Bishop Aquila addresses Obama and Notre Dame on Fox News

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Fargo, N.D., May 15, 2009 / 10:38 am (CNA).- Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, said on national television May 14 that the University of Notre Dame is “ignoring their Catholic identity” by giving an honorary degree to President Barack Obama. Obama will speak at the university’s commencement exercises May 17 and receive an honorary degree.

“Certainly Notre Dame is a wonderful Catholic institution. It is one that has a Catholic character and a Catholic identity,” Bishop Aquila said on “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” on Fox News channel Thursday, May 14. Referring to President Obama’s views and actions related to abortion, Bishop Aquila said “to extend an honorary degree to someone who is opposed to a basic, fundamental right as the right and the dignity of human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, that sends a very mixed message and certainly is perceived by the average layperson as condoning or giving an appearance of supporting his ideas on human life and the unborn child.”

Bishop Aquila said graduates of Notre Dame from the Diocese of Fargo have contacted him with concerns about the university’s decision to honor Obama. He said bishops “serving as teachers, need to extend their teaching and help people to see. Because, certainly, NARAL or Planned Parenthood would never invite Benedict XVI, much less extend an award to him. And essentially, Notre Dame is ignoring their Catholic identity and who they are, their Catholic character, by giving an award to (President Obama).”

In an April 5 letter to Father John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, Bishop Aquila wrote that Notre Dame’s invitation to President Barack Obama “diminishes the reputation of Notre Dame and makes one wonder what its mission truly is.”

Bishop Aquila wrote that President Obama, “clearly rejects the truth about human dignity through his constant support of a so called ‘right to abortion.’ He also tolerates the inexcusable act of letting aborted children die who are born alive. He promotes an intrinsic evil which must always be resisted by a just and civil society.”

The full text of the letter can be found here: www.fargodiocese.org/bishop/Homilies/StatementNotreDameLtr4-5-09.pdf

Printed with permission from the Diocese of Fargo.

Comments: 19

Subscriber comments:

Published by: ddaz
Mockingbird Heights/Michigan/USA 05/16/2009 10:17 PM EST

Barbara,

The flawed logic which you find redemptive in President Obama concerning his being personally opposed to abortion, but is favor of a woman’s right to chose is the same flawed logic which Abraham Lincoln debated with Stephen Douglas over 150 years ago. Stephen Douglas proposed the same flawed logic with respect to slavery; he was opposed to it, but didn’t wish to interfere with a state’s right to choose between slave or free. Slavery was morally evil back then and abortion is morally evil today. Yours and President Obama’s position that you don’t desire to interfere with a woman’s choice is wrong. Both of you need to reflect on your position and take a stand. Either abortion is the removal of unnecessary and unwanted tissue within a woman’s body and not a life, or abortion is the taking of an innocent life and therefore morally evil. If you are pro-life, then the unborn is always a life, no matter what the mother of the unborn child believes.

Published by: Dan Colgan
McSherrystown, Pa USA 05/16/2009 07:43 PM EST

The silence of the majority of USA Bishops on the abortionist in chief's ND invite is deafening and testament to how much they value their government subsidized social programs. Killing of the innocent is the quid pro quo.

Published by: mgb
Birmingham, AL/USA 05/16/2009 02:33 PM EST

To: Barbara Parot
I am dumb-founded each time I hear, "I'm personally opposed, BUT..." This makes Obama, & you, classic relativistic fence-sitters. Are you blind to where this philosophy has landed our society? We live in a world now, thanks to the moral relativism you espouse, where anything goes. According to your approach, I (& certainly the Church) should have no opinion, nor should I (or the Church) dare to express it...even charitably. Do you not comprehend the dangers of moral relativism, which Pope Benedict has eloquently warned us against?

"relativism n. A theory that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative."

Contrary to your pejorative characterization of the "institutional church," the Church & all those who profess to follow Christ, are actually OBLIGATED to judge the rightness or wrongness of actions (ie: identify what is sin.) You have fallen prey to the intellectually lazy, common "don't judge me" tactic of diversion from the issue(s) at hand.

I have heard no one claim where Obama, or other moral relativists such as yourself, will spend eternity. To do that would be accurately defined as "judging." Instead, this is what I have heard, LOUDLY and CLEARLY: Countless faithful to the Magisterium Catholics standing against what Obama believes, promotes, PUSHES on the rest of us...OUR freedoms, choices & beliefs be damned.

Barbara, because I DO love, I am duty-bound to fraternally correct (not judge) you & others.

Published by: Rose
Salt Lake City, UT 05/16/2009 11:13 AM EST

That is pathetic, Barbara - the 'personally opposed but' argument is seriously flawed and has done a tremendous amount of damage. And, the president has lent tacit support for abortion by his actions. He wouldn't even vote to save the lives of babies of failed abortions. If you really believe what you wrote, I feel sorry for you.

Published by: Colleen
Fort Myers, FL USA 05/16/2009 10:50 AM EST

I get so tired of people saying they do not personally believe in abortion but they support others' rights to choose. Lord, have mercy.
Do you support others "rights" to abuse children?
Believing in a woman's right to choose is the same thing as being pro abortion. No one has a right to choose abortion. Just like no one has a right to choose to abuse children. No one has a right to choose to murder someone. No one has a right to choose to torture someone. Abortion is not a "right." It is "a wrong." It kills children and emotionally, if not physically, scars the mothers.
This is not about opinion. This is about truth and life.
And of course the Church has a right to tell us what is morally acceptable and what is not. It is not a political institution, it is the Body of Christ!!!

