The following story originally from the Cardinal Newman Society appeared on the LifeSiteNews.com website on September 25.
Despite Catholic outrage over the University of Notre Dame’s 2009 invitation to President Barack Obama to address its graduates, the University has again invited the President to speak on campus as a candidate for reelection.
From the Notre Dame news release:
The University of Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., and student body president Brett Rocheleau have joined in inviting both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney to speak at the University during the fall election campaign.
Continuing a long-standing tradition, Father Jenkins and Rocheleau addressed letters to each of the presidential aspirants, offering Notre Dame as a “forum for serious political discussion” on important issues facing the nation. The intent of the invitations, which include the candidates’ running mates, is to provide the campus community a firsthand impression of the contenders and their messages.
The tradition of election-year invitations to presidential and vice presidential candidates was established 60 years ago by Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., in his first year as Notre Dame’s president. That year, both Dwight Eisenhower and his Democratic opponent, Adlai Stevenson, spoke at the University.
Other candidates who have accepted the invitation through the years include Richard Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge, Warren Miller (a Notre Dame alumnus), Edmund Muskie, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Joe Lieberman.
More than 367,000 individuals signed The Cardinal Newman Society’s petition opposing President Obama’s 2009 commencement address and honorary degree from Notre Dame, and 83 Catholic bishops publicly criticized the honor. In 2004, the U.S. bishops approved a policy banning Catholic honors and platforms to individuals who oppose fundamental Catholic teachings.
The invitation will seem inappropriate to many Catholics, as the Church struggles with the intransigence of the Obama administration on a Health and Human Services regulation forcing Catholic institutions to provide employee and student health insurance coverage for sterilization, abortion-causing drugs, and contraceptives.
The University of Notre Dame is in the awkward position of having invited to campus the target of the University’s pending lawsuit over the HHS contraceptive mandate. President Obama has supported legal abortion, funding for Planned Parenthood, homosexual ”marriage” and embryonic stem cell research — all considered by Catholics to be highly immoral.
The invitation to Governor Romney also could raise concerns. He opposes the cloning of human embryos but supports embryonic stem cell research in opposition to Catholic moral teaching.
To read original story, click here.
Just stop calling it Notre Dame it is an insult and sin for Our Lady to be named after this university, this fraud in chief must be voted out this Fall, any Catholic who votes for him is committing a grave sin!!
They probably just want to hear him stand up once again “for hope and change,” which of course means welcoming America’s new president, Mr. Romney, and watch if he says “Good-bye, everybody!” with as much charisma as he did 4 years ago. And oh, yes – apologize to America for how poorly he has performed – and for virtually never going to church, while claiming to be a “Christian.” In other words, they may just want to hear him do some ‘splainin’ about all that dawgone hype and no change.
Yes, but I am getting free food stamps and condoms, my pastor doesn’t say anything about who to vote for, so what? Abd Obama is going to take care of my grandma, the Repubs are not going to let her have fre healthcare.
THAT, in my humble opinion, is the thinking of TOO many Cathoics tday.
The clergy MUST speak up, develop some moral backbone, take some courage capsules and be very pointed about for which candidate it is morally permissable to vote. My assessment is that Catholics on the whole are no different from the populace as a whole who think obtaining the above and any other freebie that they can supercedes some walk to heaven.
Better the MORMON
than the MORON
Goodbye Obama
Maybe Notre Dame University is recruiting Obama for a professorship after his retirement from politics.
When I think of Notre Dame University I find myself reminescing on a corral full of pack burros belonging to an outfitter we ran into up in the mountains one time. It was brief study of low level reality rather than high level fantasy.
I gotta hand it to you JLS, you do paint a picture of creativity. I would of never come up with that but you sure make sense. LOL
If we can come up with the funds, I will be once again joining my buddy and former Notre Dame Journalism Professor, Joe Sheidler on the picket lines at Notre Shame.
I am sure that Fr. Norman Weslin and Bishop Austin Vaughan and many other deceased pro-life leaders will be there in Spirit as well.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Actually Cardinal Dolan gave them the green light!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Sounds wonderful to me! May God continue to bless the (C.S.C.) Congregation of Holy Cross!!
Let’s lose another one for the Gipper!!!!!
God Help us all! For the evil one is even corrupted Notre Dame! I want to hear Cardinal Dolan’s thought and our Pope! We are not to judge, so maybe this is God’s plan to help Notre Dame see Our Lady clearly. Maybe it will give Gov. Romney a chance to talk about Our Father who Art in Heaven and explain why HHS mandate is clearly wrong! We should always follow God’s laws first and foremost. My more eyes be opened and see that pro-choice is not the choice of God the Father!
