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Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop Chaput Speak Out Against Notre Dame Commencement
'Unfortunate'
By JOHN P. CONNOLLY, The Bulletin
Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver have both spoken out against the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama.
The two archbishops join a growing list of American bishops who have publicly criticized the country’s most prestigious Catholic university for hosting and giving an honorary degree to the pro-abortion president.
“My reaction is that it is most unfortunate,” said Cardinal Rigali. “It’s most unfortunate because of the confusion it causes; it’s most unfortunate because of the message that it gives with regard to the importance of human life; it’s most unfortunate in regard to the confusion that it causes also in the ordinary people — the students, the graduates, the families ... but above all, it is most unfortunate because the value that is attributed to life through the recognition of an honorary degree in this regard is just not acceptable.”
Archbishop Chaput praised Mary Ann Glendon, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, who turned down the university’s Laetare Medal when the university began using her presence as a reason why the commencement exercises would be balanced between pro-life positions and pro-abortion ones.
“I very much admire Mary Ann Glendon’s decision to decline the Laetare Medal, as well as Bishop John D’Arcy’s excellent leadership in this matter,” said Archbishop Chaput.
“I’m glad so many bishops have expressed their concern.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a directive in 2004 that said Catholics “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.”
“Something very positive is going on in our country along with all the negative things,” said Cardinal Rigali, who heads the USCCB Committee on Pro-life Activities. “There is a greater and evolving understanding of the value of human life in many, many people.”
Fifty-three bishops have now publicly stated their opposition to the university’s actions, and over 344,000 Catholics have sent protests to the school through the Cardinal Newman Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the identity of Catholic universities. The first 300,000 of those protests were delivered to Fr. John Jenkins, Notre Dame President, the university’s Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows ahead of scheduled meetings on May 1.
“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.”
Copies of the protests were also sent to Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education and Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the papal ambassador to the U.S.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
The two archbishops join a growing list of American bishops who have publicly criticized the country’s most prestigious Catholic university for hosting and giving an honorary degree to the pro-abortion president.
“My reaction is that it is most unfortunate,” said Cardinal Rigali. “It’s most unfortunate because of the confusion it causes; it’s most unfortunate because of the message that it gives with regard to the importance of human life; it’s most unfortunate in regard to the confusion that it causes also in the ordinary people — the students, the graduates, the families ... but above all, it is most unfortunate because the value that is attributed to life through the recognition of an honorary degree in this regard is just not acceptable.”
Archbishop Chaput praised Mary Ann Glendon, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, who turned down the university’s Laetare Medal when the university began using her presence as a reason why the commencement exercises would be balanced between pro-life positions and pro-abortion ones.
“I very much admire Mary Ann Glendon’s decision to decline the Laetare Medal, as well as Bishop John D’Arcy’s excellent leadership in this matter,” said Archbishop Chaput.
“I’m glad so many bishops have expressed their concern.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a directive in 2004 that said Catholics “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.”
“Something very positive is going on in our country along with all the negative things,” said Cardinal Rigali, who heads the USCCB Committee on Pro-life Activities. “There is a greater and evolving understanding of the value of human life in many, many people.”
Fifty-three bishops have now publicly stated their opposition to the university’s actions, and over 344,000 Catholics have sent protests to the school through the Cardinal Newman Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the identity of Catholic universities. The first 300,000 of those protests were delivered to Fr. John Jenkins, Notre Dame President, the university’s Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows ahead of scheduled meetings on May 1.
“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.”
Copies of the protests were also sent to Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education and Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the papal ambassador to the U.S.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of thebulletin.us.
newgnus wrote on May 1, 2009 10:15 PM:
" It is about time. Finally there is an outcry from our
leadership. Could their next endeavor be mobilizing
Catholics everywhere to denounce, oppose and
take legal action against those in the media, entertainment, and government who demean, denigrate, and disparage Catholics almost daily.
This does not happen to our Jewish, Black or
Muslim brothers does it? "
leadership. Could their next endeavor be mobilizing
Catholics everywhere to denounce, oppose and
take legal action against those in the media, entertainment, and government who demean, denigrate, and disparage Catholics almost daily.
This does not happen to our Jewish, Black or
Muslim brothers does it? "
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Jimdandy wrote on May 1, 2009 8:13 PM: