As you know President Obama, of the USA has been invited to speak at Notre Dame University, the local ordinary, Bishop D'Arcy is not going to be there. Fr Z carries the following which is on Diocese of Fort-Wayne-South Bend website.
What I do not understand is the difference between bishops in the US and the UK and between Blair and Obamah.
Concerning President Barack Obama speaking at Notre Dame
graduation, receiving honorary law degree
March 24, 2009
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.
What I do not understand is the difference between bishops in the US and the UK and between Blair and Obamah.
9 comments:
Thank you Bishop D'Arcy for standing up for life. It seems that life is not a popular subject at present, least of all that of the unborn. We live in a culture of death. The Catholic Church is still the only bastion of truth.
Many times people might claim "Catholic" when asked of their religion, but their lives do nothing to model the faith - for some people "Catholic" is almost a cultural thing...for some people being Catholic doesn't change their life or the manner in which they live at all. This is reflected in the fact that President Obama (a great humanist and anti-catholic teachings) has been asked to speak at Notre Dame university.
Fr - what do you mean the difference between Blair and Obama?! There's no difference - they're both war-mongering promoters of the culture of death!
I think that at least part of the difference is that the US is just so much bigger. They have more of everything - more of the best, and also more of the worst.
I think we do know , Father!
Probably the same reason as the Angelicum invited Mrs Blair to speak there, many of cafod's various Paul VI lecturers, those often asked by our bishops to 'facilitate' at diocesan gatherings, the authors they recommend in their 'ad clerum', the causes they espouse such as 'livesimply'.
I think we might diagnose a certain ambivalence towards the Magisterial teaching of Holy Mother Church, and a general abhorrence towards all things orthodox.
The Holy Father's choice for Westminster and future elevations to other sees will be vital for the Faith in this land.
I don't quite understand all this post, Father. Was there an analogous situation on your side of the pond, and bishops failed to speak out about it?
"has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life"
I thought that began with the genocide of the indigenous inhabitants of the US and has never really stopped since. To say nothing of US support for murderous regimes in Latin America.
I think the difference is that our Bishops are surrender monkeys. I just cannot imagine any of them taking a stand like this. Blair should definitely have been asked to make a public statement that he now deeply regretted his previous anti-life stance and through the light of the gospel he had been brought to repentence (or words to that effect). If he had really converted in his heart surely he should have needed no prompting either. It's a sad indictment of both both Blair and our Bishops that Blair didn't offer and our Bishops didn't ask (at least that's what it appears at the moment). It sends out a very bad message to other Catholics and to prospective converts and really is a scandal.
Anyone interested in following Tony and Cherie's latest exploits in things Catholic should look at John Smeaton's blog - he's like a dog with bone on it.
What's the difference?
Between OBama and Blair, not much.
Between US and UK Bishops
US Bishops would never dream of inviting Obama to embrace Catholicism without repentance. US Bishops would not insult the Pope by supporting a Papal audience with Obama to "announce" a "conversion". US Bishops would not invite OBama as a guest speaker to a major Cathedral so that he can platform his "faith foundation (what a laugh)" delusions.
Bad as the US Bishops are, I think they still have a little respect for themselves and love of neighbour to call out an unrefutable evil. As regards many UK Bishops, they are far too sophisticated and nuanced for such crassness. I say many, because there are a few UK Bishops who are great and also I think very heroic given what they must endure.
Many US Bishops were very vocal about Obama in the run up to the election. They continue to be vocal now, which is great. As to why ours can't do the same, its totally baffling.
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