We need to fight the Good Fight, with all our MIght! God Bless America till the end of time and may President Obama and Notre Dame see clearly how wrong the HHS Mandate is to OUR CREATOR and country.
So, N. D. has earned new initials-N.D.G.-NO DERNED GOOD.
Unlike previously, I don’t have an issue with Notre Dame inviting President Barak Obama to speak at Notre Dame since it is also inviting Matt Romney. In fact, this could be a very good thing in light of Romney’s impressive debate last night with Obama. Romney was the clear winner in the debate. If Romney stays on the same course, he will expose the evils of Obama’s health care plan, how it flies in the face of religious freedom, and how it will especially affect people currently on Medicare. The 15-person committee which Romney referred to in the debate is real, and this very same committee will determine who gets medical care or even surgery based on the elderly person’s age and based on how many “useful” years the individual might have left. Rationing will especially affect the elderly, and they will be most affected by the $116B cut. Money will be diverted from the elderly to the non-elderly. Doctors who don’t follow the formula set by Medicare, or by the committee’s recommendation will get a hefty fine, and if repeated, imprisoned. Doctors will no longer will be able to perform what they deem necessary to extend a person’s life if it doesn’t fall under the new guidellines for the elderly. Most people are completely unaware of this provision, and it has been kept under the covers. Obamacare was rushed through with virtually no transparency. Romney, I hope, will expose this.
Maybe they could have Obama speak in Jenkins’ office, and televise it to the rest of the campus … or better yet, simply televise O’s teleprompter for everyone to read. Same information, but with the teleprompter there could be several translations into other languages such as Spanish, Latin and Kenyan.
first i was surprised to read about this invitation, but if they are inviting BOTH candidates, it makes more sense.
let sensible catholics listen to both men (united church of christ obama; mormon romney) and see if either one makes any sense…
max, it makes no sense whatsoever to invite Obama to speak at Notre Dame University. Fairness does not include artificing everything so that it all looks balanced.
As a Southern Californian, I now try to live in the shadow of the “Golden Dome”. It’s hard. It is painfully and very obvious that they are more concerned with themselves and their own prestige than actually living Catholic lives. In the past, the local bishops, (one who is a Holy Cross priest) preached and railed against the behaviours we know see as common. Notre Dame grads often exclude other Catholics, are rude, unkind, and do not leave the University to preach the gospel. I signed the petition to have the Catholic affiliation removed from the University, it broke my heart, because so many of the Holy Cross priests and brothers are so good, but it seems out of their hands now, Jenkins is a social climber. I can not wait to come home to Orange County and see the Crystal Cathedral (dubbed Rome of the US) and feel the love again.
Sasa,
Please do not insult the splendid architecture and beauty of Rome.
The Crystal Cathedral is no Rome of the US.
Father Jenkins social climbing is not an isolated case. It was also painful and very obvious to many Catholics in Orange County that Bishop Tod D. Brown was more concerned with his own prestige and legacy. Many in Orange County have dubbed this huge monstrosity “the lavender crystal palace” so you might want to perhaps be a bit more careful about expressing how you are wanting to feel that love again.
Sasa,
In the first place where did you hear the Crystal Cathedral dubbed “The Rome of the U.S.”?
Secondly if you like glass menageries, you will love that building.
When I stayed with my buddy, Joe Scheidler, and his family for the Notre Shame Obama fiasco, Joe told me that he had met with a bunch of Holy Cross priest who knew the young Fr. Jenkins, and they told Joe that they could no longer recognize the political climber Jenkins. In short, they were disgusted.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Well, Jenkins ought to have his own golden stairway to heaven built and begin his ascent, stopping off of course on Mars, while they finish building it. But, then, depending on what exactly Jenkins climbs socially, it might be his lot to take that other stairway, the one that goes down.
I’m o.k. with Obama speaking, as long as Notre Dame, a “Catholic” institution, will remember who they work for, and not allow the Face of our Lord to be concealed at the request of “HER” enemies! I believe if a life size image of Our Lord J.C. were placed on the podium, the invitation to speak would be declined.
Frank Joseph are you our of your mind? Did you not learn from the first time he was invited? It caused a great heart break and scandal and many good pro-lifers were arrested for their peaceful protest. You are OK because you are selfishly thinking of you only but how about the faith, and what message this fake Catholic University is giving! LETS GET REAL HERE!
He’d only use it as a photo op. Obama wins any way they work it … the only victory would be to simply bar the door against him.
