A Quiet Spring?

Notre Dame has announced the recipients of honorary degrees at this year's Commencement, which will take place in Notre Dame Stadium.  One of them is Clay Mathile's wife.  (You may remember Mr. Mathile as the former owner of the Iams Company, who sold his ownership stake in the company to Procter & Gamble and has been a philanthropist (especially of Catholic causes) ever since.)  The University had previously announched that the speaker would be Brian Williams, anchor for NBC News.  Also, a poet will receive the Laetare Medal.

It looks like they succeeded in being less controversial this year.

But wait!  There is still a chance of a media frenzy this spring.  The Archbishop of Munich, Germany, is speaking on campus this week.  Archbishop Reinhard Marx succeeded Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the Archbishop of Munich when Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI.  Archbishop Marx will be talking about the social message of the church, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a reporter or two show up to ask tough questions about the abuse scandal in Europe.

ND's Continued Response to Commencement 2009

In response to the fallout from its decision to award President Obama an honorary degree at this past year's commencement, Notre Dame formed a task force to recommend changes and improvements to its efforts to “broaden and deepen the pro-life culture in and among various constituencies in order to strengthen the Notre Dame community’s witness to Catholic teaching on life.”

The task force is composed of Margaret Brinig, Fritz Duda Family Professor of Law; John Cavadini, associate professor and chair of theology and McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life; Ann Astell, Professor of Theology; Kathleen Kelley, student; Mary Ellen Konieczny, Assistant Professor of Sociology; Rev. William Lies, C.S.C., Director of the Center for Social Concerns; and Rev. Mark Poorman, C.S.C., Vice President for Student Affairs.

The task force has issued its preliminary recommendations, which include plans for the following:

• Research and academic programs
• Investment policies
• Pregnant student policies
• Alumni Association efforts

In addition, President John Jenkins will hold a mass at Notre Dame for the students travelling to Washington DC for this year's March for Life.  He will also travel to Washington as the head of the Notre Dame delegation, becoming the first Notre Dame President to make the trip.

Next year's Commencement speaker will be NBC News anchor, Brian Williams.

Video from Commencement

You may have received an email from the Alumni Association with links to the commencement videos. In case not, the text of mine is found below:

Given the high level of interest and discussion around Notre Dame’s Commencement, we have prepared a highlights video of the speeches given earlier today. We invite you to view the highlights video.

You can also view the respective speeches of President Obama, Father Jenkins, Judge Noonan and Valedictorian Brennan Bollman in their entirety.

Commencement, Day 1

A good summary of today's events is found on the Dayton Daily News website. A schedule of videos from the University's website is found here.

Text of Honorary Doctorate of Laws

The text of the doctorate given to the President is as follows:

“At the 164th Commencement The May Exercises

The University of Notre Dame Confers the degree of

Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on the 44th president of the United States, whose historic election opened a new era of hope in a country long divided by its history of slavery and racism. A community organizer who honed his advocacy for the poor, the marginalized and the worker in the streets of Chicago, he now organizes a larger community, bringing to the world stage a renewed American dedication to diplomacy and dialogue with all nations and religions committed to human rights and the global common good. Through his willingness to engage with those who disagree with him and encourage people of faith to bring their beliefs to the public debate, he is inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow.

On Barack H. Obama, Washington, District of Columbia”

Live Commencement Video

The University's website has an entire lineup of live video from this year's commencement ceremonies on May 16 and 17. Check it out if you just can't wait to read the transcripts that will come out later.

Fr. Jenkins's Letter to the Graduating Seniors

Many of you received an email from the Alumni Association containing the text of a letter that Fr. Jenkins sent to the graduating seniors earlier this week. For those that didn't, it is reprinted below:

May 11, 2009

Dear Members of the Notre Dame Graduating Class of 2009:

This Sunday, as you receive your degrees at Commencement, your joy – and that of your families – will be shared by the faculty, staff, and administration of the University. We have had the privilege of laboring with each of you to inquire and discover, to teach and to learn, and we will send you off with affectionate and fond hopes for the future.

