Bishop's Declaration on ND

[CNormal]

Is there anything keeping the current President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops from issuing an official statement that, as a result of the actions of Father Jenkins, etc., it is no longer legitimate for Notre Dame to call itself a “Catholic” College.

Such a statement would not be binding in any legal sense so it would be difficult for the College to sue. Neither would it be necessary for the Church to take any legal action to get the College to cease using the (false) appellation. It would be an official statement, however, and should carry some moral weight. Perhaps it would inhibit some of the generous fools who donate to it. Perhaps it would motivate some of the good people at the College to straighten the place out or leave. Perhaps it would only embarrass the admissions department a couple of times. Perhaps it is too little.

If I ruled the world, more would be done to condemn the actions of that academic institution. Sometimes I wish there were more power and authority in the hierarchy of the Church but, vis-à-vis some individuals who are bishops, I am also glad there is not.

The time has come to stand up and be counted. That would include any number of bishops who would oppose such a statement.

Why not do it?

 

[wynnejj]

The Bishop’s Declaration could simply state that ND no longer means “Notre Dame” but rather “Non Denominational”.

 

[Catholic20064]

Instead of punitive action against Notre Dame it would seem to me to be more productive to simply encourage it to embrace the precepts of the Catholic Church. I think that it was ND Response did. I don’t think it’s reasonable to believe the Bishops will do something to take away Notre Dame’s status as a Catholic College. There are too many other Catholic colleges that would be just as guilty as Notre Dame.

 

[CNormal]

It is true that there are some, maybe many Catholic colleges that deviate more from Catholic orthodoxy than ND has demonstrated recently. If we wait, however, for all these to be identified and appropriate evaluations and statements to be made, nothing will ever be done. And whatever would be done will be buried in so much lawyerly language it will be lost not only in timeliness but also in meaning. It is taking this approach that has contributed to the weakness of the Church in the US over the past several decades.

No. Arguing that there are worse colleges that should be addressed first is like saying don’t arrest this person for committing this crime because there are worse crimes happening elsewhere and at other times.

ND has gone out of its way to trumpet its Catholicity, gone out of its way to trumpet its version of what it is to be Catholic, and what Catholics can be compatible with. This cannot be left as it is. As said better by many - George Weigel, Jason Adams, and others - ND provided a forum and gave its tacit endorsement for BHO’s assertion of what is compatible with Catholic doctrine. This should not stand any more than Dan Brown’s or Nancy Pelosi’s version of what we are as Catholics.

An official, nonbinding statement from the whole of the bishops organization, not just the courageous few, would be a step up in the volume. I understand that some would like the volume to be lowered. Some would like the whole thing to go away. But I believe this is too important. We need to pray for the conversion of these dangerously deluded people like Father Jenkins and his innumerable comrades. But I don’t think we will sin by showing a little zeal and a little guts in the face of the numbers and money on the other side.

 

[Catholic20064]

It is true that there are some, maybe many Catholic colleges that deviate more from Catholic orthodoxy than ND has demonstrated recently. If we wait, however, for all these to be identified and appropriate evaluations and statements to be made, nothing will ever be done. And whatever would be done will be buried in so much lawyerly language it will be lost not only in timeliness but also in meaning. It is taking this approach that has contributed to the weakness of the Church in the US over the past several decades.

No. Arguing that there are worse colleges that should be addressed first is like saying don’t arrest this person for committing this crime because there are worse crimes happening elsewhere and at other times.

ND has gone out of its way to trumpet its Catholicity, gone out of its way to trumpet its version of what it is to be Catholic, and what Catholics can be compatible with. This cannot be left as it is. As said better by many - George Weigel, Jason Adams, and others - ND provided a forum and gave its tacit endorsement for BHO’s assertion of what is compatible with Catholic doctrine. This should not stand any more than Dan Brown’s or Nancy Pelosi’s version of what we are as Catholics.

An official, nonbinding statement from the whole of the bishops organization, not just the courageous few, would be a step up in the volume. I understand that some would like the volume to be lowered. Some would like the whole thing to go away. But I believe this is too important. We need to pray for the conversion of these dangerously deluded people like Father Jenkins and his innumerable comrades. But I don’t think we will sin by showing a little zeal and a little guts in the face of the numbers and money on the other side.

