Should a Catholic University have honoured President Obama?
On May 17 2009, Notre Dame Catholic University, Indiana, USA, welcomed President Barack Obama as guest speaker and awarded him an honorary degree. Many American Catholics protested in vain — a number being arrested. But three quarters of US bishops, surprisingly(?), said nothing. In 2004 the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a statement that Catholic Institutions “should not honour those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.” Fundamental Catholic moral principles include opposing abortion and embryonic stem cell research — both of which are favoured by Mr Obama. Some bishops did their best. Archbishop Francis George, said that the leadership of Notre Dame “didn’t understand what it means to be a Catholic. Archbishop Raymond Burke is on record saying that anyone voting for Obama had “collaborated with evil”. Not only did most US bishops say nothing, the Pope also said nothing. **** What would Blessed Mary of the Cross be saying in Australia today? In
