For Catholics who uphold the entire Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching, Notre Dame still marks a major event in American Catholic history.
Pro-life congressmen and women were offered ZERO opportunity to help craft the Obamacare legislation, and instead, from the womb of the oval office, from a health care war room where Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood was given a major chair, a law was dropped on the American public. Now, as pro-life congressmen and women attempt to have their first say about Obamacare using the only option they've been allowed to take, how does one NOT turn back towards Notre Dame in 2009?
And so it is worth asking Catholics who voted for Obama - "How's that sensible conscience clause looking now?"
I can answer the question - there ISN'T one! Not for doctors, not for taxpayers, not for Catholic universities, not for Catholic companies, not for Catholic hospitals....
It would at least start the healing if Fr. Jenkins would come out and admit that it was a mistake to give him an honorary LAW degree, now that President Obama has attempted to craft a LAW that would force Notre Dame to violate its Catholic core principles.
Thank God that someone is standing up and trying to overturn this abomination of a bill. Is healthcare for all a good idea? - yeah. Does it have to be this moral travesty that was birthed by Sebelius, Cecile Richards, Nancy Pelosi and President Obama? - negative.
"BUT BUT BUT!!! Our economy might collapse" cries the President.
The response of Christ: "Better to enter Heaven maimed than to enter Hell with all your possessions" (Matthew 18:8)
In honoring Obama and giving him a stage to begin his assault on religious freedom; orchestrating the Land O' Lakes conference to revolt against Catholic theology on the University level; sending cops to manhandle and arrest a 75 year old priest, Fr Weslin, because he was Pro-life, (the one kind of diverse opinion the administration finds intolerable); and providing a forum for Fr McBrien to attack all manner of Catholic traditions (ie “there is no need for exteraneous Eucharistic devotions"), Notre Dame has sadly done much to destroy Catholicism in this country.
ReplyDeleteThere are, of course, great people of faith who have gone to ND and teach there. One of our dear friends is a big fan of ND football, even though she spent her graduation day sitting by herself in the grotto while all her friends gathered to watch Fr Jenkins fete Obama.
I never say anything against their team when her and her husband and other friends (all alumni) talk about the game, but secretly the only college team I root for is whoever is playing Notre Dame. Because when the team loses, the school loses money and prestige, and Fr Jenkins (like his predecessors) is inclined to spend those resources in ways that harm the Faith.
The real scandal is the fact that most of the US bishops remained silent about this travesty. About 83 bishops publicly condemned the honorary degree to Obama, while the rest (200+) were nowhere to be found.
ReplyDeleteFr. John, are you suggesting that it would be better for the world economy to collapse than to allow Obamacare to go forth? It seems like you are suggesting that, but I want to be sure before I assume anything.
ReplyDeleteYes. This is the teaching of the Church as well. This is a direct quote from Blessed John Henry Newman - "The Catholic Church holds it better for the sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions on it to die of starvation in extremest agony, as far as temporal affliction goes, than that one soul, I will not say, should be lost, but should commit one single venial sin, should tell one wilful untruth, or should steal one poor farthing without excuse."
DeleteFr. John Hollowell,
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking out to defend souls, and life! My prayers are with you as well as other clergy whose message about life is garbled or muted .
I pray with all my strength that you will remain steadfast in faith during your persecution that will come from both inside and outside the Church .
Thanks once again for a great blog and defending our Faith!
ReplyDelete