I doubt Bishop D’Arcy would agree.

 

[ChristIsLord]

has it ever occured to all the catholics here who are so up in arms about this that your leadership doesn’t care? that they are far more concerned with politics, prestige, and keeping good relations than what your faith calls right? did it ever occur to you that your leadership is largely just a worthless old boys club?

 

[Rach620]

Instead of punitive action against Notre Dame it would seem to me to be more productive to simply encourage it to embrace the precepts of the Catholic Church. I think that it was ND Response did. I don’t think it’s reasonable to believe the Bishops will do something to take away Notre Dame’s status as a Catholic College. There are too many other Catholic colleges that would be just as guilty as Notre Dame.

I thoroughly agree with this post. I also think that to punish Notre Dame in this way neglects the clear fact that there ARE Catholics at Notre Dame, in the administration, on the faculty, and in the student body, who truly care about what goes on there and who are working VERY hard to help bring Our Lady’s University BACK to full faithfulness to Catholic teaching.

 

[JReducation]

I know that it can be done. But the Holy Father would probably veto the bishops. The reason is that Notre Dame is founded by a Pontifical Order and the order comes under his jurisdiction. The Order has not done anything wrong. This would punish them as well as the school.

Pope Benedict’s statement on SSPX made it very clear that he would not allow innocent priests and religious to be punished for crimes that they did not commit. What applies to the SSPX would also apply to the Brothers of the Holy Cross.

Rome would probably favor a more dialogue with the ND administration and corrective action on their part, as they are doing with SSPX. He would probably encourage the bishops to go that route.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Holly3278]

The Bishop’s Declaration could simply state that ND no longer means “Notre Dame” but rather “Non Denominational”.

But that would be an insult to the Non-Denominational Christians out there. Speaking of which, there is only one true Non-Denominational Church and that Church is the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is not a denomination. The Non-Denominational Christians do belong to a denomination though. They just prefer to call it “Non-Denominational”.

 

[estesbob]

has it ever occured to all the catholics here who are so up in arms about this that your leadership doesn’t care? that they are far more concerned with politics, prestige, and keeping good relations than what your faith calls right? did it ever occur to you that your leadership is largely just a worthless old boys club?

\No

 

[tcm22]

I’m interested in why no one directed Fr Jenkins to retract or retreat. While he works for a religious order, he still reports to someone in the Holy Cross hierarchy. I’m not all that well versed in how they operate, but assume there’s a bishop-level equivalent in the order that he answers to as an ordained priest.

If the governing structure at ND won’t hold the man accountable, there MUST be someone in the Church he answers to. I suspect there are many leaders who just want this whole thing to get out of the headlines. It won’t surprise me if a year from now Jenkins finds himself “promoted” to some new job in the order and quietly re-assigned. In the meantime, we can all continue to pray for the conversion of those who condone abortion and for the ability of men like Fr Jenkins to develop the moral courage to take a stand.

 

[banjo]

Perhaps it would inhibit some of the generous fools who donate to it.

I realize you’re upset about this, but…‘generous fools’…might be toned down a bit…for the sake of charity.

 

[Norminha]

ChristIsLord,

has it ever occured to all the catholics here who are so up in arms about this that your leadership doesn’t care? that they are far more concerned with politics, prestige, and keeping good relations than what your faith calls right?

I agree 100% with this statement and this is not to include only Catholics. Since everyone is a sinner, under any branch of the branches of the Catholic Church, sin also is found, every minute.
Enough reason for us to fight evil by praying for our fallen leaders because they desperately need the mercy of God as you and I. !

“Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates. Outside are the dogs, sorcerers, the unchaste, the murders, the idol worshipers, and all who love and practice deceit.” Rev. 22, 14, 15
As we can see, at the end, we win. He said, that it’ll not be easy, but with Him everything is possible.

 

[KathleenElsie]

I believe that the bishops should be very vocal telling NOT to send their Catholic children to ND. The bishops should tell the faithful Catholics to send their children to FAITHFUL Catholic Universities.