For those of you who are undergraduates, I feel a special kinship. You arrived in your dorm rooms as I arrived in the President’s Office. You have learned much; I may have learned more. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to learn with you, come to know you, and to serve you during our time together at Notre Dame. During your years here we have endeavored to train you in the various disciplines and urged you to ask the larger questions – discussing not only the technical and practical but also the ethical and spiritual dimensions of pressing issues. I have been proud of you as you’ve grappled with intellectual, political, and spiritual questions. But I have never been more proud than I have been watching the way you’ve conducted yourselves over the past several weeks. The decision to invite President Obama to Notre Dame to receive an honorary degree and deliver the Commencement address has triggered debate. In many cases, the debate has grown heated, even between people who agree completely on Church teaching regarding the sanctity of human life, who agree completely that we should work for change – and differ only on how we should work for change.

Yet, there has been an extra dimension to your debate. You have discussed this issue with each other while being observed, interviewed, and evaluated by people who are interested in this story. You engaged each other with passion, intelligence and respect. And I saw no sign that your differences led to division. You inspire me. We need the wider society to be more like you; it is good that we are sending you into that world on Sunday.

I am saddened that many friends of Notre Dame have suggested that our invitation to President Obama indicates ambiguity in our position on matters of Catholic teaching. The University and I are unequivocally committed to the sanctity of human life and to its protection from conception to natural death.

Notre Dame has a long custom of conferring honorary degrees on the President of the United States. It has never been a political statement or an endorsement of policy. It is the University’s expression of respect for the leader of the nation and the Office of the President. In the Catholic tradition, our first allegiance is to God in Christ, yet we are called to respect, participate in, and contribute to the wider society. As St. Peter wrote (I Pt. 2:17), we should honor the leader who upholds the secular order. At the same time, and born of the same duty, a Catholic university has a special obligation not just to honor the leader but to engage the culture. Carrying out this role of the Catholic university has never been easy or without controversy. When I was an undergraduate at Notre Dame, Fr. Hesburgh spoke of the Catholic university as being both a lighthouse and a crossroads. As a lighthouse, we strive to stand apart and be different, illuminating issues with the moral and spiritual wisdom of the Catholic tradition. Yet, we must also be a crossroads through which pass people of many different perspectives, backgrounds, faiths, and cultures. At this crossroads, we must be a place where people of good will are received with charity, are able to speak, be heard, and engage in responsible and reasoned dialogue.

The President’s visit to Notre Dame can help lead to broader engagement on issues of importance to the country and of deep significance to Catholics. Ultimately, I hope that the conversations and the good will that come from this day will contribute to closer relations between Catholics and public officials who make decisions on matters of human life and human dignity.

There is much to admire and celebrate in the life and work of President Obama. His views and policies on immigration, expanding health care, alleviating poverty, and building peace through diplomacy have a deep resonance with Catholic social teaching. As the first African-American holder of this office, he has accelerated our country’s progress in overcoming the painful legacy of slavery and segregation. He is a remarkable figure in American history, and I look forward to welcoming him to Notre Dame.

As President Obama is our principal speaker, there will no doubt be much attention on your Commencement. Remember, though, that this day is your day. My fervent prayer is that May 17 will be a joyous day for you and your family. You are the ones we celebrate and applaud.

Congratulations, and may God bless you.

In Notre Dame,

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.

President

No Laetare Medal This Year; Noonan to Speak

Notre Dame announced that it would not give a Laetare Medal this year. Instead, Judge John T. Noonan, Jr., the 1984 winner of the Medal, will give a speech at commencement. He is a judge in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which governs several states in the western part of the country. (Life tenure tends to make a person impervious to politics.)

For those not familiar with Judge Noonan, take a look at this announcement. His list of accomplishments is more than impressive. He was even a professor at Notre Dame's law school.

And since a lot of people will want to know -- yes, he is pro-life. He has served as the Director of the National Right to Life Committee.

ND's Response to Glendon

Fr. Jenkins issued a short response to Glendon's decision not to accept the Laetare Medal. It states in full:

“We are, of course, disappointed that Professor Glendon has made this decision. It is our intention to award the Laetare Medal to another deserving recipient, and we will make that announcement as soon as possible.”

