Despite criticism, Notre Dame firm: Obama will speak

Mr. Obama speaking at the Al Smith dinner is different than Mr. Obama coming onto the campus of a Catholic University and delivering a speech. It would serve Notre Dame right if he concentrated his remarks on how this reflects the Church's new acceptance of Abortion rights and stem cell research. I genuinely hope that these are the themes that he chooses. Father Jenkins is unworthy to lead our University.

I fault our Bishops. The Bishops are silent on Catholic politicians that say Choice is alright with the Church?! They will not excommunicate these folks who just need to find a different Church, one that is accepting of their non-doctrinal point of view. In the same light, Notre Dame needs to be sanctioned. In fact, the Bishops should be encouraging parents to send their children somewhere other than my alma mater, the once great University of Notre Dame.

Good, I'm glad the the University isn't going to bend and break due to a voal group of one-issue voters who claim to speak for the whole of the Catholic Church. Someone had sent me a link to the petition, and I absoutely declined to sign it - my gosh, I couldn't think of anyone I would want more to speak at my commencement than President Obama.

Given the current political stalemate on the issue, the only way to end abortion will be to move those who support it to change their positions. That won't happen through shrill denunciations and a refusal to have true dialogue.

Nixon, a staunch anti-communist, re-opened our relationship with China. Johnson, a southern Democrat, signed the Civil Rights legislation. It will doubtless take a Democrat to end abortion.

And, for the record, of the 10 justices appointed to the Supreme Court since 1973, eight have been appointed by Republicans and four of those have voted to uphold Roe. The continued survival of Roe is more the product of Republican indifference as it is one of Democratic intent.

It is certainly strange that Catholics are asked to disregard every other important issue in an election on the basis of the abortion issue, when the candidates we're supposed to vote for don't make a similar 100 percent commitment. McCain made it clear that a judicial candidate's position on abortion would be just one of many criteria used in selecting Supreme Court justices, which means it might not count at all. We're supposed to bet the bank on that kind of promise?!

Why should Catholics reward Republicans for their indifference any more than they penalize Democrats for their intent? Currently, since we accept Republican pro-life sentiments at face value, there's no incentive for them to actually achieve results.

Of course, if we focused on actual results, we'd have to admit that the abortion rate declined twice as fast under pro-choice President Clinton as it did under the supposedly pro-life President Bush. Republican-led welfare reform in the 1990s--in defiance of Catholic and pro-life protests--led to an increase in the abortion rate among poor women. The aftermath of Bush's failed domestic policies will undoubtedly be to further slow the decline in abortions and may lead to increases in the abortion rate for some segments of the population.

It should be possible to both oppose Obama's efforts to liberalize access to abortion and yet support his efforts to limit the number of abortions through social and economic policy. Similarly, we should be more forceful in criticizing Republicans for policies that deviate from Church teaching. By taking a more nuanced approach politically, by standing astride both political parties, rather than cowering in the far corner of one, the Church could gain more influence on both sides of the aisle.

In truth, both efforts to overturn Roe and efforts like Obama's toward abortion reduction are incrementalist in nature. Neither approach will succeed on its own. We need both, which means we need Democrats.

Let Obama speak!

Catholics, wake up! Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Why would we expect 100% adherence to Catholic doctrine, beliefs and practices from someone not even Catholic? We damage our credibility with such myopic babble.

I agree with Fr. Reese. I really don't see what all the fuss is about. I find it great that Notre Dame succeeded in having President Obama speak at the Commencement. All is the rest is monkeys throwing coconuts...

My kuos to Notre Dame for not cowering in the face of ridiculous criticism from one issue Catholics. Would these same Catholics have had a problem with a speaker who believed in capital punishment, waging unjust war and cutting funding for the needy among other egregious acts? Obama is more pro life than the president who did all those things.

Huff and puff and the house does not even know there is a wind.!!
As a pro-lifer I am embarassed about how politically inept some bishops are.
RU 486 and plan b pills are all over the place. Abortion is a moral issue that needs outreach, clear preaching, conscious raising and support for bringing to term the birth. Some Bishops with their hysterical condemnations are only are speaking to the choir. Won't some Irish/American pol give them a seminar on how to get people to listen?

Good for Fr. Reese for pointing out the absurdity. I'm not about to let my Catholicism or Christianity be defined by my stance on one issue, nor should anyone else face such a ridiculous litmus test.

I must be in a different world than those in favor of President Obama speaking at Notre Dame. But then all of my Catholic friends in Oklahoma are shocked that this pro abortion president would be invited to speak at such a prestigious Catholic school. Unfortunately neither our local archbishop or the USCCB, as of Tuesday evening, have commented on this travesty or provided any leadership to the flock. Abortion is not a one issue Catholic problem. Abortion claims innocent lives every day. And this President is abortions biggest booster. I pray for him.

"Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement." Really? Is the President coming to Notre Dame to listen or to speak? Of course he's coming to speak, not listen. So much for engagement with anything remotely Catholic at Notre Dame.

Would Notre Dame have given a degree to Stalin. I mean why not? Mass murder is of no concern, and he did have some fine social programs.

Amen, FuzzyR! Thank you. You've said it all.

It's so refreshing to finally read some rational, thoughtful comments on this topic...

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Obama should have declined to speak at the Notre Dame graduation due to Notre Dame's affiliation with the Catholic Church, which is at odds with Obama's beliefs regarding the status of women in society.

Obama should have made it clear that he is offended by the Catholic Church teaching that it is better for a woman to die from pregnancy complications than for her to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. He should have made it clear that he does not accept the Catholic Church teaching that it is better for a woman to die while attempting to abort her fetus than for her to have the abortion with no physical harm to herself and no punishment from the government.

Obama should also have made it clear that he will not accept an honorary doctor of law degree from a Catholic university, because it gives implicit affirmation to the Catholic Church's attempts to make the specifics of its moral discipline the law of the land to be imposed upon people with different or no religious affiliation.

I cannot believe what i am reading from supposed catholics. Notre Dame is a Catholic University.Obama is a facilitator of abortion. he sanctions murder of innocents.He is against traditional values as he supports the sin of homosexuality. He endorses and has approved embyonic stem cell research. Freedom of conscience whereby health professionals need to perform/assist in abortions,euthanasia and other immoral acts is on his hit list..He is not going to NOTRE DAME to debate his positions , he is going to espouse his views.why should a man like this be given the honor of speaking at NOTRE DAME.He diminishes the values that it stands for ,while enhancing his own stature.Fr. Jenkins, by his invitation, has endorsed obama's anti catholic views.I pray that he will rescind the invitation and by doing so will send a clear message WE ARE AGAINST ABORTION AND THOSE WHO PROMOTE ABORTION. WE ARE PRO LIFE AND FOR TRADITIONAL VALUES. Is it not time for more catholic leaders to speak out and give us something to cheer about.

For those of you who feel it is wrong or acting like a one issue voter, to object to the Obama invitation, the Church itself (the Vatican) and the U.S. Bishops have said you have to look at each issue and select the most important. Life, itself, is the most important issue. Many people who see that Notre Dame invited him to talk AND honor him with an honorary degree, will feel that the importance of abortion must not be that great.

It could result in many people having abortions that may not have done so.

Keep in mind, no president has been so liberal on abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Too many Catholics voted fot him and must be made to understand what the Church is saying; not a one issue voter, but one who does not want to help the taking of many innocent lives.

"Touchdown Jesus" and I both have both hands up on this one. A "score" for Notre Dame in the contest against those who would make it a Catholic madrassa.

I have an idea. If you are eligible to attend Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame and want to attend, go. If you don't approve of Obama and don't want to attend the speech (eligible or not), stay home. No one is forced to attend.

Obama's position on abortion is well known. But perhaps Notre Dame needs to develop a questionnaire loosely based on the Nicene Creed and the Baltimore Catechism and administer it to any and all persons who might ever speak there, so as to potentially weed out any and all heretics who views are not clear. After all, we want NOONE to speak at our place who does not adhere to every jot and tittle of Catholic belief.

What is the world coming to if we allow people with ideas different from our own at our centers of intellectual inquiry?

This is in clear violation of the U.S. Catholic Bishops directive. Basically, the administration of Notre Dame is extending the middle finger to them.

Opponents should organize an alternative commencement. I am sure that they could get an exceptional speaker who volunteer their time. Who knows, maybe P.B.XVI might come.

Every comment has danced around the real issue with President Obama speaking at Notre Dame. He is the President of the United States of America, and he will not always endorse or agree with everyone, however he is still our president. Are we so deep-rooted in our prejudice that we still can not accept the fact that this nation has an african american leader. Where is your religious beliefs, we cannot continue to harbor hatred towards other races, we need to stand together. Abortion is not the only issue, I am sure there are others with views similiar or President Obama who attends notre dame. Get real people, I guess the next thing you will do is try to oust your school president because of his choice. You all should be ashamed.

I agree with Tom Reese, SJ. It seems a little hypocritical to me for Cardinal Eagan to invite Obama to speak at a fundraider for Catholic Charities and no one raised a voice but we cannot invite him, as President, to speak at a Catholic institution's commencment . The Church was willing to let him be a guest when they were raising money.