford Ruether will hold the Monsignor John R. Portman Chair in Roman Catholic Theology at USD for the academic year 2009-2010." She is also "a board member for the pro-abortion Catholics for a Free Choice (now Catholics for Choice) organization."

"I agree with your past article in regards to Rome needs to have a faster response to what is happening here with our Catholic Church and universities," wrote yet another, Carolyn Wong. "What do you recommend us lay people do? Do we contact Rome? How? Whom? And do they really listen?

"My son who is in his third year in college was accepted and wanted to attend Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. When we went to tour the college there were signs all over the campus mentioning when the gay and lesbian club would meet!

"I was shocked, and even more shocked that the many of the so-called Catholic parents had no problem with it. I would be better off sending him to a secular college where he would not be attending classes that would corrupt everything the Church has to say, rather than sending him to a Catholic College where the Jesuits would just turn him away from what is right!"

"My daughter is a 1993 graduate of Scranton University," says Chris Dailey of Ocean Pines, Maryland. "Her philosophy professor was an avowed atheist."

"Where does one go when there is no place to go?" asked viewer William E Bauer, PhD, an instructor at Western Nevada College who could find no help in questioning a theology professor who taught atheism.

"Congratulations for your courage to denounce ('the Truth shall set us free') the real issue at Notre-Dame: the subjective teaching of each individual instead of the teaching of the Church," said Eugene Belair from Ontario, Canada. "

"I am now retired but had a career in Catholic education for 31 years as a consultant and a principal and by choice returned to the classroom because I could not suffer any longer the pagan administration of our Catholic board.

"I also wish to make the following point: we, as Catholic believers, are also responsible for permitting and enduring the secularization of our beliefs and institutions."

[see also: What Father Matthew Fox taught]

[resources: The Gold Book of Prayers]

Fr. Jenkins, Notre Dame betrayed true goal of Catholic education, archbishop says

2009-05-19T12:47:00.002-04:00

Fr. Jenkins, Notre Dame betrayed true goal of Catholic education, archbishop says

Denver, Colo., May 18, 2009 / 04:50 pm (CNA).- In a strong statement released today, the Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap, blamed Fr. John Jenkins C.S.C and the University of Notre Dame for betraying the true, original goal of Catholic higher education, not only by conferring a degree on President Barack Obama despite his anti-life record, but for attempting a disingenuous justification for the invitation during his commencement speech on Sunday.

Quoting Fr. Jenkins when he said that "I have found that even among those who did not go to Notre Dame, even among those who do not share the Catholic faith, there is a special expectation, a special hope, for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world;" Archbishop Chaput says that "most graduation speeches are a mix of piety and optimism designed to ease students smoothly into real life. The best have humor. Some genuinely inspire. But only a rare few manage to be pious, optimistic, evasive, sad and damaging all at the same time."

"Father John Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame's president, is a man of substantial intellect and ability. This makes his introductory comments to President Obama's Notre Dame commencement speech on May 17 all the more embarrassing."

The Archbishop of Denver recalls in his statement that the debate over President Obama's appearance at Notre Dame "was never about whether he is a good or bad man. The president is clearly a sincere and able man."

"By his own words, religion has had a major influence in his life. We owe him the respect Scripture calls us to show all public officials. We have a duty to pray for his wisdom and for the success of his service to the common good -- insofar as it is guided by right moral reasoning."

Nevertheless, Archbishop Chaput adds, "we also have the duty to oppose him when he's wrong on foundational issues like abortion, embryonic stem cell research and similar matters. And we also have the duty to avoid prostituting our Catholic identity by appeals to phony dialogue that mask an abdication of our moral witness."

"Notre Dame did not merely invite the president to speak at its commencement. It also conferred an unnecessary and unearned honorary law degree on a man committed to upholding one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in our nation's history," he says.

According to Archbishop Chaput, in doing so, Notre Dame ignored the U.S. bishops' guidance in their 2004 statement, "Catholics in Political Life," ignored "the concerns of Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Notre Dame's 2009 Laetare Medal honoree -- who, unlike the president, certainly did deserve her award, but finally declined it in frustration with the university's action. It ignored appeals from the university's local bishop, the president of the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference, more than 70 other bishops, many thousands of Notre Dame alumni and hundreds of thousands of other American Catholics."

"Even here in Colorado -- Chaput says, - I've heard from too many to count."

The Archbishop of Denver claims that "there was no excuse -- none, except intellectual vanity -- for the university to persist in its course."

"And Father Jenkins compounded a bad original decision with evasive and disingenuous explanations to subsequently justify it."

"These are hard words," he admits, "but they're deserved precisely because of Father Jenkins's own remarks on May 17: Until now, American Catholics have indeed had 'a special expectation, a special hope for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world.' For many faithful Catholics -- and not just a 'small but vocal group' described with such inexcusable disdain and ignorance in journals like Time magazine -- that changed Sunday."

Archbishop Chaput finds in the May 17 events "some fitting irony."

"Almost exactly 25 years ago, Notre Dame provided the forum for Gov. Mario Cuomo to outline the 'Catholic' case for 'pro-choice' public service."

"At the time, Cuomo's speech was hailed in the media as a masterpiece of American Catholic legal and moral reasoning. In retrospect, it's clearly adroit. It's also, just as clearly, an illogical and intellectually shabby exercise in the manufacture of excuses."

The archbishop also notes that "Father Jenkins' explanations, and President Obama's honorary degree, are a fitting national bookend to a quarter century of softening Catholic witness in Catholic higher education."

"Together," he adds in his statement, "they've given the next generation of Catholic leadership all the excuses they need to baptize their personal conveniences and ignore what it really demands to be 'Catholic' in the public square."

According to Chaput, the "heart of the matter" is that "Notre Dame is hardly alone in its institutional confusion."

"Notre Dame's leadership has done a real disservice to the Church, and now seeks to ride out the criticism by treating it as an expression of fringe anger. But the damage remains, and Notre Dame’s critics are right."

The Archbishop of Denver says also that "the most vital thing faithful Catholics can do now is to insist -- by their words, actions and financial support -- that institutions claiming to be 'Catholic' actually live the faith with courage and consistency."

"If that happens, Notre Dame's failure may yet do some unintended good," he concludes.

Read the Archbishop's full statement: http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/2081

'I Saw Catholics Arrested for Being Catholic at a Catholic University'

2009-05-18T08:34:00.004-04:00

Note: The articles about what happened at Notre Dame came fast and furious and are too numerous to post. This one sums up the moral bankruptcy on display yesterday. Notre Dame has not only turned its back on the Catholic Church. They have declared war on it.

Pastor Says: 'I Saw Catholics Arrested for Being Catholic at a Catholic University'

5/16/2009 1:11:00 AM
By Catherine Rouse -Vision America

Vision America President Pastor Rick Scarborough said he was sickened by what he saw when those protesting Obama's speech at Notre Dame were arrested on the campus.

"I wept when I saw my friends arrested and taken to jail," Scarborough disclosed. "They almost broke the arm of a priest who appeared to be in his 80s, by dragging him on the ground."
Scarborough, who's a Southern Baptist preacher, said he was in South Bend in solidarity with Catholics who are protesting the upcoming commencement speech at Notre Dame by the most anti-life president in history.

"Millions of Catholics who were persecuted in their countries of origin came to these shores for religious freedom," Scarborough said. "These hard-working folk built institutions like Notre Dame to educate their children and strengthen their Church."

"Now Notre Dame is honoring Barack Obama, a man Catholics and other Christians should shun, as many of the Catholic bishops have."

When asked why he wasn't arrested, Scarborough explained: "This was a Catholic demonstration, As a Baptist, I had to respect that. I did not want to intrude. At the same time, I wanted to support a group of people I'm so proud of for standing up for Judeo-Christian morality."

