Archbishop Nienstedt protests ‘egregious’ invite of Obama to Notre Dame

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Comments: 21

Archbishop John Nienstedt

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Minneapolis, Minn., Apr 1, 2009 / 05:37 am (CNA).- Citing President Barack Obama’s “deliberate disregard of the unborn,” Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis has written to the president of the University of Notre Dame, protesting the “egregious decision” to invite the president as commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient. The archbishop joins several other U.S. bishops who have opposed the invitation.

Writing a March 31 letter to University of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Archbishop Nienstedt characterized President Obama as a former “pro-abortion legislator” who has indicated his “deliberate disregard for the unborn” by promoting “the FOCA agenda” and “lifting the ban on embryonic stem cell research.”

The Freedom of Choice Act involves laws that would further enshrine permissive abortion policies in federal law and could threaten both restrictions on taxpayer funding for abortions and protections for those who object to performing abortions. The “FOCA agenda” is a term used by FOCA opponents to describe the piecemeal implementation of FOCA and other pro-abortion legislation.

President Obama recently overturned President George W. Bush’s restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. President Bush did not ban the research outright.

Archbishop Nienstedt in his letter also objected to President Obama’s “open support for gay rights.”

“It is a travesty that the University of Notre Dame, considered by many to be a Catholic University, should give its public support to such an anti-Catholic politician,” the archbishop wrote, asking President Jenkins to reconsider the decision.

If the decision is not reconsidered, the archbishop said, “please do not expect me to support your University in the future.”

Responding to the letter, Patrick Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society, said the faithful owe “a debt of prayerful thanks” to Archbishop Nienstedt.

The Cardinal Newman Society, an organization dedicated to strengthening Catholic higher education, has organized a petition drive asking President Jenkins to rescind the invitation to President Obama. As of Tuesday afternoon the petition had more than 220,000 signatures.

Notre Dame’s 2009 commencement is scheduled for May 17.

Comments: 21

Subscriber comments:

Published by: pat mallory
Cincinnati Ohio 04/07/2009 08:44 PM EST

Where was the outrage when the Bishop allowed his churches to be used for a political pulpit of the GOP,who have done nothing about ending abortion?

Published by: Rick
St. Paul, MN 04/03/2009 11:58 AM EST

Rate: Regular

Once again there are all those concerned people about the unborn. Where /are/were your concerns when the Catholic church is/was hiding all its pedophile priests? You only care about these children until after they're born. Hypocrites!!

Published by: Mary
Iowa City, Iowa 04/02/2009 09:21 PM EST

Notre Dame is WRONG!
Un invite Obama!

Published by: BFCA
Jersey City, NJ 04/02/2009 08:11 PM EST

I get tired of these people who talk about dialogue. Don't they know their Greek? Who's the person responding? And for the claim, Obama isn't anti-Catholic. He agrees with us on many "life issues": poverty, war, health care, etc. JPII said it best: “Above, all the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights — for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture — is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with the maximum determination.”
Of course what did he know? He was just a pope. Come on people! Wake up! It's a disgrace and an act of scandal for Obama to give a commencement speech telling graduates how to proceed in life even though he disagrees with them as to the value of life.

Published by: maryann
Minneapolis, MN USA 04/02/2009 05:08 PM EST

Rate: Good

Archbishop Nienstedt is not consistent in his prolife stance. This is the same Archbishop who prevented an expert on medical complicity in torture from speaking at my local Catholic church in Minneapolis. A local order of nuns filled in at the last moment to host the event. I have worked with torture survivors and know the importance of justice on their behalf. Nienstedt does not provide sufficient leadership on tough moral issues, and it more than saddens me to see his public denoucement of the Notre Dame invite. I applaud Notre Dame for inviting an inclusive, social-justice minded and moral leader, President Obama.

Published by: Charles
Minnesota 04/02/2009 01:53 PM EST

Rate: Good

As another Minnesotan, I am very saddend to hear Archbishop Nienstedt take this public position against Notre Dame. It is very divisive and unproductive to greater discussion on the matters he considers to be the issues at hand.

Abortion is a very complicated and not clear cut issue in the world. People with same-gender preferences are people just like the rest of us and letting them expand their legal rights (e.g. marriage) does not threaten anyone unless you are so worried about your relationships with others to blame others for your own problems. That is the stance the Church should take.

I travel across many dioceses across Minnesota and Wisconsin and at the pew level.

If you look into Archbishop Nienstedt's past positions, he has been chaplain of a rich-millionare's group ran by Ave Maria's figurehead Tom Monaghan. In the movement, Ave Maria and the Catholic Newman Society have similar viewpoints and sometimes partner on their views, which do not relate to much of the population, just a small subset. The average parishioner looks towards the good that Obama is doing and many voted that way this past November. We have a crumbling economy, growing ranks of the poor and all this noise over Notre Dame is a tiny tempest in a teapot and very unproductive.

Published by: Joe
Minneapolis/MN/USA 04/02/2009 10:01 AM EST

Rate: Good

Obama supports positions consistent with Catholic teaching on economic justice for the poor, ending the war in Iraq, reducing nuclear arsenals, extending health care to all people, and addressing climate change. These are all life issues, too.
Archbishop Nienstedt needs to recognize this and refrain from using the word "anti-Catholic" to describe Obama. How many Catholic politicans supported invading Iraq and how many lives have been lost because of that illegal war? What has the church done to prevent nuclear war and all the lives that would be lost if any nuclear weapon would be used again?

