Former National Security Advisor Opposes Notre Dame Giving Honorary Degree to Obama

Richard Allen, former National Security Advisor to President Reagan, has spoken out against Notre Dame, his alma mater, giving Barack Hussein Obama an honorary degree. His op-ed in The New York Times follows:

Degrees of Acceptance at Notre Dame

By Richard V. Allen

THERE is turmoil in South Bend, Ind. — and around the country. The Rev. John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, has invited President Obama to deliver the commencement address at the university on May 17 and to receive an honorary degree.

As a result, many alumni are up in arms denouncing the decision. Priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals have criticized the university and its president. South Bend’s own bishop, John D’Arcy, has announced that he will not attend. At the same time, other members of the Notre Dame community have responded, with similar force, that Mr. Obama should be allowed to speak.

Both sides are entrenched. Is there a way out?

Inviting a president to the campus of Notre Dame ought not be an issue. Mr. Obama should be welcomed at the school — just as other presidents before him were.

But Father Jenkins also overstates the case when he says that the president is coming to Notre Dame to further “positive engagement.”

American presidents don’t go to commencements to engage in dialogue; they go to use the university platform to deliver a message, their message, not a two-way message. They fly in, speak, then fly back to Washington. Notre Dame provides a great photo op and seal of approval for any elected official.

What’s more, it’s important to remember that Notre Dame is a Catholic institution. The school openly flouts the guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops when it bestows an honorary degree upon a president who supports something anathema to the faith: abortion. Catholic doctrine holds that life begins at conception; as a candidate, Mr. Obama said that determining when life begins “is above my pay grade,” not an answer at all. There is every sign that his administration has a pro-abortion orientation.

The moral conflict could not be clearer. But here’s a solution: Notre Dame should welcome President Obama as its principal commencement speaker but should not give him an honorary degree. You see, policy positions do matter when it comes to honorary degrees, because the degrees honor something.

In his first appearance after an attempted assassination on March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan traveled to Notre Dame to deliver its commencement address. As Mr. Reagan’s national security adviser, and as someone who earned two degrees at Notre Dame, I went along. Mr. Reagan had special ties to the school. He portrayed the Notre Dame football legend George Gipp in the 1940 classic “Knute Rockne — All American.” (This may be why so many people thought he was Catholic — this, and his Irish name.)

But the reasons for his invitation went much deeper. The Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, the university’s president at the time, told me that he conferred an honorary degree on Mr. Reagan because he admired his unflinching stance during the 1980 campaign on the protection of the unborn. This was a difficult position at the time, for pressures were building in support of abortion rights after the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Mr. Reagan’s views and policies were recognized in the honorary degree he received.

The Obama policy on abortion is pretty much the opposite of Ronald Reagan’s. It is precisely what the Catholic Church fights against. That is why my alma mater, while welcoming him in its midst, ought not confer an honorary degree on Mr. Obama.

Richard V. Allen, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, was Ronald Reagan’s national security adviser.

Scranton Bishops Join Protest of Notre Dame Scandal

Scranton Bishop Joseph F. Martino and Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty have joined with more than a dozen other bishops and thousands of people throughout the nation who are publicly protesting Notre Dame University’s decision to honor President Barack Obama at the school’s commencement.

In a letter to Notre Dame’s president, Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, Bishop Martino and Bishop Dougherty cite the extensive anti-life positions taken by President Obama and describe the Catholic school’s decision to host him as the commencement speaker and bestow an honorary degree on him as a “scandal to the Church.”

They also cite the 2004 statement by the United States Bishops, which says: “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.”

All those who seek a "culture of life" can express their opposition to Notre Dame’s decision through on online petition sponsored by the Cardinal Newman Society. The petition can be found on a new website dedicated to the scandal: http://www.notredamescandal.com

Below is the letter to Father Jenkins:

April 1, 2009

Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President

University of Notre Dame

400 Main Building

Notre Dame, Indiana 46556

Dear Father Jenkins,

The numerous, repeated and extensive anti-life positions taken by President Obama merit his recognition as an unequalled, prominent proponent of the culture of death in our nation. Given her Catholic identity, the University of Notre Dame’s receiving the President as the 2009 commencement speaker and her bestowing on him an honorary doctorate are truly shameful, a scandal to the Church and a major blow to hundreds of thousands who have sacrificed to bring forth a culture of life in our midst.

As a Diocesan Bishop and his Auxiliary we cannot overstress our disapproval of these actions by the University.

Through its President, His Eminence Cardinal George, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops acted swiftly and consistently to engage President Obama on human life issues. Your reported comment that “I think if he is going to reconsider his views, I think Notre Dame is the best possible place to begin that process” demeans, we believe, the intelligent urgency exercised by the nation’s bishops in this matter.

Moreover, your argument that honoring President Obama by granting a degree to him “is not intended to condone or endorse his position on specific issues regarding life” is no more than a blatant rejection of United States Bishops’ assessment of what Catholic institutions do when they so act. Their 2004 statement is absolutely clear. “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.”

