Below are comments from people responding to the Bishop's refusal to attend the Notre Dame graduation. You can see my response to their comments at the bottom (The one that says Mike - That's me!) These comments were found on a blog I visit occasionally
here.
5 comments:
From NCR:
"The invitation to President Obama to be our commencement speaker should not be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions on specific issues regarding the protection of human life, including abortion and embryonic stem-cell research," said Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame.
"Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement," he said in a March 23 statement.
My comment would be this... and I do fear repeating myself, but I will proceed.
Just how do we ever expect transformation if we don't continue to invite people to the table?
Isn't that what real metanoia is? Was Jesus conversing with sinners, eating with them an endorsement of their actions?
I do see all that is potentially wrong with this invite, but I also see what could potentially go right too.
*sigh*
Fran
I do not understand how the cultivation of an atmosphere of hostility toward, and disrespect for, the President's views can in any way help to make him more open to the views of others. (I actually feel it may decrease what I think is the respect he now has for those views - even if he disagrees with them.) I also emphatically do not feel that an invitation by Fr. Jenkins to the President to speak implies an endorsement of all the President's positions. If Notre Dame had invited George W. Bush when he was President, would there have been Catholic objections? I think not, although I believe he holds some views that are not in agreement with Catholic teaching.
All very good pointsand I too feel similar, but the bishop is obviously not sacraficing his principles and is clearly not afraid to be a leader...
he teaches not only by his words — but by his actions.
The statement "by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth." lends me wnating to hear more from Fr. Jenkins.
I fully support the bishop in this case. Those of you who have already commented are completely missing the point. There is a time and a place to engage in dialogue and this is not the time or place. Those of you who support this decision please tell me how this is an opportunity for further positive engagement. Is there going to be a question and answer session? How does this encourage Obama to change his radical anti-life/anti-marriage views? As Catholics we absolutely must stay true to our convictions and our faith. Whether ND agrees with all of Obama's positions or not is irrelevant. His very presence will be perceived by many, whether accurate or not, as the Catholic University's acceptance of Obama and his views. There are several other honorable men and women the university could have speak that would have views much more in line with what the University is supposed to be all about. Any "disrespect" shown to Obama in this case is tiny when compared with the disrespect Obama has shown toward the unborn. Every person deserves respect, but not every person deserves to be honored. I applaud the bishop for making his voice heard, standing up for what is right, and doing so in a very respectful and meaningful way. I pray that many more will follow his leadership. The pro-life community continues to pray for the conversion of our president, and that God bless and guide all our civil and religious leaders as they have so much influence on the lives of so many.