Obama’s Notre Dame speech tried to redefine U.S. Catholicism, George Weigel charges

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President Obama / George Weigel

Washington D.C., May 19, 2009 / 05:38 pm (CNA).- Continuing his criticism of President Barack Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame, Catholic commentator George Weigel charged that Obama has inserted himself into intra-Catholic disputes by trying to define who a “real Catholic” is. He warned the president risks assuming the headship of the dissident wing of U.S. Catholicism, pitting Catholic intellectuals and institutions against their bishops.

Weigel, writing in a Monday essay for National Review Online, said it was “surprising” and “disturbing” that President Obama decided to “insert himself” into “the ongoing Catholic debate over the boundaries of Catholic identity and the applicability of settled Catholic convention in the public square.” He said President Obama tried to settle “the decades-long intra-Catholic culture war” in favor of one faction: “the faction that had supported his candidacy and that had spent the first months of his administration defending his policies.”

In an exclusive comment to CNA, Weigel compared the effort to the historical phenomenon of “Gallicanism,” the French bishops’ past efforts to establish a church generally independent of papal authority.

“This is a very serious business, with the president of the United States putting himself in charge of the Gallican wing of the Catholic Church in the United States -- the difference being that this new Gallicanism isn't local bishops vs. Rome but intellectuals and their institutions and magazines vs. local bishops and Rome,” Weigel told CNA.

Weigel said that the “politically savvy” White House and its allies among Catholic progressive intellectuals may have intended to secure Obama’s political advantage among Catholic voters with his appearance at Notre Dame.

To secure his political position, Weigel charged, “the president of the United States decided that he would define what it means to be a real Catholic in 21st-century America — not the bishop of Fort Wayne–South Bend, who in sorrow declined to attend Notre Dame’s commencement.”

The Catholic commentator also argued that the president indirectly presented himself as a more significant authority than the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who had “explicitly and unambiguously” instructed Catholic institutions not to honor pro-abortion rights politicians.

President Obama’s commencement speech at Notre Dame, Weigel argued in National Review Online, tried to suggest “who the real Catholics in America are” and put forward the late Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Joseph Bernardin as the model for being “congenial and gentle” and for “always trying to bring people together.”

While praising Cardinal Bernardin’s “gallant response” to a fatal cancer diagnosis, Weigel said Cardinal Bernardin’s “seamless garment” approach to public policy ended up helping Catholic politicians and laymen dodge moral objections to their support for a permissive abortion regime.

According to Weigel, the U.S. bishops abandoned the “seamless garment” metaphor in 1998 to better emphasize the foundational nature of the life issues.

He also suggested that President Obama’s praise for Cardinal Bernardin was an implicit criticism of contemporary bishops who are vocally pro-life, like present Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Francis George.

Cardinal George, who is also president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was described by Weigel as “one of the most articulate critics of Notre Dame’s decision to honor a president who manifestly does not share what Notre Dame claims is its institutional commitment to the Church’s defense of life.”

In his email to CNA, Weigel repeated the question he previously asked in his Catholic press column: “What Church does Notre Dame belong to?”

Comments: 25

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Roch
Canada 06/01/2009 01:29 PM EST

"The problem is Obama will win this war if the Bishops only respond with words.

Strong actions are needed."

Obama may think he can "win" the battle using words...but if anyone really takes apart his speech at ND - it is CLEAR he has NO intention of changing anything with respect to his policies on abortion.

Published by: Dan LaHood
USA 05/23/2009 05:42 AM EST

Father Fleiger(sp) is the Catholic closest to Obama. OK?

Published by: joe
michigan 05/22/2009 06:49 PM EST

If you read Obama's books, it's hard to pick up that he has any sense of Higher Power. Which by default makes HIM God..Scary stuff. He is a smooth talker...VERY smooth. I recommend people focus on and critique intently what he does..NOT on what he says.If he's an honest person what could it hurt...but then after that contrived stunt at Georgetown ...I mean really...

Published by: Dee
Fairfax Va USA 05/21/2009 08:39 AM EST

Mr. Obama is a master of spin and twisting words. I agreed with Fred Barnes(Weekly Standard) when he called Obama's ND speech "breathtaking hypocrisy." His actions tell us how he really feels about Catholics, ie., the appointment of Henry Knox, etc. Mr. Obama may think that he is fooling the people, but I truly believe he does not fool all of the people. More and more people will come to realize this.

