'No punishment for Notre Dame,' says bishops' conference vice-president

At least one person heard our President's call for respectful dialogue.

Now, may we all.

Thanks, John, for your usual marvelous and courageous reporting!

What a bunch of wishy washy wimps. This is the the trouble with the Catholic Church today. No guts, no gumption.....God forbid you should talk a stand on anything. You have left the faithful hanging once again, with no one to look to to uphold Catholic teaching wih conviction and courage. Many will be held accountable for their lukewarmness. You lead your flocks to perdition while you "keep the peace" with those who tear the Church down from within. Good going.

To characterize what D'Arcy did as a desire for consultation is an insult to the intelligence of ordinary Catholics. D'Arcy refused to attend not to achieve consultation, but to show his disgust and obstinancy--it is either his way or no way. That is hardly what I would call a desire for consultation. Sounds more like manipulation, which apparently is what the US bishops are good at. More of the same is what we can expect when Kincanas becomes president of the USSCB--put a positive spin on it and they will buy it. How insulting!

This is *not* about President Jenkin's intentions. It is likely he is a good man and deeply committed to the Faith.

The question at hand is how to respond to the objective act of honoring someone who stands in direct opposition to a fundamental Church teaching on the sanctity of human life. What Notre Dame did is wrong whether or not the USCCB issued a document on it. It would be like Planned Parenthood honoring Ronald Regan; it doesn't make sense.

What Notre Dame did led to confusion among the faithful and is scandalous. The offending party, Notre Dame, should be punished.

We don't need any more Neville Chamberland's within the Church either in the laity or the hierarchy.
The many naive Catholics who voted for Obama, believing the likes of Doug Kmeic and a host of lukewarm clergy blinded by his smooth political rhetoric constantly directing our attention to our own “shortcoming” in providing for the less fortunate rather than his obviously very questionable past socialist tutors, hate filled spiritual director, and his rating as the most liberal senator in congress especially in regards to abortion, were welcomed aboard the “we are racists if we don’t vote for him” campaign bus.
The results?

The doors are now being opened wider than ever for abortion, condom distribution, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and same sex marriage. As for the poor or less fortunate, well they are being joined by thousands of average citizens from foreclosed homes, lost jobs, and closed businesses as a result of “crises” politically created by the Obama’s handlers to initiate government takeovers of the private economy. On the horizon is another government takeover of heath care where seniors will be denied certain operations or medication due to their age or cost efficiencies. Already the administration has done the unthinkable by ending the DC voucher program for the poor Blacks there. Coming next will be an all out attack on Home Schooling and eventually private schools who can’t comply with “government” requirements. This only points to the beginning of many anti-Christian values to be injected into our society by the ND “Honored Man” who has announced to the world that we’re no longer a Christian Nation.

There are millions of devout “Protestants” among the population who would gladly help those Catholics who want to stand with Christ rather than compromise the faith to unite in a movement to confront the mounting Spiritual Holocaust of Christian values by the progressive agenda led by the Obama administration. We can no longer wander under the heat of hate and oppressive regulations which Satan and his followers have established within the heart of our government and, yes, even our Holy Mother Church and has systematically imposed or permitted on our society step by step until all of our values and sacred beliefs become a desert where the American dream is to be buried.

Know your faith, go to church, read your bible, say your rosary, and pray that all true Christians will set aside all that divides us to unite against the real Demon of Division. There are good souls to save for Christ who, through ignorance or intimidation, are being led astray by the Deceiver and his new legions of liars and their false promises of security and safety for the oppressive “religions” of the past. All who live in the Peace of Christ must come forth now with or without our “shepherds” or we will forever be “denying” our peace. Time is running out!

I won't leave the Catholic Church but I understand fully why some do.

'Catholics in Political Life'. How far we have come, now we have a Bishop and a Priest asking for the meaning of what 'is---is'.

Again we are presented with the excuse of "ambiguity" for the Notre Dame debacle. We lay catholics are so disheartened by the actions or non-actions of so many bishops, it is hard to believe the church can survive in it's present form. Perhaps it is not intended to. I await the day when all clergy speak with one voice which I believe Christ intended. I fear though, that my faith will be totally shattered before I die if I do not find some rationality in what is happening to our church. Perhaps it is a cleansing. We can only hope. God help us all.