Glendon Declines Laetare Medal

Former Ambassador to the Vatican and Harvard Professor Mary Ann Glendon has declined to accept the Laetare Medal and Notre Dame's invitation to speak at Commencement. The reason for her decision is found in her letter, which is copied in full below.

Dear Father Jenkins,
When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame’s most memorable commencement speeches.

So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty.
Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President Obama, I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.

First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:

• “President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.”

• “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”

A commencement, however, 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.

Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.

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.

In order to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision, I will release this letter to the press, but I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.

Yours Very Truly,

Mary Ann Glendon

Jenkins Talks to Alumni about Obama

University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., spoke to approximately 200 Alumni representatives from all parts of the country as part of the Alumni Senate on Thursday, April 23, 2009. The talk lasted for approximately 45 minutes with Fr. Jenkins speaking for about 10 minutes and taking questions for the remaining time. The talk was closed to the press. It was videotaped, but there were problems with the audio early in the presentation that may make the video unusable. In any event, the video is not online at this time. The following is a summary of his talk and the question-and-answer session that followed. It was prepared by our club’s representatives at the Alumni Senate who attended this talk in person. It is presented as an informational service to our club members and does not include interpretations, impressions, or reactions of the authors except when describing the tone and body language of Fr. Jenkins and the alumni. The links are to documents that were referenced but not quoted or read at the talk. We included the links to provide better context for the discussion.

Fr. Jenkins spoke without notes and without the use of a teleprompter. He spoke slowly and soberly. He gave no introduction to the Alumni Senate weekend as a whole, but rather jumped straight to the question about the invitation to President Obama. He began by stating that he wanted to be clear that the University was committed to Catholic teaching in support of life at all stages. The University is against “embryonic stem cell research” and against “encouragement of abortion.” He was “saddened that some are confused about Notre Dame’s commitment” on the life issues. He explained his own personal involvement in supporting life by working for a local organization that encourages young women not to have abortions.

The University has had eight U.S. Presidents speak at its commencement in the past; all have received honorary degrees. Fr. Jenkins said that asking Presidents to speak at Notre Dame was Notre Dame’s “way of expressing respect for the political order of this country.” He referenced the First Letter of Peter for the proposition that a Christian’s first allegiance was to God, but that Christians should “respect civil authorities” nonetheless. (Although Fr. Jenkins did not quote the passage in his speech, the text to which he referred may be found at 1 Peter 2:13-17.) He referenced the motto above the side entrance to the Basilica: “God, Country, Notre Dame.” “We offer the President respect because he is the civil authority in our country. When we offer respect to the civil authorities, we are not giving an endorsement of all of their views.”

Fr. Jenkins said that there was “much to admire in this President. Even Cardinal George has said that about 90% of President Obama’s views are views that we can celebrate.” Fr. Jenkins cited Obama’s positions on immigration, the economy, and the environment as support. He emphasized that President Obama was the first African-American President, which he described as “historic.” “Notre Dame has a strong record on civil rights issues as demonstrated by Fr. Hesburgh’s service on the Civil Rights Commission in the 50s and 60s.”

“I am saddened if people have felt hurt caused by the University’s decision. I ask for your help in communicating the University’s position on life and its intent in asking President Obama to speak at commencement. My hope for the event is that it will be a discussion about issues with life and death significance.”

Fr. Jenkins said that he had talked to the President and had communicated Catholics' concerns about the invitation. He said that he is “not guaranteeing what the President will say,” but that the President has been apprised of Catholics’ views.

Fr. Jenkins then opened up the discussion to questions. The first had to do with the incident at Georgetown University the previous week in which Georgetown covered up a symbol of Jesus at the request of the Office of the President. Jenkins thanked the person for the question and responded that Notre Dame would never cover up its most important symbols for President Obama.

