Priest analyzes spiritual themes of Presidential Inaugural

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Comments: 6

President Barack Obama delivering his inaugural address

Boston, Mass., Jan 30, 2009 / 01:23 am (CNA).- Fr. Robert Imbelli SJ, a professor at Boston College, has written a reflection on the spiritual themes invoked in the Inaugural Address of President Barack Obama. While noting that the president’s words call for a “renewed covenant” and a “spiritual maturation,” Fr. Imbelli prayed that children “conceived but not born” would be included in this covenant between Americans.

Theology professor Fr. Imbelli, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, began his essay for L'Osservatore Romano by noting the “powerful images” of the Inaugural, such as the image of President Obama fulfilling the “prophetic dream” of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Re-reading the president’s Inaugural Address, Fr. Imbelli said his remarks seem to call for “a renewed covenant of citizenship within the rich patchwork quilt that is the United States.”

In Fr. Imbelli’s view, Obama appealed to the example of generosity given by America’s forebearers and called on present-day Americans to embrace their example.

He said the president appealed to U.S. citizens to re-commit themselves to the common good and “muster the courage to move beyond narrow individual interests to embrace what benefits all.”

Though Americans are of many religious beliefs, Imbelli said, “the President does not hesitate to affirm that the pursuit of the common good is based on a divine imperative and inspiration.”

For instance, Obama declared that it is a “God-given promise” that “all are equal, all are free.”

The president’s comment “We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things” was “one of the most intriguing and pregnant sentences of the speech,” Fr. Imbelli remarked.

The sentence invokes Chapter 13 of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. There St. Paul “realizes that to discern and undertake this way of love requires a spiritual maturity that cannot be taken for granted, but which must be sought and surrendered to,” Fr. Imbelli explained.

Pointing out that the president is not a “Christian preacher,” Imbelli also argued the president is suggesting a “spiritual maturation” is necessary for a thriving body politic.

“Nor is such spiritual maturation solely our work, it is first a gift of grace,” he continued, saying that the Inaugural Address acknowledges God’s grace.

Noting the “special bond” between President Obama’s life and the life of Civil War-era President Abraham Lincoln, Fr. Imbelli referred to Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address in which the president appealed to the “bonds of affection” between South and North and prayed that “the better angels of our nature” would prevail.

“In radically different circumstances, that remains America’s hope and prayer,” Fr. Imbelli’s essay concluded. “One also prays that the angels of children, conceived but not yet born, not be neglected, that the nation’s bonds of affection embrace them as well, that they not be cut off from the covenant.”

Comments: 6

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Jesuit Education
Beverly Hills, CA, USA 02/03/2009 06:24 PM EST

For the record, Fr. Imbelli is not a jesuit. As the article clearly states he is a diocesan priest from New York. If you read the article thoroughly you would have noticed this and not wrongly attacked Fr. Imbelli. Second a true Catholic has love and respect for all human beings. Christ himself hung out with sinners. Xavier and Ellen are you sounding a bit like the Pharisees. I clearly do not support abortion but the issue is far more complex than simply outlawing it. Even Vatican officials have stated that simply outlawing abortion does not solve the real problem. Fr. Imbelli wrote a great article. You can disagree without being disagreeable

Published by: James
Boston, MA 02/02/2009 03:07 PM EST

Amazing that the first two respondents, Ellen and Francis Xavier, could read so much into Fr. Imbelli's article that wasn't there to begin with, without reading what was clearly there: he is not a Jesuit. As the article states, he is a priest of the archdiocese of New York. And if Boston College still ranks as a liberal elite in their minds,they clearly haven't noticed the wide diversity in the faculty, including the eminent Peter Kreeft, Ronald Tacelli SJ, and others. But anyone who could still think Pres. Obama a Muslim on the strength of his middle name is ready to believe anything. ANd Ellen has chosen, for reasons she does not disclose, to disbelieve the reports that Pres. O. did write his own speech.

Published by: Ellen Simoni
Port Charlotte 02/01/2009 05:40 PM EST

Ya gotta love the modern day Jebbie. they pioneered the university classes in the 50's on Dialectical Materialism and now don't recognize it when they see it. And< i gotta secret to tell ya,Father..> BHO has speech writers, his only contribution was his "charm"

Published by: Francis Xavier T
Washington, D.C 01/30/2009 04:36 PM EST

Rate: Good

I love the Jesuits for so many years until now i am stunned. I can't believe the Jesuit professor
Father Robert Imbelli from the liberal elite school, the Boston College, would analyze president Barrack HUSSEIN Obama's words like that. So clearly, the 44th president would never believe the Blessed Immaculate Virgin, our Mother of God as the walking covenant like us do. His middle name identifies him as a muslim and a fake Christian. His act identifies him as an anti-Christ. Why this crazy intellectual priest would even listen to demon's speech so intensely. Is he trying to tell the Catholics something?

Published by: NGJ
Seattle WA USA 01/30/2009 03:08 PM EST

Fr.Imbelli's essay is beautifully written but ignores the 80 pound gorilla in the room. Murder of innocents can never be condoned. We cannot give President Obama a pass on this subject. Yes, he acknowledges God's grace but perhaps he needs to be exhorted and reminded that he must be open to it. His actions show otherwise. Dan's comment is excellent but I would like to see our Catholic leaders be less tactfful and more to the point. They must tell President Obama how grave a matter this is and what is expected of him. In good conscience we can do no less.

Published by: Dan
Santa Fe/NM/US 01/30/2009 08:09 AM EST

God willing, President Obama may turn out to have more in common with lincoln than just rhetoric. Many if not most historians now recognize that the Civil War was started and fought more over economic issues than freeing the slaves. I understand before his presidency and maybe early on in 1860 Lincoln said he had no intention of changing the status quo with respect to personhood of slaves (or lack thereof). That changed with the help of a Christian Abolition Movement which had been fighting slavery for many years, and with the war itself. President Obama has said he will sign FOCA if presented, will support PFA, he has packed his administration with pro-abortionists of every shade and has already overturned the Mexico City Policy. I pray this possible economic depression nor a future terrorist attack becomes this President's Civil War, but given his spiritual message he may need events external to awaken him and make him ripe for real 'change' which pro-lifer's can roundly applaude.

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