“I urge all Catholics and others of good will to stay away from unseemly and unhelpful demonstrations against our nation’s President or Notre Dame or Father John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.,” the Most Rev. John D’Arcy said in a written statement issued on Good Friday.
Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, has been criticized by some Catholics and conservatives for inviting Obama as commencement speaker.
The bishop was referring to recent and planned protest rallies opposing Obama’s May 17 visit to Notre Dame, where he will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree.
“The Notre Dame community is well-equipped to supervise and support discussions and prayer within their own campus,” wrote D’Arcy, who himself will be staying away from the commencement ceremony because Obama is the guest speaker.
From my reading of the story, Good Friday was simply the day His Excellency’s statement was issued. Unless I missed something, I don’t see where anything unusual was being planned for Good Friday.There are plenty of other activities on Good Friday. I do not think any priest is unaware of Holy Week and this is coincidental timing. I would hope that no Catholic would attend the ceremony. It is getting to the point no Catholic should attend this former Catholic institution.
I was wrong. It wasn’t Jenkins but rather Randall Terry who set the protest for Good Friday.From my reading of the story, Good Friday was simply the day His Excellency’s statement was issued. Unless I missed something, I don’t see where anything unusual was being planned for Good Friday.