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Notre Dame's Obama invitation means opportunity
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The Catholic commentariat has been abuzz with concern over the University of Notre Dame's choice of President Obama as a commencement speaker at this year's ceremony. Naturally, the disagreement has arisen over the fact that Mr. Obama is woefully incorrect on his positions about abortion, contraception, stem cell research, etc., and Notre Dame is a Catholic institution.
However, I don't think the excoriation of Notre Dame and its president, Fr. Jenkins, are warranted. To be sure, I hope that Notre Dame will reconsider its decision to grant the President an honorary degree. The conferral of degrees honoris causa, in general, cheapens the integrity of an institution, but a Catholic university has no business endorsing a politican.
There should be little doubt that I adhere to the Church's teachings on life matters and I have taken Mr. Obama to task many times for violating the consciences of millions of Americans with his agressive disrespect for life. I certainly would never take the opportunity to defend Mr. Obama or his Administration on these matters.
Several Catholics in high office are familiar with the Church's teaching on life issues, but consciously decide to disregard them for myriad reasons. This is a very serious scandal within the Church today and rightfully so. I would, for example, be gravely concerned if Notre Dame invited Speaker Nancy Pelosi to speak at commencement because she is a dissident--some might say heretic--within the Church. Mr. Obama, of course, is not a Catholic.
The academy has a duty to inform society and its leaders whenever they are in error. Catholic academia, especially in the U.S., has an even greater responsibility in these days of moral decay. This can only happen when the two parties are in dialogue with one another. Half of dialogue (at least) should be listening. Catholic intellectual life would suffer a great blow if the Church's universities retreated to intellectual cul de sacs.
Mr. Obama is undoubtedly being invited to speak by virtue of the fact that he is President, not because he is an opponent of the Church on questions of life. And by no means is Notre Dame providing Mr. Obama with a platform -- NBC would cancel an episode of The Office to let him speak in prime time.
While I recognize the importance of zeal and fidelity, I think that everyone can benefit from being challenged from time to time. However, if one is ill-prepared, the challenge will always lead to defeat. Therefore, it is incumbent upon our bishops and priests to educate the faithful about the consequences of professing the Catholic Faith -- a task where many have failed in recent years.
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