by Jessica Goerke
Although not exactly international news, I wanted to expand on the topic we touched on shortly during the first class period. For those who have not heard by now, President Obama has been scheduled to give the graduation commencement speech in May at the University of Notre Dame. Despite having previous former Presidents speak there, the issue that has arisen from this situation is the strong pro-choice stance that Obama has taken during his campaign and administration.
The Notre Dame campus along with the rest of the Catholic world has been torn between support and disapproval of the commencement. The Bishop of Fort Wayne, Bishop D'Arcy, has chosen not to attend the graduation ceremony stating, "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."
Regardless of whether the student body overwhelmingly supports the decision to have the sitting President speak is besides the point. Notre Dame is a Catholic institution and should abide by Catholic stances. In his article titles "Obama and Notre Dame", Notre Dame graduate James R. Otteson states:
Therefore by honoring President Obama and giving him this special platform, Notre Dame violates the 2004 injunction of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which stated: “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."
But Notre Dame proposes instead to give him this special platform and to honor him with a conferred degree. Thus Notre Dame seems to have this choice: Either rescind its invitation to President Obama (without prejudice, wishing him well and praying for him), or reconsider the extent to which it is indeed a Catholic institution.
Harsh but accurate.
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I understand the Catholic anger towards having a pro-choice speaker at a Notre Dame event, a university affiliated with the Catholic church, a religion that has long believed opposing abortion is necessary to protect the sanctity of human life.
But this isn't any pro-choice speaker. It's the president of the United States, talking not about abortion, but about entering the real-world and the pride in having a Notre Dame education, one of the best in the country.
If Catholics don't like Obama's stance on abortion, they agree with him on gay marriage (Obama opposes,) immigration reform (Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal George have both spoken against harsh anti-immigrant laws,) and the war in Iraq (Obama and the Church both oppose.) These are just some of the issues I can think of. I'm sure there are more where they both agree and probably some more where they both disagree. This is the same university that invited Obama and Hillary Clinton (both unabashedly pro-choice) in April to talk to the college about their stances on the issues before the Indiana Primary.
http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/9353-chelsea-clinton-to-speak-on-campus-march-26
If students don't want to attend the ceremony, they don't have to. But to deprive everybody the privilege of hearing the President of the United States talk at a graduation ceremony, just one of the three Obama will be attending out of the thousands of colleges holding graduations this year, is wrong.
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