Why am I NOT surprised?! The Bishops seem to always take the easy way out don't they. If Father Jenkins was so well intentioned why didn't he consult his Bishop rather than just decide to make his own interpretation of the Bishops' statement? (seems like that is all the Bishops do "make statements) Then if their subordintes don't comply they just "pat" them on the head. If the Bishops' statement was so ambiguous why didn't they determine that before issuing it? This is just another issue along with the Caritas Christi abortion issue in Boston which I am convinced is being settled by Bishop O"Mally and his offices with a "cover up". Then there is Father Cutie and the Bishop who proudly acclaims his own homosexuality!!And I wonder where the heirarchy at the Vatican is with all this? when are our Church leaders going to stop talking and walk the walk. No wonder we have so many fallen away disinterestsd Catholics and the atheists in our midst are laughing at us. They show more strength in their beliefs than we do. Satan knows where to attack to win the battle. All he has to do is weaken the leadership. We are surely showng the world a total lack of conviction. It is embarassing and disgusting

I am just extraordinarily "thrilled" that the majority of U.S. Bishops found another loophole allowing them to weezle out of taking a stand on an issue that has been at the foremost of Catholic attention since the beginning of the year with its climax reaching its apex on May 17, at NDU University. THE MOST PRO ABORT PRESIDENT WE HAVE EVER HAD, (and may his reign end in 2012) gave the commencement speech for ND's 2009 graduates, telling us that the grounds between him and Pro Life supporters regarding abortion is irreconcilable.

Yet the majority of these "clergy" still want dialogue, a soft approach even to a University which has dishonored itself, but which was once a leading flagship of Catholic teaching. A symbol to be honored by all Catholics, Our Lady's University.

And how did they slither around taking a stand this time? Because the USCCB document written in 2004 had mention in its title the words not only Politicians, but CATHOLIC POLITICIANS.

So POOR POOR misguided Jenkins "may" have misinterpreted what was said about giving honor to pro abort pols.

I hope those "holy" men and "keepers" (trustees, note the lack of trust I am feeling) and "teachers" of the truths of the Church who have given this interpretation to the laity sleep well. Note sarcasm.

I am not so furious regarding their resistence to punishing Notre Dame, but at his own BROTHERS total disregard of Bishop D'Arcy's refusal to honor that commencement speech by bo., of their complete lack of support of that honorable Bishop.

My anger grows each time I see the spineless Bishops of USCCB not standing as a unit with those who have the strength of saying what is right and true, such as Bishops Finn, Hermann, Rigali, Martino, Archbishop Chaput and all the others who are true and steadfast to the teachings of the Church.

Those weak Nellies also refuse to listen to, acknowledge the urgings of Archbishop Raymond Burke to refuse communion to pro abort pols. "Geeee, they may not INTEND to desecrate the Eucarist".

I think we have two USCCB confraternities, the Cafeteria USCCB and the real USCCB.

It sickens and saddens me. The Church I once thought I knew is becoming weaker and weaker through the non leadership of these men.

God help us.

Of the 425 bishops in the USCCB, 258 are active and assigned as the ordinary of a diocese. The only place where an individual bishop actually has administrative and spiritual authority is within his own diocese, and only then when he is in unity with the Holy See. The USCCB is a collaborative entity for the benefit and fraternity of the bishops themselves. As a ‘collective voice’, they have no broad disciplinary authority over Catholics in general, and no authority what-so-ever apart from the Holy Father.

Those who have received the fullness of priestly orders are well aware of their limitations as prescribed in the Code of Canon Law. Neither individually nor collectively, can bishops alter Church laws or re-define and re-interpret doctrines and dogma. Each bishop is individually accountable to the Holy See for the good or detriment of his own diocese… period. The USCCB has no authority to “sanction” Notre Dame. Further, while Fr. Jenkins is the President of the university, the governing body is a board of directors, not all of whom are Catholic. Bishop Gerald Kicanas has tactfully acknowledged the reality of the situation during his interview.

It is very sad that so many within the Church have resorted to name-calling and stereotyping of those with differing perspectives regarding the same Faith. Previous comments are just a small example. That religious smugness is not an attractive spiritual gift. Even worse, secular politicians have tapped into the divisions within the Church and used those divisions to further their own self-serving purposes. The abortion issue has evolved to a political bonanza… and a bloody warfare. When politics and religion ride in the same cart, all manner of unholy fanaticism takes over the road. How ironic that Christians can see this in other cultures and religions, but not among themselves. Our Lord Christ rebuked those who attempted to inject politics into His gospel message.

We have come to a place where those who truly follow Christ will be known by their willingness to put down the sword, and to demonstrate civility and mutual respect in their dialogue… even toward those with whom they disagree. When the disciples wanted to call fire down out of heaven upon those who would not receive their message, Jesus rebuked them and said “you do not know the spirit you are of… the Son of Man did not come to destroy, but to save.”

What would He say to us?