Obama to Give Commencement Speech at Notre Dame

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chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/03/obama-to-give-commencement-at-notre-dame.html
President Barack Obama will give the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame on May 17, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said this afternoon.
The address in South Bend was one of three Gibbs mentioned in a briefing to reporters this afternoon. Obama also plans to speak to graduates at Arizona State University on May 13 and at U.S. Naval Academy on May 22.
Obama would be the sixth U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhower to speak at a Notre Dame commencement, according to an article on past commencement speakers on the university’s Web site.
– *John D. McCormick*
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For the love of God, can we please stop referring to Notre Dame as a Catholic university? Enough is enough.
 
Well this is not an HONOR for UND. It dishonors the faith of each and every Catholic in not only UND but the World.:mad::mad:
 
Ouch!

It’s a prestige thing to have the president of the U.S. speak at your commencement. No doubt about it. And I’m sure that was the motivation in ND making the request.

Obama’s motivation in accepting? The same one he had in appointing Daschle, then Sebelius and the other 100% pro-abortion cabinet “Catholics”. He wants to cement the fact that there are two Catholic Churches in this country; one dissident that can and will follow him, and one faithful that will follow the Church. The former is what he actively promotes, and the latter is what he wants to marginalize. Put bluntly, he wants to accentuate and encourage schism.

There are indisputably faithful, prolife Catholics at ND. No question about it. So, their commencement speaker will be the most pro-abortion politician in America. They can grit their teeth and go to their own graduation; no small thing at ND and quite an accomplishment, or they can refuse to “walk” and get their diplomas in the mail.

Those are the ones who are the most ill-served by this; the ones whose graduations from a school, where they worked hard and kept the faith, a school that once stood for all that was good about Catholic higher education, are morally befouled. The school didn’t need to do this, but it did.

Obama “capturing” Notre Dame, which once meant so much to Catholics of every walk of life in the U.S. He accomplished much in this. He surely did.
 
Good Grief!! What’s next? Obama to give the homily at the graduation Mass? I’m glad I didn’t mortgage my house to send a child to that school!
 
I am removing ND from “My Teams” list on Yahoo. :mad:

Time to sanction ND. Heads must roll. :mad:
 
cardinalnewmansociety.org/
notredamescandal.com/

…

*It has come to our attention that the University of Notre Dame will honor President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker on May 17.

It is an outrage and a scandal that “Our Lady’s University,” one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage.

This nation has many thousands of accomplished leaders in the Catholic Church, in business, in law, in education, in politics, in medicine, in social services, and in many other fields who would be far more appropriate choices to receive such an honor from the University of Notre Dame.*

…
 
I join the chorus in protesting the decision by UND authorities to invite Pres. Obama to give the commencement address. What a blot – on the university itself, on the graduates who worked so hard, on “Catholic” education, and on the Church herself.

As painful as this is, I urge the 1990 graduates to consider boycotting their own graduation and to pick up their diplomas personally (or have them mailed). Perhaps Catholic graduates can have their own party, and write their own speeches at the party, off-campus, to celebrate. But imagine – if 50% or more of the graduates don’t attend (and don’t give their seat tickets away to others) – the empty chairs during commencement will send a powerful message.

How about it, graduates?
 
I graduated in December, but this is my commencement weekend. I am shocked and appalled and more than anything feel completely let down by my university. I have defended Notre Dame for every year I have been here, defended the orthodoxy of so many of ND’s students and faculty while we worked together to address the problems here.

And now? I am ashamed. On graduation day, when we should be sent off into the world with the last moments of Catholic wisdom that this community can offer us in a world as difficult as we live in, when the capstone should be placed on our experience of true intellectual and spiritual formation…we are getting the opposite.

On top of this, we all know that Notre Dame’s peaceful and beautiful campus is going to be overrun by protesters on commencement weekend. That hurts more than anything. And I’d ask on behalf of all the graduates that those who choose to come protest the President please respect the graduates and the faculty. Allow the many celebrations outside of the President’s speech at commencement exercises to continue unmarred. Keep it civil, respectful, and Catholic. Keep the graphic abortion images away, the attacks on Our Lady’s University tame. There are going to be many graduates disturbed by Obama’s appearance at their commencement, so please leave us alone!

My graduating friends and I are determining our course of action. We are trying to find a respectful way to state our deep disagreements with the President and our incredible outrage at his being extended an invitation as well as an honorary degree. We are working on drafting a letter on behalf of graduating students and sending it to every possible outlet.

Some have suggested skipping commencement altogether–really? Really? Why should we be forced to sit it out? We have earned this day of celebration. And perhaps our silent attendance, our sitting straight-faced through his speech, our lack of applause, can speak for us?

