Is Notre Dame Really A Catholic Institution?

Bishop John D'Arcy

A statement released today by Bishop John D’Arcy of Ft. Wayne-South Bend, Ind.:

Concerning President Barack Obama speaking at Notre Dame graduation, receiving honorary law degree.

March 24, 2009

On Friday, March 21, Father John Jenkins, CSC, phoned to inform me that President Obama had accepted his invitation to speak to the graduating class at Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree. We spoke shortly before the announcement was made public at the White House press briefing. It was the first time that I had been informed that Notre Dame had issued this invitation.

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.

This will be the 25th Notre Dame graduation during my time as bishop. After much prayer, I have decided not to attend the graduation. I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well. I have always revered the Office of the Presidency. But a bishop must teach the Catholic faith “in season and out of season,” and he teaches not only by his words — but by his actions.

My decision is not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life.

I have in mind also the statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 2004. “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for.

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This also holds true for all catholics. We should never honor, praise, and give rewards to individuals who are in direct opposition to our values, beliefs, and morals.

Our actions all too often speak louder than our words. With this past election, the attack on catholics and our values has been elevated. If fact, we are at a crucial time in world history, and christian history.

We need to act now, and act firmly and with passion. Catholics can no longer sit back with a conservative demeanor.

We are to be activists for our faith each and every day, in not only our words, but in our behaviors, and never back down for promoting the truth, especially when we are attacked with rhetoric such as "Political Correctness" and "Tolerance." Those really are just disguise words to manipulate the truth, and force unchristian agendas.

Catholics - be strong, be passionate, be powerful, and save the world.