Actually, Lucifer was originally slated to speak at Notre Dame, but had to cancel due to a prior speaking engagement at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. It was only then that Notre Dame invited Mr. Obama.
So, Obama, then, plays second fiddle to Lucifer? I think they oughtta bring in Charlie Daniels to do a little pickin’ and send the devil back to Hell.
This is called ‘freedom of speech”. That is what universities should be all about!
Miriam,
When you stand before Our Lord, try telling him that!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Miriam real freedom in an authentic Catholic University is not to compromise what really matters the most and that is our salvation in Christ!
Know the truth and the truth shall set you free; Miriam, these people are hiding and obscuring the truth, and thus their so called “freedom of speech” is nothing but a pack of lies.
Real freedom does not include insulting God.
The deafening silence from our Bishops on the key moral issues of our times like this stupid invitatation to an avowed,chuckle-chuckle,President Obama ,makes you wonder how they interpret today’s gospel where Jesus says to them:
” I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”
Jesus knew who is enemies were.
Cardinal Dolom apparently, sees them as buddy’s to have a good laugh with.
No way is he going to live with the ‘insecurity’ of being portrayed as one who opposes and denounces their worldly values that are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Christ.
Some shepherd in deed ?
Jesus labeled such men as “hirelings”. And we got a right one here.
The reason a lot of bishops do not have any wool is because they keep getting fleeced.
I’m amazed at many of the responses from the Catholic faithful here. This invitation is much different than that of inviting one for a commencement speech or giving one an honorary degree. To only invite one candidate during an election (irregardless of their stance on the church’s issues) would be something to ask questions about. If the Notre Dame wants to have dialog and will allow it with both candidates, then so be it.
First comes our salvation, our faithfulness and loyalty to Christ! Notre Dome has shown us that it is not faithful, it has already brought great scandal in the past! What good does it do to have Obama as guest? I have not seen any good fruit coming from their actions nor do I expect them to come now!
This is no different than when Cardinal Dolan invited Obama for dinner! All this politically correct stuff will not have a fruitful end, only an end to destruction!
To JLS and the statement: “Maybe Notre Dame University is recruiting Obama for a professorship after his retirement from politics.” I say now it all becomes perfectly clear as to what ND is up to! Makes sense to me.
Further meanderings: Maybe NASA will make Obama the first US president to fly into outer space, maybe to visit Mars.
That would be great JLS, if he does, I suggest he finds a home in Mars and never returns, LOL
but wait Mars is much nicer maybe send him somewhere smaller for less harm to be done. Fly him to a confessional.
A forum for the candidates is appropriate. However, if Obama requests that all religious symbols be covered as in the past, then tell the Muslim to hit the road.
Ken Fisher: Your intentional misspelling of a great Catholic university demeans you. Fr. Jenkins is continuing Fr. Hesburgh’s legacy.
PJT,
I gladly accept any demeaning you may declare against me, thanks!
Fr. Jenkins is continuing the destruction started by Fr. Hesburg at Notre Shame., and for your information, I know many Notre Dame graduates who now also call it Notre Shame. I felt great shame standing in the Grotto while the Obamanation was speaking a few hundred yards from me and that great Grotto. I believe he was actually under the Golden Dome!
I have a buddy, who has a PhD in Electronic Engineering from Notre Dame who is now a father of Mercy, and I am sure he would agree with me.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
PJT, do you mean the formerly great Catholic university? The same one that has become an abomination to goodness?
There is a saying: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Yes that was from Albert Einstein!
So, then, sanity is doing the same thing differently and expecting the same results?
hmmm JLS how could the same thing be done differently, its still the same thing no matter how we paint it??
Well, Abeca, you clobbered that pitch!
Notre Dame does not use the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” as a required student text for freshman and/or sophomores.
Nor does it require the “Mandatum” of those they hire to teach Theology, as required in Canon Law 812, and are therefore disobedient to the Church.
Notre Dame is no longer Catholic, and does not properly prepare its students for their future life on earth, or eternal life.
Parents do not pay tuition for any “Catholic” College or University that does not require use of the CCC or require the “Mandatum”. You will be wasting your money,
and if the student incorrectly assumes they will be getting a “Catholic” education – it will do more harm than good.
Much of the blame is on the Board of Trustees of each institution.
PETE I wonder if USD uses the CCC and I think they do but not sure. USD is heretical and scandalous.
Catholic Higher Education has for all practical purposes ceased to exist. The rot has inevitably spread to the secondary schools. Signs are that even our primary parochial schools are no longer very Catholic. Go visit the teachers parking lots
and count the Obama bumper stickers….