Fr. Norman Weslin, the 80 year old priest who was arrested today at Notre Dame is a retired Air Force General who went into the priesthood after his wife died.

After his open heart surgery, despite the warnings from his doctors, Father led a pro-life youth group in a walk across the country. He's been arrested many times in the past during pro-life demonstrations.

Today, Notre Dame had him taken away to jail in a plastic bag for carrying a cross onto a supposedly Catholic campus.

Notre Dame President Sits on Board of Directors of Pro-Abortion, Pro-Contraception Organization

2009-05-14T08:03:00.000-04:00

Notre Dame President Sits on Board of Directors of Pro-Abortion, Pro-Contraception Organization

By Alex Bush and John Jalsevac

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, May 13, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Fr. John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame University, sits on the board of directors of Millennium Promise, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty in Africa that promotes contraceptives and abortion, it has been revealed.

The finding comes as the controversy over President Obama's award and speech at the University reaches a fever pitch in the last week before the event. As the president of Notre Dame, Fr. Jenkins has received the majority of the heat for the scandal. However, despite the criticism of over 70 U.S. bishops and over 350,000 petitioners, Jenkins has steadfastly continued to defend the university's honoring of the president. In a letter to graduating students dated this past Monday, Jenkins said that Obama is "a remarkable figure in American history and I look forward to welcoming him to Notre Dame."

Fr. Jenkins' involvement on the board of the Millennium Promise was first reported by the Drew Mariani Show and PewSitter.com. (See the list of board members here: http://www.millenniumpromise.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_bod) Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a Catholic education watchdog organization, responded to the news of Fr. Jenkins' involvement in Millennium Promise, saying in an interview with LSN, "One has to wonder what Fr. Jenkins' opinion is of the Church's teaching on contraception."

Millennium Promise's mission is to enact the eight so-called Millennium Development Goals by 2015. However, the Millennium Development Goals have been widely promoted by pro-contraception and pro-abortion organizations, such as Millennium Promise, as including the goal of increasing access to contraception and abortion globally.

Millennium Promise raises funds from the private sector for what it calls its "flagship initiative," Millennium Villages, a group that works with small villages in Africa.

A Millennium Villages handbook explains that "family planning and contraception services are critical to allow women to choose family size and birth spacing, to combat sexually transmitted infections, including HIV infection, and contribute to the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality."

It continues to explain that, "Services include: (1) Counseling; (2) Male and female condoms; (3) Pharmacologic contraceptives including oral, transdermal, intramuscular, and implanted methods; and (4) IUDs."

The handbook continues with an encouragement for "safe" abortion: "In countries where abortion is legal, safe abortion services in controlled settings by skilled practitioners should be established." (http://www.millenniumvillages.org/docs/MVP_Handbook_complete_18jun08.pdf page 92).

Fr. Jenkins has stated in the past that Notre Dame participates in the Millennium Villages Project via the Notre Dame Millennium Development Initiative (NDMDI). The efforts of the NDMDI focus on Uganda "where Notre Dame, through the Congregation of Holy Cross, has strong ties."

Interestingly, Uganda is known for its unprecedented success in reducing its HIV rate over the past several decades, using the so-called ABC approach, which emphasizes abstinence and faithfulness as the surest means of avoiding infection. In the last few years, however, anti-HIV leaders in Uganda have complained about an increasing effort by large Western aid organizations to pressure the country to vastly increase its promotion of condoms.

Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society said that in his research into Millennium Promise he was extremely concerned to find that "not only condom distribution, but distribution of the pill, injectible contraception, and even abortion are part of the Millennium project's efforts."

"Any Catholic university that supports a program to reduce poverty by eliminating poor children has a serious problem," he said, adding that no Catholic "should be taking a leadership role in an effort that distributes contraception or promotes abortion."

ND Response Video

2009-05-12T15:01:00.001-04:00

A.L.L. Rallies Diocese to Take Notre Dame Off Catholic Directory

2009-05-12T14:42:00.003-04:00

A.L.L. Rallies Diocese to Take Notre Dame Off Catholic Directory

Washington, DC (12 May 2009) -- American Life League will lead a prayer rally on the steps of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the diocese of Fort Wayne/South Bend today to encourage Bishop John D'Arcy to remove Notre Dame from "The Official Catholic Directory."

The group says more than 40 years of dissent from official Catholic Church teaching disqualifies the school from identifying itself as a Catholic institution.American Life League set up operations in Fort Wayne, Indiana, last month in response to the scandal surrounding Notre Dame and the announcement that President Barack Obama, the most pro-abortion president in history, would give the 2009 commencement address and receive an honorary law degree.

"We're begging Bishop John D'Arcy to rebuke this attack on the faith. No more will we tolerate Catholic schools undermining Catholic teaching on life, on marriage... on the family itself," said Michael Barnett, American Life League director of leadership development in a letter to the group's supporters across the country.

If removed from the Directory, a definitive list of Catholic institutions in the United States, Notre Dame would join at least four other formerly Catholic universities: Marist College, St. John Fisher College, Nazarene College and Marymount Manhattan College.

"We must pray for the realization that there is no contradiction at a modern university between the search for truth and the pursuit of God," said Mike Barnett, American Life League director of leadership development. "We're here to achieve integrity and honesty about what is and is not a Catholic university."

The prayer rally will take place Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on the steps of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
American Life League: Notre Dame: A Timeline of Dissent http://all.org/article.php?id=11934

American Life League: Petition to Remove Notre Dame from the "Official Catholic Directory" http://all.org/ndpetition/

Bishop Calls King's College Honor for Sen. Casey 'an Affront'

2009-05-04T12:17:00.003-04:00

Senator Will Also Give Address at College of the Holy Cross

King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. and the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., both Catholic colleges, have invited Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., to be a commencement speaker and honoree despite the public reprimand of Senator Casey by his bishop, Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton.

"Catholic institutions have a unique responsibility to be strong public witnesses for Catholic values, and that commitment should be reflected in their selection of commencement speakers and honorees," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). "The choice of Senator Casey, whose actions have been publicly questioned by his own bishop, seems contrary to that high standard,"

Bishop Joseph Martino of the Scranton Diocese has made public statements in recent months holding Casey--who is Catholic and campaigned as pro-life on abortion--accountable to Catholic teaching and asking Casey to reflect on whether he should be receiving the Eucharist at Mass.

Bishop Martino was critical earlier this year of Casey's vote opposing an amendment to reinstate the pro-life Mexico City Policy, which prohibits federal funds to groups that promote or perform abortions. Just last week, Bishop Martino scolded Casey for his vote to confirm pro-abortion Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In reaction to the Sebelius vote, the Diocese published a statement which reads in part:

“Despite his claims of being 'pro-life,' Sen.
Casey's voting record thus far has been inconsistent.

"On the one hand, Sen. Casey is to be commended
for initiatives that provide support for pregnant women and families. And Bishop
Martino is grateful for the Senator's recent vote for an amendment that would
have provided conscience protection on abortion for health care workers.
(Regrettably, the amendment was defeated in the Senate.)

"On the other hand, Sen. Casey voted to rescind
the Mexico City Policy, thus ensuring that American taxpayer funds go to
organizations abroad dedicated to performing and promoting abortions even in
cultures that are opposed to them. The result is that abortion becomes the
preferred means for reducing family size in developing nations. Neither the
Helms Amendment nor any other U.S. legislation prevents that.

"He also voted for the appointment of Harvard
Law School Dean Elena Kagan as solicitor general. Ms. Kagan supports
partial-birth abortion and opposed withdrawing federal funds from
taxpayer-funded abortion clinics despite popular opposition. She opposed funding
teen-pregnancy counseling by religious institutions. As solicitor general, she
is likely to oppose the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, thus opening the door
to legislation allowing same-sex marriage.