The next question asked whether Fr. Jenkins believed abortion was as serious as genocide and slavery. He responded that all three were serious, but that the relative seriousness depended on the context in which they arose in the world. The questioner then asked whether the University would invite someone who supported genocide or slavery. Fr. Jenkins responded that Abraham Lincoln, when he campaigned for President, declared that he would not abolish slavery. "Would I have extended and invitation to Lincoln? Yes, I would have." The questioner then made a comment about the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and several alumni in the crowd began shouting him down. Fr. Jenkins repeated that the University was not inviting President Obama because of his views on abortion, but rather because he was the current President.

I asked, “What is the University’s response to the 2004 statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Bishop D’Arcy’s interpretation of that statement?” Fr. Jenkins replied, “You can read the newspapers about that. It is a technical interpretation that I won’t be able to get into in the time that we have. Basically, the University interpreted the statement as only applying to Catholics. Bishop D’Arcy has disagreed with that interpretation. We continue to discuss the matter with Bishop D’Arcy and will continue talking with him about this situation.”

Someone asked whether the University had consulted with Bishop D’Arcy before inviting President Obama. Fr. Jenkins admitted that he had not consulted with him, “but we never do.” At this point, some alumni in the room applauded. Fr. Jenkins stated that the University would continue to discuss the matter with Bishop D’Arcy.

Another alumnus pointed out that the University’s invitation and honorary degree might be misunderstood by “young people facing an unclear world.” Fr. Jenkins stated that to some extent, a University is about controversy, but that he was saddened to the extent people had misunderstood Notre Dame’s views on the life issues or misunderstood how importantly Notre Dame considered those issues. He mentioned that some of the people upset with the decision were upset for political reasons. In other words, they had not voted for Obama in the election.

Contrary to past statements, Fr. Jenkins admitted that the controversy, while not unexpected, had been “more intense than we had anticipated. I didn’t anticipate the Bishop’s disagreement on the 2004 statement.” He stated, “I most care about the Notre Dame family. I know this issue has been divisive. I hope that the attention that this issue has caused may in some way serve the cause of life.”

An alumnus asked what the University’s plan was to bring the debate to the rest of the country. Fr. Jenkins said that given all the press attention, he was not sure what more the University could do to draw attention to the matter.

Another alumnus and a parent of a graduating senior asked that the University think about not inviting speakers that would create situations that would take the focus away from the “kids and their graduation.” Fr. Jenkins thanked her for her comment and stressed that the University would do everything it could to keep protesters and the media outside of the center of campus so that the commencement would be focused on the students.

Someone asked why the University had to confer an honorary degree on President Obama since Arizona State was not conferring an honorary degree on Obama at its graduation. Fr. Jenkins said that Notre Dame had given honorary degrees to all of the other eight Presidents who had spoken at graduation, even President Carter who was pro-choice. It would be inappropriate not to award an honorary degree on the ninth President. He repeated that the University did not agree with all of the views of the past or current Presidents and that the University did not endorse Obama’s views on the life issues. Some members of the crowd applauded.

Another person noted the deep hurt among the alumni and friends that the University’s decision to award an honorary degree on President Obama has caused. He asked what the University’s plans were to heal that hurt. Fr. Jenkins thanked the person for the question and assured him that the University would take action to start the healing process. “We will work on that.”

Someone asked what the University was doing to engage the President in a dialogue about the life issues. Fr. Jenkins replied that the University was already in touch with the President’s office and that Fr. Jenkins “hope[d] to get time to speak privately with the President.” He said that his own speech and the speech of Laetare Medal winner, Mary Ann Glendon, would be another opportunity for dialogue.

Another alumnus emphasized how much hurt had been caused among the members of his club and asked for a conscious effort by the University to heal the situation. Fr. Jenkins gave his commitment to make that effort.

An alumnus then asked for Fr. Jenkins’s blessing. Fr. Jenkins obliged and asked for God’s blessing and healing. The blessing ended with the sign of the cross.

Talk Radio on Obama at Notre Dame

Professor Scott Appleby spoke on a segment on NPR yesterday. He spoke in defense of Notre Dame's decision, opposite of Patrick Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society.

Professor Appleby also spoke on Sirius Satellite Radio on The Catholics Next Door Show with Greg and Jennifer Willits. The podcast of that extraordinary interview is found here.