"Bishops have a particular responsibility to promote Catholic universities, and especially to promote and assist in the preservation and strengthening of their Catholic identity, including the protection of their Catholic identity in relation to civil authorities.” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, no. 28) We are convinced that Notre Dame will one day very much regret rebuffing not only her own Bishop D’Arcy but also the USCCB’s efforts to fulfill their responsibilities in her regard.

Praying this conviction will prove untrue and that Notre Dame will immediately and resoundingly proclaim her Catholic identity in word and act, we are,

Sincerely yours in Our Lord,

Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D.

Bishop of Scranton

Most Reverend John M. Dougherty, D.D., V.G.

Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton

President of US Bishops Conference: Notre Dame Obama Invite an "Extreme Embarassment"

From LifeSiteNews
By Kathleen Gilbert

Speaking as the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, this weekend Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said that the University of Notre Dame's decision to host and honor President Obama at their commencement ceremony this year was an "extreme embarrassment" to Catholics.

"Whatever else is clear, it is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation," George told the crowd at a conference Saturday on the Vatican document Dignitatis Personae. The conference was hosted by the Chicago archdiocese's Respect Life office and Office for Evangelization at the Marriott O'Hare hotel.

In a video obtained by LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) today, Cardinal George prefaced his remarks by noting that as USCCB president he does not have jurisdiction or authority over other bishops, but nonetheless has "some moral authority, without any kind of jurisdiction or any sort of real authority." (Download the brief video to view in Windows Media format - http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/video/CardinalGeorge.wmv - or QuickTime format - http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/video/CardinalGeorge.mov - allow time for the download to complete.

"As president of the U.S. bishops' conference I have to precisely speak for the bishops and not in my own name, as I could as Archbishop of Chicago," he added.

George said he had spoken with the administrative committee of the bishops' conference and corresponded with University president Fr. John Jenkins several times on the issue.

"That conversation will continue .... whether or not it will have some kind of consequence that will bring, I think, the University of Notre Dame to its [the USCCB's] understanding of what it means to be Catholic," said the Cardinal. "That is, when you're Catholic, everything you do changes the life of everybody else who calls himself a personal Catholic - it's a network of relationships.

"So quite apart from the president's own positions, which are well known, the problem is in that you have a Catholic university - the flagship Catholic university - do something that brought extreme embarrassment to many, many people who are Catholic," said the cardinal.

"So whatever else is clear, it is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation, and didn't anticipate the kind of uproar that would be consequent to the decision, at least not to the extent that it has happened," said George.

The Cardinal urged concerned Catholics "to do what you are supposed to be doing: to call, to email, to write letters, to express what's in your heart about this: the embarrassment, the difficulties."

However, Cardinal George emphasized that the U.S. presidency "is an office that deserves some respect, no matter who is holding it," and said that Notre Dame would not disinvite the president, since "you just don't do that (disinvite the president of the United States)." According to the cardinal requests to revoke the invitation would fall on deaf ears, but he also observed that there is legitimate potential to organize some form of protest at the ceremony.

"You have to sit back and get past the immediate moral outrage and say, 'Now what's the best thing to do in these circumstances?'" said the Cardinal.

"I can assure you the bishops are doing that."

Cardinal George is the ninth U.S. bishop to speak out against the scandal.

To sign the Cardinal Newman Society's petition protesting the Notre Dame scandal: http://www.notredamescandal.com

For a list of contact information regarding the Notre Dame scandal, go to: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032706.html

Newly Appointed Archbishop of New York on Notre Dame Scandal: "They Made a Big Mistake"

From LifeSiteNews

The bishop recently appointed to head up the archdiocese of New York - one of the most influential positions in the U.S. Catholic Church - said in an interview yesterday that Notre Dame "made a big mistake" by inviting President Obama to receive an honorary degree and give the commencement address at the school on May 17.

"They made a big mistake ... in an issue that is very close to the heart of Catholic world view, namely, the protection of innocent life in the womb, [Obama] has unfortunately taken a position very much at odds with the Church," Archbishop Timothy Dolan told host Charlie Sykes on the "Sunday Insight" program of Milwaukee station TMJ4.

Dolan is the fifth bishop to condemn the university's decision since the March 20 announcement that Obama had accepted the invitation, and announcement sparked a wave of protest from the American Catholic community.

Last Friday, the Texas Catholic Herald published Houston Cardinal Nicholas DiNardo's "Shepherd's Message" in which the Cardinal said the "very disappointing" invite "requires charitable but vigorous critique."

"Though I can understand the desire by a university to have the prestige of a commencement address by the President of the United States, the fundamental moral issue of the inestimable worth of the human person from conception to natural death is a principle that soaks all our lives as Catholics, and all our efforts at formation, especially education at Catholic places of higher learning," wrote DiNardo.

Notre Dame's own Bishop John D'Arcy responded soon after the scandal broke with a statement condemning the invitation and announcing his decision to boycott the graduation ceremony.

