Over the weekend Pope Benedict XVI spoke to an assembled crowd of over one million people in Angola and reminded them that: “We need God and his commandments not as a burden, but as a source of freedom; the freedom to become men and women of wisdom, teachers of justice and peace.”
Sadly his prophetic words fell on deaf ears in South Bend, Ind., where the nation’s preeminent Catholic college, the University of Notre Dame, was busy announcing that President Barack Obama is to deliver the commencement address on May 17. The University proudly announced that President Obama is the ninth U.S. president to be awarded an honorary degree from Notre Dame.
Notably absent from the press release were any facts about President Obama’s steadfast and unyielding support for abortion and his efforts to expand other extreme anti-life policies. In just four short months the Obama administration has consistently undermined protections and policies established to promote human dignity and protect the sanctity of human life. Most recently the Obama administration announced its intention to remove a conscience protection rule for the Department of Health and Human Services. This rule provides legal protections for health care workers who have objections to their forced involvement in abortion and other immoral medical procedures that are against their faith.
The great Catholic film director John Ford once said: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Apparently the University of Notre Dame is more interested in the legend than the facts when it comes to President Barack Obama.
The U.S. Catholic Bishops have repeatedly stated their opposition to the numerous anti-life polices of the Obama Administration and in 2004 issued a document entitled “Catholics in Political Life,” in which they stated the need to teach clearly on the sanctity of human life, persuade all people that human life is precious and human dignity to be defended, to act in support of these principles and policies in public life, and called upon Catholic institutions to “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.”
The Notre Dame Class of 2009 needs wise teachers of justice and peace, not misguided academicians who ignore the facts in favor of the legend. The awarding of this honorary degree to President Obama is not only wrong and contrary to the teaching set forth by the U.S. Bishops, it is outrageously scandalous and shameful. In the life of any college student, graduation day is the proud highlight of a long and arduous journey of education. May 17 in South Bend certainly is not to be a day of pride and joy but rather shame and scandal.