"And now Sen. Casey has joined with his
colleagues to put Gov. Sebelius in charge of building a new health care system
in the United States. Her well-established pro-abortion track record provides
ample evidence for the anti-life decisions she will make in this key
position."

Bishop Martino is now calling the decision of King's College, a Congregation of the Holy Cross-sponsored institution in the Scranton Diocese, "an affront to all who value the sanctity of life." The bishop said that Sen. Casey lacks "the moral stature" to properly address the challenges faced by the graduates. King's College plans to award Sen. Casey an honorary doctorate at commencement on May 17.

The College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit institution, has also announced plans to honor and provide commencement platform to Sen. Casey on May 22, 2009.

Over the past few months, many U.S. bishops have reinforced the 2004 USCCB statement, "Catholics in Political Life" in their opposition to Notre Dame's intended honor for pro-abortion President Barack Obama. The statement reads: "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."

ND alumna asks whether Obama honor encourages indifference to abortion

2009-05-04T12:06:00.003-04:00

ND alumna asks whether Obama honor encourages indifference to abortion

Washington D.C., May 2, 2009 / 04:58 pm (CNA).- Providing a new take on the controversy, a University of Notre Dame alumna has asked whether her alma mater's decision to honor President Barack Obama would discourage pro-life women in crisis pregnancies and encourage Catholics who believe Church teaching on abortion is "just dining-room talk."

Lacy Dodd, a 1999 graduate of the university, explained in a May 1 essay for the website of the journal "First Things" how she had become pregnant by her boyfriend in the last semester of her senior year at the school.

She told how she had run to the school's famous Marian Grotto after testing positive for pregnancy.

"I was confused and full of conflicting emotions," Dodd wrote.

"But I knew this: No amount of shame or embarrassment would ever lead me to get rid of my baby. Of all women, Our Lady could surely feel pity for an unplanned pregnancy. I recalled her surrendered love to God's invitation to become the home of the Incarnate Word. 'Let it be done to me according to thy word,' she had said. In my hour of need, on my knees, I asked Mary for courage and strength. And she did not disappoint."

She said her boyfriend, also a Notre Dame senior, tried to pressure her into having an abortion.

"Like so many women in similar circumstances, I found out the kind of man the father of my child was at precisely the moment I needed him most. 'All that talk about abortion is just dining-room talk,' he said. 'When it's really you in the situation, it's different. I will drive you to Chicago and pay for a good doctor.'"

Replying to her insistence that this was not an option, he said he was pro-choice.

"I responded by informing him that my choice was life. And I learned, as so many pregnant women have before and since, that life is the one choice that pro-choicers won't support."

Though having an unsupportive boyfriend, Dodd said she could rely on the "priceless gift" of her family who would "welcome into their hearts the life that God had put in my womb."

She also relied on the people at Women's Care Center in South Bend, who she says encouraged her "everything was going to be all right," educated her on her pregnancy and provided her with information on how to stay healthy.

Dodd graduated from Notre Dame with a bachelor's degree in American Studies and earned a ROTC commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Though she considered adoption, she decided to raise her baby. She gave birth to a baby girl on All Saints Day and named her Mary.

"Her name is no accident. This Mary was living inside me while I walked the campus of a university dedicated to a woman who is mother of us all, and it was Mary Our Mother who gave me courage when I was afraid of what would lie ahead," she wrote at the First Things website.

Though calling Notre Dame a "special place," Dodd said it is not immune to "the realities of modern life."

"There are students who face unplanned pregnancies, and--most tragically--women who think their only option is abortion," she said, noting that one in five women who have an abortion is a college student.

"On campuses all across this country, abortion is the status quo. We need to change that with an unambiguous stand for life, and Notre Dame needs to be in the lead."

She closed with a question to Fr. John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame:

"Who draws support from your decision to honor President Obama--the young, pregnant Notre Dame woman sitting in that graduating class who wants desperately to keep her baby, or the Notre Dame man who believes that the Catholic teaching on the intrinsic evil of abortion is just dining-room talk?"

First 300,000 Petition Signatures Delivered to Notre Dame Board Members, Fr. Jenkins

2009-04-29T13:57:00.002-04:00

First 300,000 Petition Signatures Delivered to Notre Dame Board Members, Fr. Jenkins

Copies Are Being Rushed to Rome, Papal Nuncio, USCCB and ND Bishop John D'Arcy

This morning, April 29, 2009, the first 300,000 names of individuals who signed the petition at NotreDameScandal.com -- opposing the University of Notre Dame's decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement -- began to be delivered to Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the Board of Trustees and the Board of Fellows as they prepare for scheduled meetings on Friday, May 1, at Notre Dame.

As of this morning, more than 344,000 people have signed the petition, but because of the overwhelming numbers it took The Cardinal Newman Society more than 24 hours to prepare the data and print more than 64,000 sheets of paper, double sided, which were then bound in notebooks and sent via FedEx to Father Jenkins and individual members of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows.

Copies of the petitions are also being rushed by The Cardinal Newman Society, which sponsored the petition, to Archbishop Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski, Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education; Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio (Vatican ambassador) to the United States; Francis Cardinal George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Bishop John D'Arcy, of Fort Wayne-South Bend, who presides over Notre Dame; and Bishop Robert McManus, Chairman of the USCCB Education Committee.

"Only the Notre Dame Trustees and Fellows have direct authority over Father Jenkins, so their meetings on Friday are our best hope for an end to this scandal," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.

"It is critical for all of us to pray that the Trustees and Fellows charged with safeguarding Notre Dame's Catholic identity will heed the 50 bishops and hundreds of thousands of faithful Catholics urging Notre Dame to withdraw its invitation to President Obama."

The University of Notre Dame is governed by a 12-member Board of Fellows, including six Holy Cross priests, who are charged with ensuring "that the University maintains its essential character as a Catholic institution of higher learning." The Fellows delegate most of their governing authority to the 38-member Board of Trustees, comprised mostly of lay people.

The university's charter states: "The essential character of the University as a Catholic institution of higher learning shall at all times be maintained, it being the stated intention and desire of the present Fellows of the University that the University shall retain in perpetuity its identity as such an institution."

Mary Ann Glendon refuses to accept Laetare Medal from Notre Dame

2009-04-27T15:14:00.001-04:00

Mary Ann Glendon refuses to accept Laetare Medal from Notre Dame

South Bend, Ind., Apr 27, 2009 / 11:55 am (CNA).- Less than a month before Notre Dame’s Commencement, the former Vatican ambassador Mary Ann Glendon has written President Jenkins to refuse the university's Laetare Medal, rebuffing his claim that her acceptance speech would somehow "balance" the event.

Mary Ann Glendon, a pro-life feminist and Harvard professor, today released an open letter to Notre Dame President John I. Jenkins, in which she told Jenkins that she could not speak alongside President Obama at the May 17th Commencement exercises.

In her letter, Glendon related that she was initially "profoundly moved" at the news that she would receive Notre Dame's coveted Laetare Medal. After hearing the news, she said she quickly began crafting an acceptance speech that she "hoped would be worthy of the occasion."

In March, Glendon said that she received a phone call from Fr. Jenkins informing her that she would not be giving the commencement speech, but that instead President Obama would fill that role. Upon learning of the change of plans, Glendon said that a "task that once seemed so delightful" had now been "complicated by a number of factors."

The first factor Glendon mentioned was her work as a "longtime consultant" to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which caused her to become "dismayed" that Notre Dame "planned to award the president an honorary degree." This action, she said, would "disregard" the U.S. Bishop's "Catholics in Political Life" document.

Glendon also rebuffed the idea that the teaching "seeks to control or interfere" with a Catholic institution's "freedom to invite and engaged in serious debate whomever it wishes."