Published by: bjcass
mooresville,nc 05/20/2009 07:48 PM EST

Patrick of Boardman,Ohio states: "Mr.Weigel should come out of his ivory,intellectually flooded tower and get into the real world of people problems and suffering." It might be interesting to know if you include the loss in that real world that you embrace to more than 50 million unborn infants who never had the chance to gasp their first breath.Or you might care deeply but decide it`s just easier to look the other way and preach to us about those in need.I`m with you on loving our neighbor but it`s hard to help when your voiceless neighbor was eliminated before he/she had the chance to experience anything.

Published by: JANICE BROWN
Palm Desert, CA,USA 05/20/2009 06:30 PM EST

I am 82 and have been a practicing Catholic all of my life. Sunday was a sad day for me. I grieved, like I grieved over lost children, when I heard the roars of applause from the graduates of the College of Notre Dame. Our Lady grieved that day too. So few followed the Shepherds but followed the wolves. We should pray for these young people as they go out into the world unprotected. I tremble when I think of the outcome.

Published by: linda
England 05/20/2009 02:59 PM EST

First Blair now Obama. Trying to redefine Catholicism to the Pope and to Catholics.

Nice cynical try - but it won't wash. Unlike Catholic truth both these men are here today gone tomorrow. Does anyone think they are working in unison?!?

Published by: John Wright
San Diego CA 05/20/2009 01:32 PM EST

Ironically, Weigel enfolds himself in his own criticism as a member of the "intellectual American" class that stands against the Bishop of Rome. Weigel had no problems ignoring JP II's desparate pleas to prevent the USA from invading Iraq. He publicly dissented, providing moral justification for indigenous political gain. It seems that both the Catholic Right and Left intellectuals feel free to dissent from Rome; they both are correct in what they oppose from the other side, but both wrong in what they affirm. Perhaps this is behind Weigel's criticism of Bernadin, who surely articulated the genuine ethic of a culture of life that refuses the bifurcation of the American right and left.

Published by: Marie
St. Francisville, LA 05/20/2009 12:14 PM EST

The Notre Dame event blew the cover of supposedly "Catholic" universities. For decades such schools have been governed by independent lay boards which are not subject even to the local Bishop. These universities are driven by intellectual pride and a thirst for human respect. They worship at the altars of "respect for academic freedom", "respect for diverse views", and as Obama stated in his speech, "always trying to bring people together". Whatever happened to RESPECT FOR THE TRUTH? These universities experience moral relativism. BUT..., while all persons need to be respected, all viewpoints are not worthy of respect. Notre Dame has blurred this essential distinction. Jesus greatly respected persons, but he NEVER respected beliefs or behavior that were contrary to the Divine Will. Obama has no distant concept of what it means to be authentically Catholic. He cerainly cannot tell the Catholic Church what it should be.

Published by: Patrick
Boardman/OH/USA 05/20/2009 10:07 AM EST

Mr. Weigel should come out of his ivory, intellectually-flooded tower and get into the real world of people problems and suffering.

Published by: Prof K
Sycamore, IL, USA 05/19/2009 10:58 PM EST

As an ND graduate I feel great sorrow because of this issue. I love Notre Dame, but I feel those now running ND have proven they love prestige more than they love the truth. What does it matter if you "civilly" choose to do evil as the board at ND has done? Prof K

Published by: david riley
dayton/ohio/usa 05/19/2009 09:44 PM EST

Weigel has it right. Obama spoke for millions of Catholics in ways that many of the bishops do not. He is a pragmatist who understands politics as the art of the possible and not the art of the ideologically pure. To reduce the number of abortions is a good thing, not perfect but nevertheless worthy of political effort and a way to actually get some good done. This makes sense to many.

Published by: Janet
chicago/Illinois/USA 05/19/2009 09:42 PM EST

I thought the President's comments about Cardinal Bernardin were brilliant and spot on. And if they were an implicit criticism on top of it, they were a graceful criticism. President Obama's words, civility and wisdom shamed his critics and the fact that many of his critics were bishops, shamed them even more.