I am so frustrated, so disappointed. :mad:
 
Rach620 said:
I graduated in December, but this is my commencement weekend. I am shocked and appalled and more than anything feel completely let down by my university. I have defended Notre Dame for every year I have been here, defended the orthodoxy of so many of ND’s students and faculty while we worked together to address the problems here.

And now? I am ashamed. On graduation day, when we should be sent off into the world with the last moments of Catholic wisdom that this community can offer us in a world as difficult as we live in, when the capstone should be placed on our experience of true intellectual and spiritual formation…we are getting the opposite.

On top of this, we all know that Notre Dame’s peaceful and beautiful campus is going to be overrun by protesters on commencement weekend. That hurts more than anything. And I’d ask on behalf of all the graduates that those who choose to come protest the President please respect the graduates and the faculty. Allow the many celebrations outside of the President’s speech at commencement exercises to continue unmarred. Keep it civil, respectful, and Catholic. Keep the graphic abortion images away, the attacks on Our Lady’s University tame. There are going to be many graduates disturbed by Obama’s appearance at their commencement, so please leave us alone!

My graduating friends and I are determining our course of action. We are trying to find a respectful way to state our deep disagreements with the President and our incredible outrage at his being extended an invitation as well as an honorary degree. We are working on drafting a letter on behalf of graduating students and sending it to every possible outlet.

Some have suggested skipping commencement altogether–really? Really? Why should we be forced to sit it out? We have earned this day of celebration. And perhaps our silent attendance, our sitting straight-faced through his speech, our lack of applause, can speak for us?

I am so frustrated, so disappointed. :mad:
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You and your fellow graduates are the first people I thought of when I heard the news of not only the commencement speech but the honorary degree. I hope and pray that you and your friends can find a way to celebrate your graduation and to express your disappointment in the school’s decision.

The best outcome would be if you could overturn the decision! With only a few months and a lot of studying to do I’m sure it seems like an impossible task, but remember you have God on your side.

Know we at CAF will be praying for you.
 
As an alumnus of Our Lady’s University, I too was outraged AT FIRST. However, I then contacted the highest people that I know at the university. One happens to be fairly high up. She informed me to feel rest assured that Notre Dame as an institution is very clearly and unwaveringly PRO-LIFE. They just began building an endowment for pro-life initiviatives and have contributed mega-dollars for adult stem-cell research (the alternative to embryonic). I was re-assured that the university is well aware of Obama’s pro-abortion stance. HOWEVER, she stressed to me how vital it is to the American Catholic Church that Obama’s administration hear the voice of the Catholic Church and put Catholic issues in the FOREFRONT. I was re-assured that Notre Dame is hoping that this invitation to be at the university will be a beginning to getting these life issues (as well as other important Catholic issues - immigration reform, poverty, social justice, ending war etc…) in the forefront of this administration. Obama is not coming to Notre Dame to preach about an anti-life agenda. No pro-abortionist would ever be so ignorant to do such a thing. He is coming as the President of the United States, and Notre Dame is the acting Church attempting to get the Vatican’s point across to this man and his administration. Without common discussion NOTHING will ever get resolved in our favor (Catholics’ favor).

This could turn out to be extremely positive. Don’t judge! He is still the American President and should be welcome on any university campus in this nation. If one cannot respect the man, then respect the office upon which he holds. Obama would be welcomed at the Vatican without question or hesitation. He should be welcomed at Notre Dame.

Let’s pray that this visit helps get our precious life issues into the forefront of this administration’s priorities. Pray for a change of heart for Obama. If it happend to Saul, it can happen to Obama. Instead of the Road to Demascus, maybe it will instead be State Route 31.

I’m hoping for the best. Keep a positive attitude!!!
 
I’m sorry, Domer, but please don’t take the Administration’s line on this one. The worst possible scenario here involves the truly pro-life, orthodox Catholic students and alums at ND to roll over and accept what is going on here. Yes, he’s the president, but he is not one who should be honored with a doctorate of laws from Our Lady’s University, as he is doing all he can to use the law to destroy human life at every turn.

Simply put, Obama is not coming for discussion of any issue. Nor is he coming to “hear the Catholic side”. The University has invited him to come give a speech. They haven’t invited him for a dialogue on Catholic issues, nor have they invited him to come hear from some of the greatest Catholic minds in the country. They’ve invited him to bestow his wisdom on us, not the other way around. THERE WILL BE NO DIALOGUE.

It is clear to me that this is a political move by Obama. He wants to look like he’s quelled the Catholic opposition, that he’s really listened to us. That is his art–listening–telling those with opposing views to his that he understands, but that he is still moving forward with his agenda, unchanged by this “understanding”.