The former Vatican ambassador also took exception to Fr. Jenkins' "talking point" that awarding the Laetare Medal to her would "balance the event." Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D’Arcy also criticized Jenkins' "talking points" by calling them "wrong" and a "flawed justification."

"A commencement," Ms. Glendon wrote, "is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame's decision--in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops--to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church's position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice."

She also worried that Notre Dame's decision is having a "ripple effect" that is encouraging other Catholic institutions to ignore the U.S. Bishop's teaching.

"It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony," she concluded.

President Jenkins responded to the criticism by saying Notre Dame is "disappointed" with Glendon's decision and that the university intends "to award the Laetare Medal to another deserving recipient."

Notre Dame said they will make the "announcement as soon as possible."

Archbishop Hughes to Boycott Xavier University Commencement Over Pro-Abortion Honoree

2009-04-24T16:10:00.002-04:00

Archbishop Hughes to Boycott Xavier University Commencement Over Pro-Abortion Honoree

Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, Archbishop of New Orleans, has made public his letter to Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, announcing that he will boycott the university's May 9 commencement exercises to protest the selection of pro-abortion Donna Brazile as speaker and honoree. Archbishop Hughes is also opposing the University of Notre Dame's decision to honor President Obama at commencement.

"Catholic universities have a serious responsibility to uphold the Catholic identity with which they are entrusted," said Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. "Catholics nationwide will be grateful to Archbishop Hughes for his defense of Xavier's Catholic mission."

Archbishop Hughes cites instances in which political commentator Donna Brazile has expressed pro-abortion and pro-artificial contraception points of view as the reasons for his boycott of Xavier's commencement. He notes that Xavier was founded by Saint Katherine Drexel and offers prayers that the university "will be faithful to that legacy in every way.'

Below is the text of Archbishop Alfred Hughes' letter:

I write to you to follow up our telephone conversation. It is with regret
that I make the decision not to participate in the Commencement Exercises this
year at Xavier University in light of the university's decision to invite Ms.
Donna Brazile to be the Commencement speaker and receive an honorary degree. Ms. Brazile has a public record in support of keeping abortion legal.

In our document released in 2004 the Catholic bishops of the United
States provided explicit direction for all Catholic parishes and institutions:
"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."

I recognize that Ms. Brazile is a Catholic Louisiana native who has
worked effectively in service to the poor and African Americans in particular.
However, her public statements on the abortion issue are not in keeping with
Catholic moral teaching. She has supported President Obama's decision to reverse
the Mexico City policy allowing federal funds to organizations that provide
abortions overseas by saying that this policy will "save lives." She has also
relativized the importance of the fundamental life issues on national television
suggesting that there are more important things for the American people to
discuss than abortion. She has supported and worked for the election of
candidates who support contraceptive practices and abortion on the basis that
this stance is pro-woman.

The Catholic Church stands in support of all of those who want to serve
and plead for the poor and vulnerable in our midst. This, however, must include
those who are most vulnerable in their mother's wombs. Moreover, contraceptive
practice actually leads men to be less responsible toward women and abortion
both harms the mother and kills the child.

I, again, reiterate my disappointment. I have always enjoyed being a
part of the Xavier Commencement when I was able to do so. I applaud the
remarkable history of Xavier University in offering highly respected university
education to African Americans. I also admire your remarkable record of public
service.

The University has received an extraordinary legacy from its holy
founder, Saint Katherine Drexel. I pray that the university will be faithful to
that legacy in every way including respect and protection of all human
life.

N.Y. Archbishop Dolan: Opposition to 'Intrinsic Evil' Explains Notre Dame Protest

2009-04-24T16:00:00.003-04:00

N.Y. Archbishop Dolan: Opposition to 'Intrinsic Evil' Explains Notre Dame Protest

The Most Reverend Timothy A. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, explained during a recent interview that his opposition to Notre Dame's slated honor for President Obama on May 17 is due to the President's support for the "intrinsic evil" of abortion. He also contrasted abortion to other serious concerns, like the Iraq war and the death penalty, which "are open to some discussion and are not intrinsically evil."

"Archbishop Dolan's clear teaching should help Americans understand that there is nothing political about the bishops' protest of Notre Dame's action," said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "This is not primarily about President Obama or partisan politics, but about a prominent Catholic institution publicly betraying fundamental Catholic values."

New York Post reporter Dan Mangan's interview with Archbishop Timothy Dolan from Wednesday, April 22, was posted online. The reporter asked Archbishop Dolan why he is publicly opposed to Notre Dame honoring President Obama at its commencement on May 17, but did not publicly oppose the same honor to President George W. Bush in 2001, given Bush's positions on the Iraq war and the death penalty.

"There's a big difference," Archbishop Dolan said. "There are some issues where the Church has weighed in, that one must be very sensitive to the morality of some issues, but they're not intrinsically evil. An intrinsic evil means that something is always and everywhere wrong."

The Church's teaching on the death penalty and war, explained Archbishop Dolan, allow for such activities in extreme cases. So while Archbishop Dolan said he was uncomfortable with President Bush's positions, he "would have to give him the benefit of the doubt to say that those two issues are open to some discussion and are not intrinsically evil. In the Catholic mindset... that would not apply to abortion."

William McGurn, Notre Dame alumnus and former chief speechwriter for President G. W. Bush, delivered a lecture sponsored by Notre Dame's Center for Ethics and Culture entitled "Notre Dame: A Witness for Life" yesterday, April 23. Like Archbishop Dolan, McGurn argued that abortion is not "one issue on a political scorecard."

McGurn proposed that Notre Dame hold a "summit of pro-life Democrats to come here to make the Notre Dame statement for life."

He continued, arguing that "all pleas for other important human rights are 'false and illusory' if we do not defend with 'maximum determination' the fundamental right to life upon which all other rights rest."

The Growing number of bishops opposing Notre Dame's decision to honor President Obama at commencement has grown to 46, with Bishops Le Voir, Galeone and Zubik joining the swelling ranks.

Bishop John Le Voir, of the New Ulm Diocese, said, "The decision of the University of Notre Dame makes it much more difficult for the Church to carry out her vital mission to transform our culture into a culture of life and love."

Bishop Victor Galeone, of the St. Augustine Diocese, said, "Coupled with the performance of... 'The Vagina Monologues'... this most recent decision raises serious doubts about Fr. Jenkins' qualifications for continuing to serve as president of one of the foremost Catholic universities in the nation."

Bishop David Zubik, of the Pittsburgh Diocese, said, "This is Our Lady's university choosing to give an honorary degree to the single most outspoken pro-abortion president since the issue was foisted upon the country by the Supreme Court. It must, indeed, embarrass Our Lady."

The bishops' statements, news items and other insider commentary are updated daily at NotreDameScandal.com. The petition at the website has grown to more than 334,000 signers.

Father Jenkins Should Resign

2009-04-22T17:03:00.005-04:00

Dear Father Jenkins:

I have read the excerpted letter from Bishop D’Arcy and it brought tears to my eyes. It is the appeal of a Shepherd of the Church to one of his flock that has gone astray. In it he points out that if there was any question of right interpretation of Catholic doctrine, the local bishop is the authority to resolve it whether you like him or not.

Further, the good bishop points out that your letter to the trustees of Notre Dame relies on the opinions of theologians. And you sought them to the exclusion of your own bishop. Some are likewise from apostate Catholic colleges or universities. Their opinions are not only untrustworthy, they are irrelevant. This is like looking out over a crowd for an opinion and only picking out your friends.

Pointing to the majority of young people in your care that also support the invitation of President Obama actually strengthens Bishop D’Arcy’s argument. As a Catholic leader, you are obligated to tell the truth, to lead young people, to evangelize, whether in the majority and whether in agreement with power or not. By leading these young people to the conclusion that disobedience to the local bishop is acceptable, you teach falsehood and heresy. You do so at great risk to yourself, your very immortal soul.

