Holy Cross Priests Object to Obama Invitation

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090408/ap_on_re_us/obama_notre_dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Ten priests from the order that founded the University of Notre Dame say the school risks its "true soul" and could distance itself from the Roman Catholic Church by inviting President Barack Obama to campus next month.

The members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, which helps run the university, asked the Rev. John Jenkins, the Holy Cross priest who is Notre Dame's president, and the university's board of fellows to reconsider the invitation to Obama because he supports abortion rights.

"Failure to do so will damage the integrity of the institution," said the letter published Wednesday in Notre Dame Observer.

Notre Dame announced last month that Obama would deliver the university's May 17 commencement address and receive an honorary degree. The decision by the nation's best-known Catholic university sparked widespread anger among many Catholics who said Notre Dame should not honor someone whose policies on abortion and embryonic stem-cell research clash with core church teachings on human life.

Hundreds of abortion opponents protested on campus Sunday, and the priests said the invitation has opened a "fissure" between Notre Dame and many bishops. More than a dozen bishops have denounced Obama's appearance, including Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Jenkins has said the university does not condone all of Obama's policies, and spokesman Dennis Brown has said Notre Dame does not plan to rescind the invitation.

"We respect the opinions of members of the Holy Cross community and others," Brown said.
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Another interesting detail found later in the story is that Obama is slated to give another commencement speech at Arizona State University, but the school is refusing to give him an honorary degree because, according to the ASU spokesperson, Obama does not have a large enough body of work in his current field for the university to recognize with the conferral of a degree!

The presidency of the United States is a tough beat!

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Just thought the last detail was funny.

I guess the real question for this forum is, what does everyone think the U. of Notre Dame should do in this circumstance, follow the advice of the Holy Cross priests or do what the administration has decided and give the president the degree?

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This all makes complete sense to me.  Thanks for the very fair post.  Bishop D'Arcy sounds like a passionate advocate for what he believes are just causes, and his stand on these other issues is obviously incredibly commendable.