The life issues have already been at the forefront of the Obama administration. From the very beginning, when he reversed the Mexico City policy and allowed US money that goes to foreign countries and charitable endeavors there to be spent on abortions. Oh, and when reversed Bush’s very moderate position on embryonic stem cell research and allowed for the allocation of federal funds to life-destructive scientific research and opened the door for “therapeutic” human cloning. And when he appointed Kathleen Sebelius as HHS secretary, another virulently pro-choice “Catholic” politician who was barred from communion by her bishop because of her unapologetic support of late-term abortion, among other things. Oh, and his undying support of FOCA and his promise to Planned Parenthood to get it passed during his administration, a move that would undo decades of pro-life work to lower the number of abortions in the US.

You see, life issues have already been on Obama’s agenda, and he’s been on the wrong side of each and every one of them.

And now Our Lady’s University is going to honor him? Supposedly for some achievement apart from these actions? I’m sorry, but an honorary degree is bestowed on a person, taking into account all of their achievements. Not for just one. And Obama will be seen as being honored by what once was the greatest Catholic university in America for advancing policies that fundamentally oppose every aspect of the Catholic understanding of the dignity of the human person.

As a side note: the pro-life endowment was not established by the same people who extended the Obama invite. It has been in the works for awhile, at the behest of many alumni who route all of their ND giving to the Center for Ethics and Culture, a great driving force of the Catholic intellectual life on campus. They wanted another way to show the administration their displeasure and to support the many orthodox student organizations on campus.
 
I wrote a letter to the president’s office. You all might want to do the same.
 
Too bad Notre Dame wishes to sell its birthright for a mess of pottage.
 
The priests who own and run Notre Dame are with the Congregation of the Holy Cross.

That’s an international community of priests (might include brothers too).
I contacted the locals at Notre Dame (school and priests) yesterday and today.

Today I also contacted the international authority.
I hope all will do the same!

Congregation of Holy Cross
Via Framura, 85
00168 Rome, Italy
**or e-mail us: **contact@holycrosscongregation.org
 
Ridgerunner said:
Ouch!

It’s a prestige thing to have the president of the U.S. speak at your commencement. No doubt about it. And I’m sure that was the motivation in ND making the request.

Obama’s motivation in accepting? , , .
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I have no knowledge of what transpired between ND and Obama aside from news accounts. They invited. He accepted.

But I do know politics.

I suspect Obama’s political advisors have been working on getting this invitation for a long time.

This is a great political prize. His advisors want to appeal to those who hear Notre Dame and think of movies (Rudy for instance), they want the image of ND to be placed upon Obama.

I do not think his advisors had to consider this invitation or that. They didn’t want him to do the usual Harvard or Yale because he has that demographic. They wanted to burnish him with the image of the Fighting Irish to those who are neither politically nor theologically informed.

They wanted ND and got it.
 
Domer1997 said:
As an alumnus of Our Lady’s University, I too was outraged AT FIRST. However, I then contacted the highest people that I know at the university. One happens to be fairly high up. She informed me to feel rest assured that Notre Dame as an institution is very clearly and unwaveringly PRO-LIFE. They just began building an endowment for pro-life initiviatives and have contributed mega-dollars for adult stem-cell research (the alternative to embryonic). I was re-assured that the university is well aware of Obama’s pro-abortion stance. HOWEVER, she stressed to me how vital it is to the American Catholic Church that Obama’s administration hear the voice of the Catholic Church and put Catholic issues in the FOREFRONT. I was re-assured that Notre Dame is hoping that this invitation to be at the university will be a beginning to getting these life issues (as well as other important Catholic issues - immigration reform, poverty, social justice, ending war etc…) in the forefront of this administration. Obama is not coming to Notre Dame to preach about an anti-life agenda. No pro-abortionist would ever be so ignorant to do such a thing. He is coming as the President of the United States, and Notre Dame is the acting Church attempting to get the Vatican’s point across to this man and his administration. Without common discussion NOTHING will ever get resolved in our favor (Catholics’ favor).

This could turn out to be extremely positive. Don’t judge! He is still the American President and should be welcome on any university campus in this nation. If one cannot respect the man, then respect the office upon which he holds. Obama would be welcomed at the Vatican without question or hesitation. He should be welcomed at Notre Dame.

Let’s pray that this visit helps get our precious life issues into the forefront of this administration’s priorities. Pray for a change of heart for Obama. If it happend to Saul, it can happen to Obama. Instead of the Road to Demascus, maybe it will instead be State Route 31.

I’m hoping for the best. Keep a positive attitude!!!
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Your position is the typical defense of all Catholics who say “Let’s DIALOGUE!”
Fine - at a great distance and NOT with honors attached.

You’ve been sold a bill of goods.

PS - Every Catholic who follows the Holy Father is called to pray for Obama.
Maybe you missed that bulletin?
 
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