View from the choir

I am a Catholic layperson and Secular Franciscan with a sense of humor. After years in the back pew watching, I have moved into the choir. It's nice to see faces instead of the backs of heads. But I still maintain God has a sense of humor - and that we are created in God's image.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Cardinal DiNardo on the Obama/ND Scandal

The latest member of the hierarchy to address the Obama Notre Dame flap is Daniel Cardinal DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

In his column in The Texas Catholic Herald he wrote:

"... I want to venture a comment on the recently released statement of the University of Notre Dame; that statement noted that the President has accepted an invitation to give the Commencement Address this year as well as receive an Honorary Law Degree. The news release then outlines the fact that a number of other Presidents have given the Commencement Address at Notre Dame and have thus highlighted, in effect, the university’s importance. I find the invitation very disappointing. Though I can understand the desire by a university to have the prestige of a commencement address by the President of the United States, the fundamental moral issue of the inestimable worth of the human person from conception to natural death is a principle that soaks all our lives as Catholics, and all our efforts at formation, especially education at Catholic places of higher learning. The President has made clear by word and deed that he will promote abortion and will remove even those limited sanctions that control this act of violence against the human person. The Bishops of the United States published a document a few years ago asking all Catholic universities to avoid giving a platform or an award to those politicians or public figures who promote the taking of unborn human life. Even given the dignity of Office of the President, this offer is still providing a platform and an award for a public figure who has been candid on his pro-abortion views. Particularly troubling is the Honorary Law Degree since it recognizes that the person is a “Teacher,” in this case of the Law. I think that this decision requires charitable but vigorous critique."

Hmm. "Charitable but vigorous critique."

UPDATE: 200,000 plus signatures on the main petition as of 7 P.M. sounds vigorous to me.

(Tip of the hat to Jean over at Catholic Fire.)

1 Comments:

Blogger Chris Dickson, F.L.A. said...

This sounds a little too much like Brother Elias, who too over the Order from St. Francis. And we all remember what happened there (one can only hope that history will repeat itself)!

10:02 PM  

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