Bishop John D'Arcy and Notre Dame's commencement

Bishop John D'Arcy's absence on the platform at Notre Dame's commencement this weekend will not be the first time he has declined the University's invitation. In 1992, D'Arcy boycotted Notre Dame's commencement because ND was awarding the Laetare Medal that year to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who had a pro-choice stance. (This year's intended Laetare recipient, Mary Ann Glendon, declined the honor in protest of Barack Obama's being honored by the university. After Glendon's decision, ND invited Judge John T. Noonan Jr., the 1984 recipient of the Laetare Medal, to deliver an address "in the spirit of the award."
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Still, D'Arcy will not be a complete stranger to the ND campus on commencement weekend. On Saturday he will speak at the Baccalaureate Mass. As an alum and as a priest who worked in campus ministry at ND for four years, I can assure you that the Baccalaureate liturgy at Notre Dame is no small moment in the commencement weekend schedule.

I have very much admired John D'Arcy's response and approach to the university's honoring of Obama. The bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend has not condemned the university nor indulged the use of inflammatory language used by other American bishops in their statements of critique. As wrong and regrettable as I believe ND's action is, this is not the end of Notre Dame as a Catholic institution.

It's as important to note when Bishop D'Arcy will be on campus this weekend as much as when he won't be. His presence at the Baccalaureate Mass strikes the balanced approach to such difficult situations that, in the long run, have the greatest potential for growth and development.

(Previous posts on these issues)

-ConcordPastor