 

[CatholicBoy1957]

has it ever occured to all the catholics here who are so up in arms about this that your leadership doesn’t care? that they are far more concerned with politics, prestige, and keeping good relations than what your faith calls right? did it ever occur to you that your leadership is largely just a worthless old boys club?

In the case of some leadership, that is true, and it has occurred to me, and in the case of other leadership, that is not true, and that has also occurred to me.

 

[pigtown]

Isn’t Francis Cardinal George the president of the Bishops group? I doubt that he’d make very much of a deal about ND inviting President Obama to speak. After all, Cardinal George welcomed Hilary Clinton to Chicago when she came to speak at Mercy Home. Of course, Mercy Home is a Catholic institution and Hilary Clinton is pro-abortion. It seems as though there are some leaders in the Church who can talk the talk but certainly do not walk the walk. They may talk about being pro-life but their actions speak louder than their words!

 

[Havard]

I believe that the bishops should be very vocal telling NOT to send their Catholic children to ND. The bishops should tell the faithful Catholics to send their children to FAITHFUL Catholic Universities.

No. You are looking at this as though Notre Dame is rotten to the core, and it’s not. There already are many faithful Catholics thriving at ND, both as students and as faculty. Read Rach620’s recent posts, she just graduated with a Theology degree last weekend from ND. She got a first rate education that in Catholic theology that was faithful to the Magisterium.

Father Jenkins is not representative of the entire university. When his term’s up next year, the C.S.C. should recommend a more prudent and faithful replacement. Someone who will adopt and enforce Ex Corde. That’s all that’s needed for ND to be back on track, but it won’t happen if we become apathetic or turn our back on it.

 

[wynnejj]

But that would be an insult to the Non-Denominational Christians out there. Speaking of which, there is only one true Non-Denominational Church and that Church is the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is not a denomination. The Non-Denominational Christians do belong to a denomination though. They just prefer to call it “Non-Denominational”.

Good points. My comment was facetious, of course. Even so, it misses the mark if it suggests that the various Protestant sects have been remiss in their support for life issues. In my opinion, they have been better in their voting practices than Catholics.

 

[KathleenElsie]

No. You are looking at this as though Notre Dame is rotten to the core, and it’s not. There already are many faithful Catholics thriving at ND, both as students and as faculty. Read Rach620’s recent posts, she just graduated with a Theology degree last weekend from ND. She got a first rate education that in Catholic theology that was faithful to the Magisterium.

Father Jenkins is not representative of the entire university. When his term’s up next year, the C.S.C. should recommend a more prudent and faithful replacement. Someone who will adopt and enforce Ex Corde. That’s all that’s needed for ND to be back on track, but it won’t happen if we become apathetic or turn our back on it.

I disagree. It would only take my suggestion of not sending our children to those schools that refuse to be loyal to Holy Mother Church to turn these “institutions” back to God. As long as we continue to allow them to function “as usual” there will be no changes. And yes there will be hardships to those that wanted to go to or now go to ND. True FAITH has never been said to be easy.

When Catholics stopped sending their children to Catholic parish schools (the small schools were closed) and sent them instead to the “NEW” regional schools many now have mostly non-Catholics as students and teachers. So the slow ROT is working its way down to our youngest children and many just don’t want to make the effort to change it back to the foundational parish system.

It is much easier to “go with the flow” then to fix a broken system.

 

[estesbob]

When Catholics stopped sending their children to Catholic parish schools (the small schools were closed) and sent them instead to the “NEW” regional schools many now have mostly non-Catholics as students and teachers. So the slow ROT is working its way down to our youngest children and many just don’t want to make the effort to change it back to the foundational parish system.

It is much easier to “go with the flow” then to fix a broken system.

Not to change to the subject but as one who has been on many,many parish councils(the curse of my profession) the reason the schools are closing down was not so much the lack of students as the lack of Nuns. When a Parish has to start paying for its teachers its gets too expensive very quickly.

I do agree , however, that not sending ones kids to a Catholic School is a terrible idea that accomplishes making the society more secular at a faster rate.