You have made a grave miscalculation and in so doing have scandalized the little ones in your care, especially those who hold fast to Christ’s words and commands in a culture increasingly hostile to His message. Your reasoning is twisted and false and illogical. A child could see through it. You wish to gain the personal prestige that a presidential visit brings as well as the economic windfall government grants will surely bring because you have chosen to suffer for your messiah, Barack Obama. You took the easy road.

I call on you to resign and to apologize to your students, the faculty, the trustees, your order and most of all to the bishop, that shepherd who teaches in the person of Christ.

I will continue to pray for you, for Notre Dame and for our country.

In Christ,

Steve

Bishop D'Arcy: "Terrible Breach" Caused by Scandal at Notre Dame 'Cannot Be Allowed to Continue

2009-04-22T15:12:00.004-04:00

Note: The author of this blog is often critical of the bishops for not enforcing canons that address dissenting Catholic colleges and politicians. Often the front line of the battle against evil, pro-life leaders and students, are thrown under the bus to gain money, power and prestige. In the letter, below, the local bishop has taken a courageous stand and has thrown down the gauntlet. Father Jenkins must repent or resign and find refuge for contemplative prayer in a monastery somewhere where he can no longer scandalize the young people in his charge and disgrace the finest Catholic University in America. This bishop has gained our support and respect.

Bishop D'Arcy: 'Terrible Breach' Caused by Scandal at Notre Dame 'Cannot Be Allowed to Continue'

Bishop John M. D'Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, in which the University of Notre Dame is located, has publicly released key points from a letter correcting Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., who defended the decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement on May 17, 2009. The bishop wrote that the "terrible breach" which has opened up between Notre Dame and the Church "cannot be allowed to continue."

"How much more evidence does Notre Dame need to understand that they have made a tragic mistake in honoring President Obama?" said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society, whose petition atNotreDameScandal.com has surpassed 330,000 signers. "Catholics nationwide are praying that Father Jenkins will submit to the rightful authority of Notre Dame's bishop and end this scandal immediately."

Notably, Bishop D'Arcy corrected Father Jenkins' contention that the 2004 USCCB document "Catholics in Political Life," which asks Catholic institutions not to honor pro-abortion leaders, does not apply to the decision to honor President Obama at commencement. Father Jenkins has said that the policy applies only to Catholic honorees, and that because Notre Dame does not support President Obama's policies on abortion and stem cell research, the honor poses no conflict for a Catholic university.

"I consider it now settled," wrote Bishop D’Arcy, "that the USCCB document, 'Catholics in Public Life,' does indeed apply in this matter."

Bishop D'Arcy has also asked Father Jenkins to issue a retraction of the talking points he issued to the Notre Dame Board of Trustees regarding the commencement invitation to President Obama.

"The statements which Father Jenkins has made are simply wrong and give a flawed justification for his actions," said Bishop D’Arcy.

Bishop D'Arcy earlier announced that he plans to boycott Notre Dame's commencement on May 17, 2009.

The content of the below statement from Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy is a summary of key points from a private letter he sent in response to Notre Dame's president, Father John Jenkins. [Emphasis added.]

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recently, Father John Jenkins, CSC, in a letter of response to Bishop Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix, who had written him, critical of the decision to invite President Obama to speak and receive an honorary degree of law at Notre Dame, indicated that it was his conviction that the statement "Catholics in Political Life" (USCCB) did not apply in this matter. Father Jenkins kindly sent me a copy of his letter, and also at a later meeting, asked for a response.

In an April 15th letter to Father Jenkins, I responded to his letter.

Now the points made in his letter have been sent by Father Jenkins to the members of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and have been publicized nationally, as well as locally in the South Bend Tribune. Since the matter is now public, it is my duty as the bishop of this diocese to respond and correct. I take up this responsibility with some sadness, but also with the conviction that if I did not do so, I would be remiss in my pastoral responsibility.

Rather than share my full letter, which I have shared with some in church leadership, I prefer to present some of the key points.

1. The meaning of the sentence in the USCCB document relative to Catholic institutions is clear. It places the responsibility on those institutions, and indeed, on the Catholic community itself.

"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." -- "Catholics in Political Life," USCCB.

2. When there is a doubt concerning the meaning of a document of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where does one find the authentic interpretation? A fundamental, canonical and theological principal states that it is found in the local bishop, who is the teacher and lawgiver in his diocese. -- Canon 330, 375 §§ 1 & 2; 380; 381 § 1; 391 § 1; 392, & 394 §1.

3. I informed Father Jenkins that if there was any genuine questions or doubt about the meaning of the relevant sentence in the conference's document, any competent canonist with knowledge of the tradition and love for Christ's church had the responsibility to inform Father Jenkins of the fundamental principle that the diocesan bishop alone bears the responsibility to provide an authoritative interpretation.

4. I reminded Father Jenkins that he indicated that he consulted presidents of other Catholic universities, and at least indirectly, consulted other bishops, since he asked those presidents to share with him those judgments of their own bishops. However, he chose not to consult his own bishop who, as I made clear, is the teacher and lawgiver in his own diocese. I reminded Father Jenkins that I was not informed of the invitation until after it was accepted by the president. I mentioned again that it is at the heart of the diocesan bishop's pastoral responsibility to teach as revealed in sacred Scripture and the tradition. ("Lumen Gentium," 20; and "Christus Dominus," 2.) I reminded him that it is also central to the university's relationship to the church. ("Ex corde ecclesiae," 27 & 28; Gen. Norm., Art. 5, §§ 1-3.)

5. Another key point. In his letter to Bishop Olmsted and in the widespread publicity, which has taken place as the points in the letter have been made public, Father Jenkins declared the invitation to President Obama does not "suggest support" for his actions, because he has expressed and continues to express disagreement with him on issues surrounding protection of life. I wrote that the outpouring of hundreds of thousands who are shocked by the invitation clearly demonstrates, that this invitation has, in fact, scandalized many Catholics and other people of goodwill. In my office alone, there have been over 3,300 messages of shock, dismay and outrage, and they are still coming in. It seems that the action in itself speaks so loudly that people have not been able to hear the words of Father Jenkins, and indeed, the action has suggested approval to many.

In the publicity surrounding the points Father Jenkins has made, he also says he is "following the document of the bishops" by "laying a basis for engagement with the president on this issue." I indicated that I, like many others, will await to see what the follow up is on this issue between Notre Dame and President Obama.

6. As I have said in a recent interview and which I have said to Father Jenkins, it would be one thing to bring the president here for a discussion on healthcare or immigration, and no person of goodwill could rightly oppose this. We have here, however, the granting of an honorary degree of law to someone whose activities both as president and previously, have been altogether supportive of laws against the dignity of the human person yet to be born.

In my letter, I have also asked Father Jenkins to correct, and if possible, withdraw the erroneous talking points, which appeared in the South Bend Tribune and in other media outlets across the country. The statements which Father Jenkins has made are simply wrong and give a flawed justification for his actions.

I consider it now settled -- that the USCCB document, "Catholics in Public Life," does indeed apply in this matter.

The failure to consult the local bishop who, whatever his unworthiness, is the teacher and lawgiver in the diocese, is a serious mistake. Proper consultation could have prevented an action, which has caused such painful division between Notre Dame and many bishops -- and a large number of the faithful.

That division must be addressed through prayer and action, and I pledge to work with Father Jenkins and all at Notre Dame to heal the terrible breach, which has taken place between Notre Dame and the church. It cannot be allowed to continue.

