H/T to MM for linking me to three cogent posts (here, here and here) by St. Petersburg's Bishop Robert Lynch on the Notre Dame-Obama question. I'm grateful not only to read these wise words but also to discover Bishop Lynch's blog. Here's a quote from Lynch's first post on the issue:
Notre Dame University has created quite a stir by announcing that at the Spring Commencement ceremony they have invited President Barack Obama to give the graduation address and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. It is a very prestigious platform to offer a President who is leading the battle for an expansion of abortion rights which may ultimately end up being unparalleled in recent history. Early “markers” are not encouraging in this regard but hope needs to spring eternal and while Notre Dame may have acted way too early and too generously, I am more alarmed that the rhetoric being employed is so uncivil and venomous that it weakens the case we place before our fellow citizens, alienates young college-age students who believe the older generation is behaving like an angry child and they do not wish to be any part of that, and ill-serves the cause of life.-ConcordPastor
Notre Dame has in the past and continues to give this local Church fine, professional and very Catholic women and men who both know and live out their faith. Most of them I know are ardently pro-life and like myself are probably disappointed with their alma mater. They and I will choose to convey our sadness to the Board of Trustees and Administration in a calm and dignified manner.
...
I see Father Ted Hesburgh quoted as saying that “visits to campus of leaders has never changed the campus but has often changed the visitor.” One can only hope and pray for this outcome. ObamaND2009
Wow - this is great and I am glad to now discover the Bishop as well.
ReplyDeleteI love that last line, I have tried to say that but not as eloquently as Fr. Ted Hesburgh has... It is all about transformation and changed.
I changed on this issue despite a firmly rooted belief in something else, for reasons far too complicated to go into here.
The long slow work of metanoia happened only after I came to church... Not before. If I had been barred or rejected, how could the change have happened?
Fran
Fran--I love your sentiment--I agree--more is gained with sugar than salt---let's hoope for a dialogue---not a closed door
ReplyDeleteBishop Lynch is so right, God bless him for the firm stand he takes while being respectful and loving to ALL...hatred will get us nowhere. How would you ever lead a soul to transformation with casting stones? Thank goodness God is in charge!
ReplyDeleteAnne
From Catholic Online, a first person account of two nonviolent protesters at Notre Dame:
ReplyDeleteDear Fr. Jenkins,
We are writing this letter to you in hopes that you can clear something up for us.
We are two Catholic women who reside in the State of Colorado. We made tragic mistakes in our younger years by having abortions. We came to the University of Notre Dame last Friday, May 8, to witness to the harm caused to us by our “choice.” We held signs that say “I Regret My Abortion”. We also gave our testimonies and prayed the Rosary with other Catholics who supported us.
So much for dialogue. They were arrested and hauled off to jail. They had no opportunity to engage the issue. Notre Dame is now a "no free speech zone."
If "anonymous" will include a link for the letter from two women to Fr. Jenkins, I will post the comment.
ReplyDeleteLink for "anonymous" above:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=33543