Theologians back Notre Dame honoring Obama

I question if these theologians are actually Catholic Theologians pursuant to the Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae that was published August 15, 1990? I would guess not. Check out the link http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/docum...

Happy Easter! Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Here is the entire text and the list of signatories. How beautiful it is to see so many beloved and holy names upon this list, including the Reverend Father Charles Curran and so many more. I only wish I were worthy to add my own lost name.

What is striking is the opening and closing recollection of events eighty five years ago to the date when the KKK attacked Notre Dame because the students were both Irish and Catholics. For centuries Catholics were hated and rejected across America for being Catholics, and Irish (or Italian or other non-English speaker). Praising the resolution by fists is not recommendable, nevertheless. Brains are better, and a great Irish heart.

Just as the downfall of the Catholic Church came with our compromise with the Emperor Constantine (Stop feeding us to lions and we will support your wars - see Fr. James Carroll), in the same way a generation ago came the downfall of the American Catholic Church in the compromise with emperor Ronnie/Bush (we'll vote for you if you let us into your cocktail parties). Whenever the Irish believe themselves anglos it's all over. Thank God the alienated Spanish Catholic Church remains strong, and fecund, and thus hopeful!

Catholics should never emulate proud anglicans, nor Lutherans. Catholics must always remain alienated, marginated, rejected, humiliated, and free, to worship our rejected Lord. We must ever welcome those whom others reject, including our great and upstanding new President Barack Hussein Obama, former professor of Constitutional Law and editor of the Harvard Law Review, etc., much more solid credentials than most others who receive such honorary degrees. In fact our President honors us in receiving this honor.

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Catholic Leaders and Theologians Welcome President Obama to Notre Dame

As Catholics committed to civil dialogue, we are proud that President Barack Obama will give the Commencement Address at the University of Notre Dame on May 17.

Eighty-five years ago to the very day, the racial and religious hatred of the KKK spilled onto the Irish campus. Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins now welcomes an American president who transcends race with hope and invites people of every faith to find common ground.

Notre Dame has a long tradition of honoring presidents from both political parties. We caution those who seek to disrupt these joyous proceedings or to divide the Church for narrow political advantage that history is not on your side.

Catholic teaching warns about the threats to human dignity posed by abortion, the death penalty, torture, unjust military engagement and the nuclear arms race. The honoring of George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan did not detract from Notre Dame’s commitment to the fullness of faith. These former leaders were received as sitting presidents who came to speak about great issues of our time. The same standard should apply for President Obama, a Christian with deep respect for the role of faith in public life and whose commitment to universal health care, comprehensive immigration reform, environmental stewardship and an economy that works for all Americans reflect core Catholic values.

Catholic institutions of higher learning teach students to engage the world through faith and reason. On this anniversary when the Irish defeated the KKK with fists, it is a measure of human progress that today we use our minds in pursuit of the common good.

We join Notre Dame in recognizing the accomplishments of President Obama.

Nicholas Cafardi
Dean Emeritus
Professor of Law

Lisa Cahill
Professor of Theology
Boston College

David De Cosse
Director of Campus Ethics
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Santa Clara University

Charles E. Curran
Professor of Human Values
Southern Methodist University

Nancy Dallavalle
Associate Professor
Chair, Department of Religious Studies
Fairfield University

Dennis Doyle
Professor of Religious Studies
University of Dayton

Jeannine Hill Fletcher
Associate Professor of Theology
Fordham University

Elena G. Procario-Foley
Chair, Religious Studies Dept.
Iona College

Richard Gaillardetz
Professor of Catholic Studies
University of Toledo

Elizabeth Groppe
Associate Professor of Theology
Xavier University

Kirk O. Hanson
Executive Director
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Santa Clara University

Kristin E. Heyer
Associate Professor, Theological Studies
Loyola Marymount University

Christine Firer Hinze
Professor, Christian Ethics
Department of Theology
Fordham University

Bradford E. Hinze
Professor of Theology
Fordham University

Douglas Kmiec
Professor of Constitutional Law
Pepperdine University

Paul Lakeland
Director, Center for Catholic Studies
Fairfield University

Vincent Miller
Associate Professor, Theology Department
Georgetown University

David O’Brien
Loyola Professor Emeritus, Catholic Studies
College of Holy Cross

Rev. William O’Neill, SJ
Associate Professor of Social Ethics
Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley

Rev. Tom Reese, SJ
Senior Fellow
Woodstock Theological Center
Georgetown University

Vincent Rougeau
Associate Professor of Law
University of Notre Dame

Stephen Schneck
Director, Life Cycle Institute
The Catholic University of America

Terrence W. Tilley
President
Catholic Theological Society of America

Sandra Yocum
Chair of Religious Studies
University of Dayton

I am profoundly saddened by the recent display of disrepect demonstrated against the president of our country. While I understand there is a concern about a return to a more liberal policy regarding abortion, it is not nor has it ever been the only issue. If you are truly pro-life, the Gospel demands that you consider all areas of our society that threaten the lives of people: poverty, homelessness, lack of affordable health care, domestic violence to name a few. Then there are the issues of unjust war, death penalty and torture all of go against the principles that I have grown up with and continue to support. Past presidents who visited Notre Dame would then also have been guilty of going against pro-life values.
Jesus has been clear, "Love God and love your neighbor as yourself." "Love your enemies." "Do good to those who hate you."
I see nothing in the "circus behavior" of those who oppose President Obama's visit to Notre Dame that would indicate that the bishops and the people who have been protesting understand the Gospel mandate.
I feel that our president ( who is less than perfect) as we all are, has done more in his short time in office to undo or address a number of practices that would certainly be considered as threats to life for Americans and others around the world.
And lest we forget, Jesus ssid, "Let him (her) who is without sin cast the first stone."

Yawn...a public endorsement by and from some of the usual suspects. How hard would I have to dig to find at least one these intellectually gifted signatories share the President's tolerance of abortion? Not very.

If these are our best & brightest theologians heaven help us. The intellectual gruel they have to offer is pretty darn thin.

I am conflicted over the abortion issue. While I personally believe that we should respect the unborn, there are many issues that have to be taken into when making that decision. Jesus was very firm on the subject of deciding what another person should do. He used the adulterous to show that we need to worry about our own failures and not those of others. In an environment of rising population and starvation especially in poor countries but even in this country, we need to actively answer the responsibility of the individuals in procreation. We need to make a decision as a church, what is the correct teaching on procreation. I look at a decision to excommunicate a mother and her daughter that aborted a fetus that was from the incest act of the father. Who is making these decisions that are not in accordance with the teachings of the Lord.