Published by: Megev
U.S.A. 05/19/2009 09:26 PM EST

I simply offer my prayers and hard to refute such words of a well-known Catholic layman like George Weigel. In my view, I agree with his outlook on what has happened at this prestigious Catholic university. I go even further than what is written here-those that say they are Catholic, but support this President's ENTIRE agenda-are not truly members of this Church. It is honesty, both spiritually and socially. We have yet to see what the rest of this President's term brings, but on moral issues, I implore all fellow Catholics all over the world to pray. By allowing him to be our leader, even go and do events, that do NOT reflect Vatican II's spirit or our recent popes (Benedict XVI and late John Paul II), by nature of word and deed, we risk other nations where their culutres is deeply influenced by long-term accpetance of fundamental human truths and monothiesitc-based, religious orthodoxy take notice to do the very thing that we Americans do! Drawing from history of democracies (even back to Greece), it is not enough to be free, but to know what is truly the complete meaning of freedom wholistically. Stating that, I affirm the views of this commentator whose analysis is succintly, the old strategy of "divide and conqueor". Sadly this is a main consequence of the Notre Dame debacle. God bless Mr. Weigel and may other faithful Catholics like him do NOT cease in advocating the truth of the Church nor challenge this political structure on issues of life and justice. Amen! AD+MG

Published by: Kevin
Rockford/Il/USA 05/19/2009 08:57 PM EST

The problem is Obama will win this war if the Bishops only respond with words.

Strong actions are needed.

Excommunications of those inside the Church attacking it from within is the only action that will save the Body, like cutting off a dead limb.

Published by: JLS
Riverside, CA, USA 05/19/2009 08:37 PM EST

The answer to George Weigel's question, "What Church does Notre Dame belong to?" is Islam.

Published by: JLS
Riverside, CA, USA 05/19/2009 08:29 PM EST

It's closer to fact than to argument.

Published by: Robert Matzinger
Taylor/Michigan/USA 05/19/2009 07:54 PM EST

In reading Obamas speech there is little doubt he is attempting to define what a Catholic is and what a Catholic believes. This is the worlds foremost abortionist lecturing to Catholics what they should believe in and observe in their religion! Do not be deceived: Obamas mission, and with the aid of his administration, is to convert the country into one secular set of beliefs about everything he believes in. We must do all we can to resist his message to reduce us to believing that abortion is perfectly acceptable and a gradual rejection of all our other Catholic beliefs, and our Catholic faith itself!

Published by: Carlo
New York 05/19/2009 07:50 PM EST

The Vatican liked President Obama's speech, and the Holy Father will warmly welcome him in a few months.

It's time people stopped trying to turn the Catholic (Universal) Church is a wing of an American Political Party.

"Catholic commentator"? Is he a bishop?

Then ache isn't a Catholic commentator.

Published by: rol
Pittsburgh 05/19/2009 06:48 PM EST

The White seems the proper pulpit for the President as I recall founding fathers who declared the need to
separate church and state in a country where we hold these truths to be self evident...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
This should be America's only agenda.

Published by: Ed Mendoza
Hayward/CA/USA 05/19/2009 06:35 PM EST

Pres. Obama, despite his position of educating women not to choose abortion which Catholics do), approved abortion funding. He slyly avoided the issue - that he is pro-abortion.

Published by: Mark
Edison/NJ/USA 05/19/2009 06:29 PM EST

He came to rub is fowl policies on abortion in front of everyone's nose. We as Catholics must decide how to save God's creation, the children, while he promotes and funds the killing with our tax dollars.

Published by: Naz
Southern California 05/19/2009 06:09 PM EST

As a politician, Mr. Obama is a party-goer and he goes where his party is and dances whatever the party music is. When the party is over, everyone goes his own way, bloated, drunk and chuckling to his own heart content. And who is left?? It is you and me, the citizens, picking up the tabs and left with the trash as always. Would you care what Obama says? Well, for the graduates, get a real job and pay some taxes to pay Obama speak again.

Published by: T. Arden
SF, CA 05/19/2009 06:05 PM EST

The die is cast.

The fruitless branches will be cut from the vine and thrown into the fire.

Published by: DAVID LARSEN
Scituate Mass. USA 05/19/2009 06:02 PM EST

The deed is done President Obama has spoken and been honored with his degree. The message went out loudly and clearly. Celebrity is of more value than principle,especially if they are Catholic ones. The core values of Faith in God can be excused if the right personality is chosen to speak at some desired function. This is the usual betrayal of Christ,so don't worry God is all forgiving and He should get over it. Our Faith depends on His getting over it. Doesn't it? Do we need to confess anything. Can anyone help me with this? Saturday is coming,you know confession than Holy Mass on Sunday.

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