An online petition sponsored by the Cardinal Newman Society has gathered over 212,000 signatures as of Monday morning. (http://www.notredamescandal.com)

For a list of contact information regarding the Notre Dame scandal, go to: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032706.html

Nationwide Outrage Building to Notre Dame Scandal

Jack Higgins © 2009 Chicago Sun-Times

In less than one week, nearly 200,000 have signed the petition to Notre Dame's President, Father John Jenkins, C.S.C., declaring it "an outrage and a scandal that 'Our Lady’s University,' one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage."

The Cardinal Newman Society, a sponsor of the petition, is asking that anyone who has not already signed the petition do so here.

You may also wish to contact Fr. Jenkins: Call him at 574.631.5000, fax him at 574.631.2770, write a personal email president@nd.edu, or mail your letter to 317 Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Finally, please pray that this venerable institution will stay true to its Catholic heritage and identity.

Phoenix Bishop Calls Notre Dame's Obama Honor "Public Act of Disobedience to U.S. Bishops"

From LifeSiteNews
By Kathleen Gilbert

Bishop Thomas Olmsted (Diocese of Phoenix) has written a letter to University of Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins condemning the invitation to President Obama to offer the school's commencement address and receive an honorary law degree on May 17.

Olmsted's letter follows a statement earlier this week by Notre Dame's own Bishop John D'Arcy, in which the bishop criticized the decision and announced his intent to boycott the ceremony.

American Papist blogger Thomas Peters broke the news of the letter from Bishop Olmsted, dated yesterday, in which Olmsted told Jenkins he was "saddened and heavy of heart about your decision to invite President Obama to speak at Notre Dame University and even to receive an honorary degree" (See: www.americanpapist.com/blog).

"It is a public act of disobedience to the Bishops of the United States," said the bishop, who cited the U.S. bishops' 2004 directive that pro-abortion politicians "should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

"I pray that you come to see the grave mistake of your decision, and the way that it undercuts the Church's proclamation of the Gospel of Life in our day," Olmsted concluded.

Since news broke of the invitation to Obama late last Friday, Catholic leaders and Notre Dame alumni have unleashed a steady stream of protest and calls to reconsider the move. A fast-moving online petition launched by the Cardinal Newman Society on a website formed immediately after the Friday announcement (http://www.notredamescandal.com/) has gathered over 165,000 signatures as of early Thursday afternoon. Fr. Jenkins has said he would not rescind the offer despite protests.

To read the complete text of Bishop Olmsted's letter, see: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032606.html

Indiana Bishop Condemns Notre Dame for Obama Commencement Invitation

Bishop John M. D'Arcy, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

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

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.

Notre Dame Alumni and Catholic Laity Outraged by University's Decision to Honor Obama

As of 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 23, more than 28,000 people have joined a nationwide campaign, launched by the Cardinal Newman Society, urging the University of Notre Dame to rescind the honor of selecting President Barack Hussein Obama as its commencement speaker on May 17. The campaign was launched at 6:00 p.m. Friday, March 20 immediately after The White House and Notre Dame made the announcement that Notre Dame would honor Obama.

The campaign is organized around a Newman Society sponsored website, NotreDameScandal.com, which includes an online petition to Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, and contact information for the university. Catholics are urged to join the campaign, and the petition is being circulated among leaders of several Catholic organizations.

The petition has averaged more than 270 signatures per hour since its launch, and CatholicVote.org has joined the campaign as a cosponsor of the petition effort.

The decision to honor President Obama has been criticized by Dr. Ralph McInerny, a professor at Notre Dame for more than 50 years. He has written on the popular website The Catholic Thing that “By inviting Barack Obama as commencement speaker, Notre Dame is telling the nation that the teaching of the Catholic church on this fundamental matter [abortion] can be ignored.”

It is also reported that Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput has encouraged Catholics to write to Notre Dame to protest the honor.

Project Sycamore, an organization dedicated to protecting Notre Dame’s Catholic identity, is organizing alumni to protest the honor.

NotreDameScandal.com will provide regular updates on all of the activities.

“It is an outrage and a scandal that ‘Our Lady’s University,’ one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage,” the petition reads.

Please sign the petition at the links above. Those concerned may also wish to contact any or all of the following:

To contact Notre Dame:
Phone: (574) 631-5000
email form: http://president.nd.edu/contact-us

Notre Dame Fellows:
Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., President, U. of Portland
(503) 943-7101

Patrick F. McCartan, Senior partner, Jones Day
(216) 586-7272
Email: pmccartan@jonesday.com

William M. Goodyear, CEO, Navigant Consulting
main: (312) 583-5700

list of all Notre Dame Fellows: http://www.nd.edu/leadership/fellows/

To contact the USCCB:

Cardinal Francis George, President
Archdiocese of Chicago
phone: 312-751- 8200
email: mfox@archchicago.org

Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, Chairman, Committee on Education
Diocese of Worcester
phone: 508-791-7171
committee email: catholiceducation@usccb.org

To contact Notre Dame's bishop:
Bishop John D'Arcy, Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese
Fort Wayne Chancery
phone: (260) 422-4611