I ask all to pray that this healing will take place in a way that is substantial and true, and not illusory. Notre Dame and Father Jenkins must do their part if this healing is to take place. I will do my part.
Sincerely yours in our Lord,
Most Reverend
John M. D'Arcy

Georgetown Law School to Honor Pro-Abortion Catholic Biden

2009-04-21T14:14:00.005-04:00

Georgetown Law School to Honor Pro-Abortion Catholic Biden

On Wednesday, April 22, Georgetown University Law Center will host an event honoring Vice President Joseph Biden with the "Legal Momentum Hero Award," in direct violation of the U.S. bishops' 2004 policy against such honors to pro-abortion politicians.

More than 40 U.S. bishops have publicly decried the University of Notre Dame's plan to honor President Barack Obama next month, citing a 2004 statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: "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."

"Even as Notre Dame publicly snubs the Catholic bishops, Georgetown appears to be saying, 'Me, too!,'" said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "Just last week, Georgetown covered the name of Jesus Christ at the request of the White House. Scandal after scandal at Georgetown, including the stunning 2007 law school policy that offers paid internships for students to work at organizations that advocate for abortion rights, has severely compromised its integrity as a Catholic institution."

Georgetown University Law Center is affiliated with Georgetown University, a Catholic and Jesuit institution.

Vice President Joseph Biden, a professed Roman Catholic, has since the 2008 presidential campaign come under sharp criticism from pro-life advocates, including his hometown Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pa., for supporting the legal abortion.

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Biden "strongly support[s] Roe v. Wade." Biden was the co-sponsor of the oppressive Freedom of Choice Act in the 102nd and 103rd congresses. He also voted for federal funding of Planned Parenthood and embryonic stem cell research, and against parental notification for minors seeking out-of-state abortions, a ban on abortions at military facilities, and a ban on human cloning.

Tomorrow's symposium is sponsored by the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law and Legal Momentum, a women's rights advocacy group that sharply conflicts with the Catholic Church by promoting "reproductive rights," advocating same-sex marriage and opposing abstinence-only education programs and pro-life crisis pregnancy centers.

Georgetown Covers Up Name of Jesus at White House Request

2009-04-16T11:12:00.007-04:00

Note: I bet they didn't even give it a second thought. Probably aren't many there who even know what the monogram stands for. After all, it's Jesuit Georgetown. Not even questioned is the appearance by Obama there in the first place. He's their kind of guy.

Georgetown Covers Up Name of Jesus at White House Request

Before President Barack Obama spoke on Tuesday, April 14, at Georgetown University, the White House asked that all signs and symbols be covered up at the Gaston Hall venue, CNSNews.com reports. In compliance with the request, the university covered over the monogram "IHS," an ancient Christian symbol of the name of Jesus Christ.

"It is such a sad commentary that Catholic universities are willingly hiding the most visible signs of their Catholic identity when hosting secular leaders," said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. "What’s next, will Notre Dame cover images of Jesus and Mary and ban rosaries when they honor President Obama next month?"

The CNSNews.com story notes that Julie Green Bataille, associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, said, "In coordinating the logistical arrangements for yesterday's event, Georgetown honored the White House staff's request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind Gaston Hall stage."

"The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches," continued Bataille. "Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn't high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context."

This is not the first controversy surrounding religious imagery at Georgetown recently. A prominent statue of Our Lady of Fatima was desecrated twice in less than a month at the university earlier this year. When the first desecration of the statue occurred, a group of concerned students organized a 24-hour prayer vigil in response, but students complained to The Cardinal Newman Society that the Georgetown administration's response was tepid.

Pro-Abortion Political Activist to Speak at Xavier (LA) Commencement and Receive Honor

2009-04-15T08:13:00.003-04:00

Pro-Abortion Political Activist to Speak at Xavier (LA) Commencement and Receive Honor

Xavier University in New Orleans, a Catholic institution, has announced plans to honor pro-abortion political commentator and activist Donna Brazile at commencement on May 9, 2009.

"Given New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes' strong condemnation of Notre Dame's honor of pro-abortion President Barack Obama, it is surprising and saddening that Xavier University would honor a prominent figure opposed to Catholic moral teachings," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society, whose petition at NotreDameScandal.com has surpassed 263,000 supporters.

Most U.S. bishops speaking and writing publicly against the decision of the University of Notre Dame to honor and host President Barack Obama at commencement have cited the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' 2004 statement "Catholics in Political Life" as support for their position.

The statement reads: "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."

According to the Xavier website, Donna Brazile will address more than 450 graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Pharmacy and the Graduate School. She will also be awarded an honorary degree.

Brazile is ideologically opposed to many fundamental Catholic moral principles, including abortion and contraception. She recently supported President Obama's reversal of the Mexico City Policy which previously barred taxpayer funding from supporting abortion services overseas. She said that "this will save lives."

In a CNN segment during the 2008 presidential campaign Brazile suggested that public discussion of Barack Obama's legislative support for infanticide should be diminished in light of high gas prices.

In a 2006 article, Brazile expressed her support for across-the-board availability of contraceptive services, including her support for the Prevention First Act. She said, "It would secure funding to ensure broad access to birth control, supply information to providers and consumers concerning emergency contraception, and require hospitals that receive federal funds to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to sexual-assault victims."

Canon Lawyer: Notre Dame Prez Reasoning "Too Bizarre for Words"

2009-04-15T07:59:00.001-04:00

Canon Lawyer: Notre Dame Prez Reasoning "Too Bizarre for Words"

By Kathleen Gilbert

DETROIT, Michigan, April 14, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A prominent American canon lawyer has issued a stinging criticism of the reasoning given by Notre Dame's president Fr. John Jenkins, by which he defends the school's invitation of President Obama to speak and receive an honorary law degree, calling Jenkins' argumentation "too bizarre for words."

Canon lawyer Ed Peters responded to correspondence from Fr. Jenkins to Notre Dame trustees, which was obtained and published exclusively by LifeSiteNews.com last week. In the memo, Jenkins told trustees that he considers the invitation to honor Obama to be faithful to the "letter and the spirit" of the U.S. Bishops Conference 2004 document "Catholics in Political Life."

(http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040808.html)

Several of the bishops who have condemned the scandal, including USCCB President Cardinal Francis George, have indicated that Notre Dame's invitation violates the 2004 directive. The document forbids Catholic schools from honoring "those who act in defiance of our [Catholic] fundamental moral principles."

Fr. Jenkins had written: "Because the title of the document is 'Catholics in Political Life', we understood this to refer to honoring Catholics whose actions are not in accord with our moral principles." Jenkins cited "fellow university presidents" who informed him "that their bishops have told them that in fact it is only Catholic politicians who are referred to in this document."

In response, Peters commented on his blog "In the Light of the Law" on Thursday: "Is the man serious?"

"Does Jenkins really think that Catholic bishops would countenance a Catholic institution honoring a philanthropic murderer, or a free-speech crusading pornographer, or a right-to-privacy pimp, provided merely that the awardee was not a Catholic?

"Really, that's too bizarre for words."

Peters also questioned Jenkins' statement that his interpretation "was supported by canon lawyers we consulted, who advised us that, by definition, only Catholics who implicitly recognize the authority of Church teaching can act in 'defiance' of it."

"What's this 'by definition' stuff? ... A definition of 'defiance'?" Peters asked. "The word 'defiance' is not in the Code. Even the Latin pertinacia does not seem to apply to our facts, so, what exactly is Jenkins talking about here?

"I don't know, but whatever Jenkins or his canonists hope it means, the sentence he/they put so much stock in was obviously not drafted to stand up to close textual parsing," he said. "Else, all a Catholic would have to do to avoid the charge of acting in 'defiance' of Church authority would be to decline recognizing Church authority in the first place!"

To Jenkins' assertion that giving Obama an honorary doctorate does not "suggest support" for his pro-abortion record, Peters countered, "An honorary doctorate of law does not 'suggest' support for a politicians' legal philosophy, no, instead it screams it."