Published by: Lee Bui
Hurst Texas 04/01/2009 11:01 PM EST

It seems President Obama did not want a Catholic Bishop to join praying at his inauguration celebretion, because he was afraid of prayers for pro-life.Why does Rev. John jenkins invite him to give speech to promote his pro- abortion stance?

Published by: Jeff Johnson
Collegeville, MN 04/01/2009 06:53 PM EST

Rate: Good

As resident of Minnesota, I am usually ashamed of our democratic, pro-abortion leanings, but here is a bishop I can cheer and be proud of.

Celebrating Obama at a Catholic university is a disaster. Keep praying everyone.

Published by: Father Leo Petit, M.S.C.
Center Valley, PA--USA 04/01/2009 05:44 PM EST

Thank all of you at CNA for providing people, both pro and con,an opportunity to express our views on this important issue/event.

Father Leo

Published by: Pat
Minneapolis 04/01/2009 01:32 PM EST

But see also the moderate comments by the Most Rev. John R. Quinn,archbishop emeritus of San Francisco, in America magazine

Published by: Paul M Hupf
Daly City CA, USA 04/01/2009 12:47 PM EST

Rate: Good

The time is long overdue for our colleges and universities, founded by Catholic religious orders, to return to the Catholic Church. These institutions no longer support or promote the essence of the Catholic faith.

Published by: Glenn Meyer
St. Charles, MO USA 04/01/2009 12:35 PM EST

Rate: Very Good

Notre Dame is either a Catholic university or it is not. If it is, it should be ordered to withdraw the invitation to President Obama. If it is not, the Catholic Church should end its support of Notre Dame and force it to become a secular institution. The equivocation needs to stop.

Published by: bjcass
mooresville,nc 04/01/2009 12:30 PM EST

I respect and value Archbishop Nienstedt`s statement.I would appreciate even more a scathing rebuke of Notre Dame`s defiant President by Cardinal George and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.Barack Obama has every right to play politics.Our Church Hierarchy doesn`t have the same privilege.I hope we hear soon from Cardinal George.

Published by: a. daly
odessa,florida,usa 04/01/2009 11:58 AM EST

Its abouttime that the church is
standing up for its principles.
obama has been for elimination of abortions restrictions and has been very vocal about it. if notre dame is a true catholic university, how can they allow him to speak on his views of a very different world that i do not want to live in. SHAME...SHAME ON NOTRER DAME.

Published by: Scott
South Bend 04/01/2009 10:40 AM EST

Thank you, Archbishop! Can we get other Bishops to do the same? Please take a forceful stand on this terrible error in judgement.

Published by: Rich Bisordi
Stamford, CT USA 04/01/2009 10:24 AM EST

The invitation and degree to Obama by Fr. Jenkins is an insult to the Catrholic Church. Fr. Jenkins should be relieved of his duties immediately and Obama disinvited to speak.

Published by: Mary
South Bend,IN,USA 04/01/2009 10:09 AM EST

Rate: Good

The protestors of the Notre Dame invitation to President Obama demonstrate the Catholic church's dominant attitude of condemnation rather than dialogue with those who disagree with their beliefs. If the bishops who have not expressed their point of view on the invitation do not see it as the likes of Archbishop Nienstedt, they are not saying so. The people in our church and in our country are left to believe that all bishops agree with those who are speaking out. If they disagree, they are not doing so publically. Perhaps this is because it is necessary to present a united front if they are to maintain the belief of many Catholics that all Catholic teaching is unquestionably accepted by all clerics and should be likewise accepted by all. This condemnation and mean spirited disrespect of the good will of this intelligent President and other leaders does great harm to the cause of saving the lives of the unborn in the United States. The tone and methods used since 1973 have failed. Those of us who try to call for more civil and cooperative methods of saving the lives of the unborn are similarly condemned by the group which has dominated the anti-abortion struggle.

Published by: Bill Weronko
Dixon, IL 04/01/2009 08:56 AM EST

Rate: Very Good

As a Catholic and life long supporter of the University of Notre Dame I am beyond appalled that the University is planning on giving President Obama an honorary degree.
President Obama he has sanctioned federal funds used to abort children overseas; has allowed our tax dollars to support Orwellian embryonic stem cell research; has tapped rabidly pro-abortion appointees; attacked our freedom of religion and sought to strip us of our freedom of conscience. While a state senator and later a U. S. Senator he supported late term abortions and the killing of babies that lived through a botched abortion.
It is incomprehensible to me that the most prestigious Catholic university in the country, named after Our Lady, wants to honor Obama with an honorary degree. Notre Dame's invitation is a disgrace to every Catholic in the United States.
The Notre Dame University's disgusting pandering to the culture of death - enemy of the Catholic Faith must be opposed by all Catholics.

Published by: Dan
Santa Fe/NM/US 04/01/2009 07:17 AM EST

'Deliberate disregard' is an appropriate phrase. It seems our President was not and is not now just a passive bystander but in fact through legislation as a US Senator and now via Executive Order(s) he is actively and deliberately participating in dismantling 'pro-life' in all areas of secular society. What is amazing is that this activity is open and plain to see; that is as long as you are not blinded by the contorted arguements of his apologists both in and outside The Church.

Published by: Bill Metz
Sudbury/MA/US 04/01/2009 07:10 AM EST

Aside from the primary issue, honoring a pro-late-term-abortion advocate/enforcer with a "degree" from Notre Dame, what has President Irreverent Jenkins wrought on this otherwise hallowed university in terms of diminished alumni contributions?

His damage will not soon be undone

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