Bridgeport, Conn., Mar 31, 2009 / 17:21 pm
Today Holy Cross Superior General, Fr. Hugh W. Cleary, released an open letter to President Barack Obama addressing the Notre Dame scandal and claiming that Obama has “made a mistake” on his support for legalized abortion. However, Fr. Cleary said that he is unable to rescind the invitation since Notre Dame is legally seperate from the Holy Cross order.
Opening his letter to Obama, Fr. Cleary explained the history of the University of Notre Dame and its founding by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, of which he is the Superior General.
Fr. Cleary was also careful to note that he does not have authority over the decision -making of the university, a power which rests in the hands of its Board of Fellows and Board of Trustees. He did say, on the other hand, that he exercises personal authority over all Holy Cross priests, including Fr. John Jenkins, the university's president.
The Holy Cross Superior General then congratulated the President for being awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree and spent the next 13 pages of his letter addressing Obama’s support for abortion rights and posing the question, “How are we Catholics to participate in all levels of government without betraying our consciences?”
After complementing Obama's intellect and understanding of “the issues of our day,” Fr. Cleary then asked Obama not to “dismiss [Catholic] views too off-handedly, without giving them the serious attention and reflection they deserve.”