(To view Dr. Peters' full commentary: http://www.canonlaw.info/2009/04/fr-jenkins-discovers-canon-law-not.html)

See recent LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Leaked: ND Prez Comment on USCCB Document Prohibiting Honoring Pro-Abortion Politicianshttp://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040808.html

Bishops Bruskewitz, Aquila Issue Stinging Condemnations to "Formerly Catholic" Notre Damehttp://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040906.html

Notre Dame's Bishop on Obama's Pro-Abortion Views: "No One Is Allowed to Say Who Sits at Table of Life"http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040804.html

Former Vatican Ambassador: Notre Dame Scandal Will "Wake Catholics Up"http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040907.html

Bishops Bruskewitz, Aquila Issue Stinging Condemnations to "Formerly Catholic" Notre Dame

2009-04-11T14:37:00.001-04:00

Bishops Bruskewitz, Aquila Issue Stinging Condemnations to "Formerly Catholic" Notre Dame
By Kathleen Gilbert

NOTRE DAME, Indiana, April 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Two more bishops have written and made public strongly-worded letters to University president Fr. John Jenkins, bringing the number of U.S. bishops to 31 protesting the school's invitation to President Obama to speak at commencement and receive an honorary law degree May 17.

Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of the Lincoln Diocese supplied his letter, addressed to University president Fr. John Jenkins, today to the Cardinal Newman Society, which is hosting a petition against the scandal, now bearing well over a quarter million signatures (http://www.notredamescandal.com).

"Permit me to add my name as well to the long list of Bishops of the Catholic Church who are utterly appalled at your dedication to immorality and wrong-doing represented by your support for the obscenity called 'The Vagina Monologues' and your absolute indifference to the murderous abortion program and beliefs of this President of the United States," reads the brief letter, dated April 3.

"The fact that you have some sort of past connection with the State of Nebraska makes it all the more painful that the Catholic people here have to see your betrayal of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church," Bruskewitz wrote. "I can assure you of my prayers for your conversion, and for the conversion of your formerly Catholic University."

Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, ND wrote an April 5 letter to Fr. Jenkins published on the diocesan website saying he was "surprised and saddened" to learn of the invitation, and adding that Jenkins' defense of the honors has "only deepened" his dismay.

Expressing confidence that Jenkins is "a man of integrity" who believes in "the Church's witness," Aquila mentioned the papal encyclical Ex Corde Ecclesiae and the U.S. Bishops Conference directive, "Catholics in Political Life," which respectively urge Catholic schools to witness to Catholic teaching and forbid them from honoring pro-abortion politicians.

"Even though President Obama is not Catholic, he clearly rejects the truth about human dignity through his constant support of a so called 'right to abortion,'" wrote Aquila. "Inviting President Obama to award him a degree and to speak at a Catholic University implicitly extends legitimacy to his views on these issues in the minds of the average onlooker.

"Your actions and that of the Board of Trustees of Notre Dame do real harm to the mission of Catholic education in this country and further splinters Catholic witness in the public square," he continued.

Providing a forum for an abortion advocate at a school that teaches the truths of the Faith, wrote the bishop, "places commitment to these truths on an equal plane with a commitment to an intrinsic evil which destroys innocent human life."

"Your judgment in this matter is seriously flawed, with damaging consequences, for '…you are not on the side of God, but of men' (Mt 16:23)."

Noting the fidelity of many among the Notre Dame community, Aquila said, "Unfortunately, your action and that of your Board diminishes the reputation of Notre Dame and makes one wonder what its mission truly is."

The bishops who have so far publicly criticized Notre Dame's invitation to Obama (in alphabetical order) are:

1. Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN
2. Bishop Samuel Aquila - Fargo, ND
3. Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin, TX
4. Archbishop Daniel Buechlein - Indianapolis, IN
5. Bishop Robert Baker - Birmingham, AL
6. Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz - Lincoln, NE
7. Archbishop Eusebius Beltran - Oklahoma City, OK
8. Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Cantú - San Antonio, TX
9. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo - Houston, TX
10. Archbishop Timothy Dolan - New York, NY
11. Bishop Thomas Doran - Rockford, IL
12. Auxiliary Bishop John Dougherty - Scranton, PA
13. Cardinal Francis George - Chicago, IL; President, USCCB
14. Archbishop José Gomez - San Antonio, TX
15. Bishop William Higi - Lafayette, IN
16. Archbishop Alfred Hughs - New Orleans, LA
17. Bishop Jerome Listecki - La Crosse, WI
18. Bishop William E. Lori - Bridgeport, CT
19. Bishop Robert Lynch - St. Petersburg, FL
20. Bishop Joseph Martino - Scranton, PA
21. Bishop Charles Morlino - Madison, WI
22. Bishop George Murry - Youngstown, OH
23. Archbishop John J. Myers - Newark, NJ
24. Bishop R. Walker Nickless - Sioux City, IA
25. Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - St. Paul-Minneapolis, MD
26. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien - Baltimore, MD
27. Bishop Thomas Olmsted - Phoenix, AZ
28. Bishop Kevin Rhoades - Harrisburg
29. Bishop Alexander Sample - Marquette, MI
30. Bishop Edward J. Slattery - Tulsa, OK
31. Bishop Anthony Taylor - Little Rock, AR

Notre Dame Announces Homosexual-Themed Events for Easter Week

2009-04-11T14:30:00.001-04:00

The Cardinal Newman Society
For Immediate Release

April 9, 2009

Notre Dame Announces Homosexual-Themed Events for Easter Week

Manassas, Va. - Late in the afternoon on Holy Thursday, the University of Notre Dame announced a series of events during Easter Week to promote an "inclusive spirit" in support of homosexual students, including a film that blames a mother's Christian faith for causing her gay son's suicide.

"Christianity is under attack from within our own Catholic universities," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. "The bad news continues, perhaps appropriately on the day when we recall Christ's terrible agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. We need Catholics worldwide to draw the line, here and now, by joining more than 255,000 witnesses for the Faith at NotreDameScandal.com."

"StaND Against Hate Week," to occur April 14 through 17, is co-sponsored by Notre Dame's Gender Relations Center, student government and University Counseling Center.

The week includes a screening of the film Prayers for Bobby, which portrays Mary Griffith, a faithful Christian mother who seeks spiritual healing for her homosexual son, as the cause of her son's suicide. According to a review at ReligionDispatches.org, the film biography ignores the real-life Bobby's drug use and "stint as a gay prostitute." The real Mary Griffith has renounced her faith and champions homosexual rights, including same-sex marriage.

Notre Dame also will participate in the national "Day of Silence" on April 17, an event to oppose harassment of homosexual students in schools. Despite the worthy goal, the national event is used by the sponsoring Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to promote school curricula that equate "sexual identity" with racial and ethnic differences, without clarification about the moral and health consequences of homosexual activity.

The announced agenda for the week indicates no effort to teach students about Catholic teaching on homosexual activity as gravely sinful.

April 17 is the one-year anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's address to Catholic educators in Washington, D.C., during which he called Catholic colleges and universities to a stronger Catholic identity.

"We observe today a timidity in the face of the category of the good and an aimless pursuit of novelty parading as the realization of freedom," Pope Benedict said. He continued, "[P]articularly disturbing, is the reduction of the precious and delicate area of education in sexuality to management of 'risk,' bereft of any reference to the beauty of conjugal love."

Meanwhile, Notre Dame's plan to bestow an honorary law degree on President Barack Obama on May 17 has been protested by students and alumni, 31 Catholic bishops, 10 Holy Cross priests and more than a quarter million Catholics at www.NotreDameScandal.com, which was established by The Cardinal Newman Society.

# # #

600 Priests and Deacons Denounce Notre Dame Scandal

2009-04-11T14:25:00.001-04:00

600 Priests and Deacons Denounce Notre Dame Scandal
By Kathleen Gilbert

NOTRE DAME, Indiana, April 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, a national association of 600 priests and deacons, has issued a statement urging the University of Notre Dame to rescind the invitation to President Obama to be the commencement speaker for this year's graduation and receive an honorary law degree May 17.

