ND Response Transcripts

Transcripts of speeches and videos of the ND Response demonstration at Notre Dame University last Sunday are now available at http://johenz-topmeadow.blogspot.com/ . Espcially interesting, in my opinion, is Father Raphael's speech.

Til next time...all the best. Joe

A Thunderous Silence

The day before President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame, TIME Magazine ran the following story by Amy Sullivan stating that the Vatican had remained completely silent on the issue.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599189875600

This is not the case. At least two American members of the Roman Curia, the body of cardinals and bishops which functions as the Pope's cabinet, have spoken out on the issue. I fact, Sullivan quotes one, James Francis Cardinal Stafford, in her article.

Sullivan totally ignored the remarks of Archbishop Raymond Burke on the matter. Archbishop Burke is the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, an office roughly corresponding to a combination of Chief Justice and Attorney General for matters pertaining to Canon Law. In remarks to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC on May 2, Archbishop Burke said:


"In a culture marked by widespread and grave confusion and error about the most fundamental teachings of the moral law, our Catholic schools and universities must be beacons of truth and right conduct. Clearly, the same is true of our Catholic charitable, missionary and healthcare institutions. There can be no place in them for teaching or activities which offend the moral law. Dialogue and respect for differences are not promoted by the compromise and even violation of the natural moral law. The profound granting of an honorary doctorate at Notre Dame University to our President who is as aggressively advancing an anti-life and anti-family agenda is a source of the gravest scandal. Catholic institutions cannot offer any platform to, let alone honor, those who teach and act publicly against the moral law. In a culture which embraces an agenda of death, Catholics and Catholic institutions are necessarily counter-cultural. If we as individuals or our Catholic institutions are not willing to accept the burdens and the suffering necessarily involved in calling our culture to reform, then we are not worthy of the name Catholic. "

Archbishop Burke reiterated his position on the EWTN news program The World Over in a taped interview conducted by Raymond Arroyo, which was broadcast on Sunday.

If that is silence, it is a most thunderous silence indeed.

So-called "liberal" Catholics and the toady media outlets are currently gloating over Monday's editorial in L'Osservatore Romano applauding the President's words at Notre Dame encouraging dialogue on the abortion issue, but have totally ignored the statements made by these prelates of the Church. They fail to notice that the Vatican newspaper and its editorial staff are not part of the Curia. If we compare the relationship of newspapers to members of the cabinet to the Vatican newspaper and members of the Curia, we must ask an important question, "Is an editorial in the New York Times as authoritative as the statements of the Attorney General made in an open forum?"

Further evidence of the Vatican's displeasure with the views of the Obama administration lies in the fact that the Holy See has rejected three candidates proposed thus far for the post of ambassador to the Holy See based upon the "pro-choice" views of the candidates. (BTW, Mr President, if you're reading this, I'm available). This would seem to me to underscore the Vatican's viewpoint that there is no room for "dialogue" on life issues.

If Ms Sullivan thinks that this is silence she would do well to think again. The Pope himself does not need to address this issue individually, it has been addressed in such Church documents as Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which outlines the role of Catholic institutions in the world, and those documents remain in force.

Til next time, all the best. Joe

A Day Spent in the Company of Heroes

I spent yesterday at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN attending the ND Response rally countering the University's invitation to President Obama to be the commencement speaker and receive an honorary law degree. The demonstration was thoughtful, well planned and organized, and, above all, deeply Catholic.

As with all Catholic demonstrations, this one was centered on Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, providing overnight Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament (which packed the tiny chapel in Alumni Hall to overflowing), and Mass on the South Quad.

The event was well attended by a well behaved crowd of several thousand including such Catholic heavyweights as Bishop John D'Arcy, Father Frank Pavone, Father John Corapi and Dr Charles Rice. The speakers for the event were thoughtfully chosen. Especially touching was the address of Lacy Dodd, who took the stage accompanied by her nine year old daughter, Mary. Lacy is a 1999 graduate of the University who found herself pregnant three months before her graduation and rejected the abortion option favored by her child's father. Most inspiring, though, was the address of Fr John J. Raphael SSJ, the black principal of St Augustine High School in New Orleans, LA, who took the podium to refute the ridiculous charges of racism levelled at the organizers of this demonstration. Father Raphael laid the racist charges back at the feet of the Presidential Administration, pointing out that nearly a quarter of all abortions take place among the black community which comprises on 13% of the US population. His address brought the crowd to its feet and left them there for the duration. Keep checking http://www.ndresponse.com/ for transcripts of the speeches.

The Rosary in the Grotto was a beautiful event, with meditations on the Glorious Mysteries provided by Father Frank Pavone, president of Priests for Life.

Father Jenkins, since you have an spare Laetare Medal laying around around gathering dust, why not present it to ND Response for putting the Catholic principles they learned at Notre Dame into action?

I spent yesterday in the company of true Catholic heroes. My congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2009. God bless you all, you are the hope of the American Church!

More thoughts on this event to follow. Til next time, all the best. Joe