Jared Rizzi, a Notre Dame graduate and producer of Lino Rulli’s The Catholic Guy Show on the Catholic Channel on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio gave the following perspective in this podcast:

It appears that the decision from Fr. John Jenkins is final. It appears that the President will be speaking at the University for Commencement. Let’s treat the decision as final. I don’t really like the idea of students and faculty, alums, people who feel a strong affinity to the Church or to the University saying he should or should not be coming. It seems like it’s happening. I believe there is a place for that debate, and I don’t think it’s over just because Fr. Jenkins has put his foot down. We have to look at this as an opportunity to open up the first real dialogue with this President on these issues. There are going to be other people on the dais who are going to have other opinions on this. The President is going to be there, and he’s not just going to be there for the twenty minutes of his speech. He’s going to be on that
campus. And if you don’t think that campus can change somebody, I would suggest you go there and take a visit. If we really hope that the President going there can reignite a national dialogue between Catholics, and maybe wake Catholics up a little bit about how they need to approach these issues if their elected officials are going to take notice. I think that is the best thing that could come out of this event in May.

More on Obama, Part II

Below is a message issued by Bishop D'Arcy, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:

Concerning President Barack Obama speaking at Notre Dame
graduation, receiving honorary law degree

March 24, 2009

On Friday, March 21, Father John Jenkins, CSC, phoned to inform me that President Obama had accepted his invitation to speak to the graduating class at Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree. We spoke shortly before the announcement was made public at the White House press briefing. It was the first time that I had been informed that Notre Dame had issued this invitation.

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.

This will be the 25th Notre Dame graduation during my time as bishop. After much prayer, I have decided not to attend the graduation. I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well. I have always revered the Office of the Presidency. But a bishop must teach the Catholic faith “in season and out of season,” and he teaches not only by his words — but by his actions. My decision is not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life. I have in mind also the statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 2004. “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.” Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for.

I have spoken with Professor Mary Ann Glendon, who is to receive the Laetare Medal. I have known her for many years and hold her in high esteem. We are both teachers, but in different ways. I have encouraged her to accept this award and take the opportunity such an award gives her to teach.

Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame. Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth.

Tomorrow, we celebrate as Catholics the moment when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, became a child in the womb of his most holy mother. Let us ask Our Lady to intercede for the university named in her honor, that it may recommit itself to the primacy of truth over prestige.

More on Obama

The Alumni Association sent an email to all Club Leaders today regarding the decision to ask President Obama to be this year's Commencement Speaker. It explains why Notre Dame made its decision and gives some thoughts from Fr. Hesburgh. I copy it in full below for your information:

Dear Club Leaders:

As you know, the University recently announced President Barack Obama will be the principal speaker and recipient of an honorary degree at Notre Dame’s Commencement ceremony this May. President Obama will be the ninth U.S. president to be awarded an honorary degree by the University, and the sixth to be the Commencement speaker. Here is the press release about the announcement.

Many alumni, parents, and friends of the University have expressed their opinions about the selection of the Commencement speaker. We welcome their feedback and appreciate the passion the Notre Dame family has for Our Lady’s University.

As leaders of ND clubs, classes, and alumni groups, you may receive phone calls, e-mails, and letters from alumni, parents and friends regarding the Commencement speaker.

If alumni, parents or friends would like to express their opinions to the University regarding this issue, please ask them to send an e-mail to the Alumni Association at ndalumni@nd.edu. They will receive a timely response.

The Alumni Association also welcomes you to share your personal views on this issue, but requests that any communications be sent outside the structure and distribution lists of the Notre Dame club, class or alumni group that you represent.

Here are a few University observations about the selection of the President as the Commencement speaker:

The University does not support President Obama’s positions on specific issues regarding the protection of human life, including abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Notre Dame’s positions on these issues are firm and unwavering. The invitation to the President to be the Commencement speaker shouldn’t be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions that contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Rather, the University has invited the President to campus for what he’s done for racial equality, and for his stands on poverty, health care, immigration, education, infectious disease, and seeking peace. These are causes dear to the heart of Notre Dame, and he has elevated these causes and made them his own.