The invitation has drawn criticism from Catholics across America, including 31 bishops and over a quarter million Americans who have signed a petition launched by the Cardinal Newman Society against the scandal (http://www.notredamescandal.com).

The Confraternity today called upon Notre Dame to honor the late Pope John Paul II's papal letter, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which requires Catholic colleges and universities to conform to and defend Magisterial teaching.

"If need be, a Catholic University must have the courage to speak uncomfortable truths which do not please public opinion, but which are necessary to safeguard the authentic good of society," the Pope wrote in the 1990 document, going on to cite the "responsibility to try to communicate to society ... principles which give full meaning to human life" as "a specific priority" of Catholic schools.

"The decision ... to afford an openly pro-abortion politician the privilege of speaking to graduating seniors at the commencement violates every principle of Catholic education insofar as it violates both Divine and Natural Law," said the Confraternity. "We are therefore saddened and outraged that any Catholic institution, let alone a prestigious university like Notre Dame, would afford a public gesture of acceptance and endorsement to a politician who openly supports the so-called legal 'right' to 'choose death', i.e., the direct killing of an unborn human being."

The Confraternity called the reasoning that the invitation would foster "dialogue" with the President on life issues "a non sequitur." "Speaking at Commencement is not an open debate, it is a monologue," said the clergymen. "Parents did not pay tuition for celebrities to speak at their son or daughter's graduation, they paid it to ensure a Catholic education."

Noting that they welcome respectful debate on life issues, the group states, "It is an oxymoron at best and an outrageous insult at worst to ask a politician, even a president, who is openly pro-abortion to be Commencement Speaker at a graduation from a Catholic school.

"President Obama is not only ideologically but also legislatively and administratively proactive in perpetuating and proliferating abortion," affirmed the Confraternity. "Honor the office and respect the man but repudiate and denounce his policies and appointments which endorse and promote the injustice of abortion."

Pro-Abortion Journalist Chris Matthews to Offer Commencement Address at Catholic St. Joseph's University

2009-04-04T07:46:00.001-04:00

Pro-Abortion Journalist Chris Matthews to Offer Commencement Address at Catholic St. Joseph's University

By Kathleen Gilbert

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, April 3, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Undeterred by the Notre Dame scandal, another Catholic University has invited a pro-abortion celebrity to address the school and receive an honorary degree at this year's graduation ceremony.

St Joseph's University of Philadelphia announced in March that political commentator Chris Matthews, a vocal proponent of abortion, is due to offer the commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate in communications at the 2009 Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16.

Despite his avowed identity as a Roman Catholic, Matthews is known for his strong support of legalized abortion.

Matthews recently sparked criticism on the March 2 edition of his program, MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews," for a statement comparing pro-life advocates to terrorists.

Referring to the Senate confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama's radically pro-abortion pick to head the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Matthews asked Lois Romano of the Washington Post, "Is she gonna get through the terrorism of the anti-abortion people?"

Matthews went on to complain about the possibility that Sebelius' connections to notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller could slow up the Senate proceedings.

In 2003, when Matthews was honored at commencement ceremonies at both Holy Cross College of Massachusetts and the University of Scranton, the bishops of both Catholic schools - Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly and Scranton Bishop James Timlin - boycotted the ceremonies.

The office of Philadelphia's Cardinal Rigali, who heads the pro-life arm of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, did not have immediate comment.

St. Joseph's University did not immediately return calls from LifeSiteNews.com seeking comment.

To contact St. Joseph's University:

Timothy R. Lannon, S.J.
Office of the President
Saint Joseph's University
5600 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131-1395
tlannon@sju.edu
University operator: 610-660-1000

Holy Cross Superior writes to Obama over Notre Dame invite

2009-04-01T17:05:00.004-04:00

Note: Though the good priest is to be commended for framing the incident correctly, it really appears that as a so-called superior, like the bishops, he's just passing the buck. There are certainly actions at his disposal that he could take to stop this travesty but he won't. Shepherd lay down their lives for their sheep. They protect them. Who is standing up for the devout Catholics at Notre Dame who are being marginalized by this? Answer: No one.

Holy Cross Superior writes to Obama over Notre Dame invite

Bridgeport, Conn., Mar 31, 2009 / 07:21 pm (CNA).- Today Holy Cross Superior General, Fr. Hugh W. Cleary, released an open letter to President Barack Obama addressing the Notre Dame scandal and claiming that Obama has "made a mistake" on his support for legalized abortion.

However, Fr. Cleary said that he is unable to rescind the invitation since Notre Dame is legally seperate from the Holy Cross order.Opening his letter to Obama, Fr. Cleary explained the history of the University of Notre Dame and its founding by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, of which he is the Superior General. Fr. Cleary was also careful to note that he does not have authority over the decision -making of the university, a power which rests in the hands of its Board of Fellows and Board of Trustees. He did say, on the other hand, that he exercises personal authority over all Holy Cross priests, including Fr. John Jenkins, the university's president.

The Holy Cross Superior General then congratulated the President for being awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree and spent the next 13 pages of his letter addressing Obama's support for abortion rights and posing the question, "How are we Catholics to participate in all levels of government without betraying our consciences?"

After complementing Obama's intellect and understanding of "the issues of our day," Fr. Cleary then asked Obama not to "dismiss [Catholic] views too off-handedly, without giving them the serious attention and reflection they deserve."

Already, said Fr. Cleary, many faithful Catholics "feel out of the mainstream" when it comes to our "nation's direction and decision making."

Brushing aside the idea that the Notre Dame outrage is "partisan politics," Fr. Cleary said that he wants to "rejoice in [Obama's] presence at Notre Dame," but wonders how Catholics should "deal with [him], or any other government leader, who upholds what we believe to be the intrinsic evil of abortion."

Fr. Cleary called on Obama to re-evaluate the "civil laws framing our United States cultural values" which see a human embryo growing as just "new tissue, a kind of cancerous, biological growth infecting a woman's body and threatening a woman's independent way of life."

In a reference to slavery, Fr. Cleary said that the United States has a history of defining "parameters of human life when it suits our self interest" saying that slavery was a way of "denying that a black human being of African decent" was not fully human for the sake of "economic progress," just like many argue an unwanted child could be for a struggling mother.

He also questioned how a Catholic should respond to a government and a president that are willing to support the Freedom of Choice Act, which would force faith-based hospitals to perform abortions, or deny health care workers their freedom to choose life. Obama's logic would then make it "lawful to choose abortion but it [would] be a crime to choose life," a postiion that Fr. Cleary believes would be a government "persecution of the Catholic Church."

Pondering the possible passage of FOCA, he wondered if it would mean that Catholics should "flee to Canada in protest" or the desert as early Christians did to escape the "sinful society seemingly beyond conversion."

The Pope's visit to Africa, Fr. Cleary said, is another example of "Catholic bashing" and persecution of the Church by the "free press." By focusing on a sound-byte by the Pope, instead of his entire "thoughtful and gracious answer" the "industrial news media complex" has shown it is more eager to "make news and money" than properly report and enforce the values. Cleary also said he feared that media owners have become the "new teaching hierarchy of the culture wars," which the Catholic Church cannot compete with.

Drawing his letter to a close, the Holy Cross superior told President Obama that "[Catholics] want to be taken seriously. We insist on taking ourselves seriously, that is why there has been so much protest and turmoil in regard to your presence at Notre Dame." He then offered a topic for Obama's commencement speech: "how Catholics can be taken seriously for our faith convictions without being dismissed off-handedly and shunned."

CNA was able to obtain the full letter Fr. Cleary sent to President Obama. To read the letter, please click here.