Published by: Fr. Peter Richards
Albertville/Mn/USA 05/16/2009 09:46 AM EST

I watched this interview on Fox. Miss Greta does not know what the real Catholic questions are, but the Bishops and some Catholic lay leaders do. I encourage ordained and lay leaders in the Catholic Church to "set the agenda" with secular news agencies on Catholic matters. We can grant an interview on Catholic matters if we get to say what the questions really are, not what an ignorant of CAtholic matters news anchor wants to ask. In this instance, there are "stupid" questions and Miss Greta and her correspondant at Notre Dame completely missed the mark. Further, Catholic leadership was mocked by the whole segment. The segment was named "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" with Bishop Aquila's picture pasted there. It really saddened me to see how Bishop Aquila and my religion was treated.
Bad, Bad Fox news.

Published by: M. Lyons
Pert, Western Auatralia 05/16/2009 01:06 AM EST

I do not believe that the 'Church and its members posture themselves as judge and jury.' The Church has a right, nay duty to proclaim the Lord's teachings. This is not the same as judging individuals.

Published by: Barbara Parot
St Charles, IL 05/15/2009 10:41 PM EST

Rate: Regular

President Obama has said that he "believes in a woman's right to choose." He never said he was in favor of abortion. As a mom of an adopted child, I am personally pro-life. However, I would never allow my personal belief to influence another woman's decision. Too often the institutional church and its members posture themselves as judge and jury. I believe that it is the duty of all Christians to love one another and leave judgement to God.

Published by: Patrick
Boardman/OH/USA 05/15/2009 06:38 PM EST

The most fundamental question that must be addressed concerns the basic function of a Catholic university. Is it mainly for free thought or for the proclamation of accepted Catholic doctrine only? This has to be tackled head on so that students understand what they are supposed to be doing there, thinking or spilling out digested doctrine. Either way is fine as long as it is defined and understood by all.

Published by: JC
IL 05/15/2009 05:55 PM EST

For a 'Catholic' institution to give such an honor to anti-Catholic person (his deeds are very anti-Catholic) is simply sad, shameful, pathetic. ND keeps selling its soul.

Published by: mgb
Birmingham, AL/USA 05/15/2009 03:29 PM EST

"Because, certainly, NARAL or Planned Parenthood would never invite Benedict XVI, much less extend an award to him."

This quote by Bishop Aquila is hands-down my favorite of all those I've read by those esteemed bishops having the courage to TEACH the faithful as they are duty-bound to do concerning the Notre Dame scandal.

God bless Bishop Aquila for his authentic Roman Catholic leadership and witness!

Published by: may
granada hills ,california,usa 05/15/2009 02:52 PM EST

To give him an honorary degree is very very wrong because of his rabid pro abortion stance. To give him honor as president? what has he done so far ? only time will tell if his policies and actuations will be actually good for the country.. for non christian universities.. hold off those honors...it is still premature

Published by: Rosemary
Chappaqua, NY USA 05/15/2009 01:54 PM EST

Notre Dame has been ignoring its Catholic identity for many years. Did Mary Ann Glendon not know that?

Published by: bjcass
mooresville,nc 05/15/2009 01:50 PM EST

Bishop Aquila chose to spoeak out in support of Life and to charitably chasten those at Notre Dame who would rationalize a bad decision.Before the graduation is over,we can anticipate the media will turn its` journalistic salvos on those who protest,followed by the White House putting a happy face on the entire escapade.I am saddened that the ND graduating class has become a side show as a result of the poor judgment of Father Jenkins.The Class of 2009 worked hard and deserved better.

Published by: Dick & Alyce Prewett
Roseville, CA. USA 05/15/2009 01:19 PM EST

I feel that Notre Dame and other Catholic Institutes of learning who are not in aggreement with Basic Catholic teaching regarding abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research....and on and on should have their "Catholic" credentials removed. They are No longer in agreement with the Holy See or what our Faith is all about.!!!!

Published by: Nathan Hillmer
Fargo, ND 05/15/2009 12:58 PM EST

Thank you Bishop Aquila for teaching, sanctifying, and administering to the people of Fargo! May God continually hold, keep you, nourish, and sustain you.

Published by: Tom
DC 05/15/2009 12:36 PM EST

The opinion of one ND grad: Fr. Hesburgh and the Congregation of the Holy Cross embraced a heterodox take on Catholicism decades ago. Their current ecclesiology is more consistent with that of leftist Episcopalians than Catholicism. Obama's paradigm is more consistent with most CSCs than is the Pope's paradigm. This dispute is not actually between ND & the Church; it is between the Congregation of the Holy Cross and the Church. Ultimately, the dispute is a struggle between the religion advanced by the CSCs and the religion advanced by the Church, two distinct religions.

Published by: David E. Connolly, Jr.
New Orleans, Louisiana 05/15/2009 11:29 AM EST

Notre Dame was simply too tempted by the prestige the world accords Barrack Obama, and decided to turn its back on its Catholic teachings. These worldly temptations were also offered to Christ in the desert by Satan. Jesus said the soul and the body were at odds, each wanting something different, one worldly, and the other spiritual. Animals have no choice concerning these matters, but to differentiate ourselves, we make sacrifices that serve the greater good, and not always the corporeal needs, or in this case, desires.

Published by: harry
bala cynwyd, pa, usa 05/15/2009 11:21 AM EST

isn't this mostly about some bishops trying to control major catholic universities that are operated by independent Boards of Trustees, such as Notre Dame and all the Jesuit colleges and universities?

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