It adds special significance that the Notre Dame family will hear the Commencement address from our first African-American president, a man who has spoken eloquently on the issue of race in this nation. That said, presenting a Commencement speaker with an honorary degree does not imply approval of all a person thinks or does. We recognize that the University has differences with the President on specific issues of protecting life, and we hope his visit to campus will provide an opportunity to address our concerns in a dialogue that can deepen over time, and ultimately lead to better policies for protecting life. A policy that is never discussed is policy that is never changed, and we’re going to get more discussion on these issues because of his visit to Notre Dame.

Also, I want to mention that Fr. Hesburgh spoke last Friday evening (3/20) to a group of alumni, parents, and friends who had gathered on campus for the Academic Recognition Weekend. Someone in the group raised the question: what did Fr. Hesburgh think of the University’s announcement of Obama as Commencement speaker? “No speaker who has ever come to Notre Dame has changed this University, he explained. We are who we are. But, quite often, the very fact of being here has changed the speaker.”

Do we expect President Obama to reverse his stance on life issues after visiting campus? No, but we do expect that the national attention drawn to these matters by virtue of his being here will open up the conversation around these critical issues—and shed light on Notre Dame’s and the Catholic Church’s firm opposition to abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

Your devotion to Notre Dame is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support and all you do for Our Lady’s University.

For Notre Dame,

Charles F.
Lennon Jr. ’61, ’62 M.A.Executive Director, Notre Dame Alumni Association

Obama to Speak at Notre Dame

As many of you have heard, President Obama will be the principal speaker and the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree at this year's Commencement Ceremony on May 17. Obama will be the ninth U.S. president to be awarded an honorary degree by the University of Notre Dame and the sixth to be the Commencement speaker. The official announcement is on the Notre Dame site.

Fr. Jenkins responded to questions about the choice in an Observer article from March 23:

"Presidents from both parties have come to Notre Dame for decades to speak to graduates about our nation and our world. They've given important addresses on international affairs, human rights, service, and we're delighted that President Obama is continuing that tradition," Jenkins said. "The invitation of President Obama to be our Commencement speaker should in no way be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions on specific issues regarding the protection of life, such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research," Jenkins said. "I would say that it's a special feature for us that we will hear from the first African American president here at Notre Dame, a person who has spoken eloquently and powerfully about race," he said. "Racial prejudice is a deep wound in America and President Obama has been a healer, so we honor him for those reasons."

The Catholic News Agency has collected comments from several Catholic scholars and Notre Dame professors in an interesting March 23 article. The Cardinal Newman Society and CatholicVote.org are sponsoring a website, http://www.notredamescandal.com/ to collect signatures to send to Fr. Jenkins protesting the decision. As of Wednesday morning, the number of signatures was reported to be over 108,000. The National Catholic Register interprets Notre Dame's decision to be opposed to the June 2004 statement from the United States Catholic Bishops called, "Catholics in Political Life." That document concludes with several points of emphasis, including the following:

• 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.


• We commit ourselves to maintain communication with public officials who make decisions every day that touch issues of human life and dignity.

Cathleen Kaveny, a Notre Dame professor of law and professor of theology and a big supporter of Obama in the election, offered this perspective Sunday in a blog post on dotCommonweal:

Current ND students appear to have voted for Obama over McCain by about 10 percentage points.
Many of them identified the economy and foreign policy as major factors in their votes.

To get a sampling of what Catholic blogs are saying about the invitation, check out this search engine dedicated only to Catholic blogs.

It's safe to expect a significant number of protests on campus. The Observer explains the following:

Junior Mary Daly, president of Notre Dame's Right to Life club, said that she has been contacted by many pro-life organizations around the country. "There are a ton of ideas flying around," Daly said. "But we don't have any decisions yet. Those will be coming out in a few days." Although she said she believes it is an honor to have the President speak at Notre Dame, Daly said Obama's strong pro-choice beliefs and support for the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) contradicts the Catholic mission of the University.