Protest at Notre Dame

[Will8503]

Hi, I support the effort to protest President Obama as the speaker for the commencement at Notre Dame.

I plan to call to encourage them to rescind the invitation. However, I remember when President Bush gave a speech at Notre Dame, and although he ran as a pro-life candidate, he supported the legalization of abortion in certain circumstances so his position was against Catholic teaching. Why was he invited to give the commencement speech?

If this question was already asked I apologize.

 

[Trishie]

It has been raised in several threads, but I applaud your raising the question and expressing your support for life.
At this stage it’s unlikely that the invitation would be rescinded. I pray that this event if it does go as planned, and the associated protests, will raise President Obama’s consciousness on this issue and that it will make him more sympathetic of the position of Catholics and of many Christians in relation to this aspect of the Fifth Commandment.

 

[Will8503]

It has been raised in several threads, but I applaud your raising the question and expressing your support for life.
At this stage it’s unlikely that the invitation would be rescinded. I pray that this event if it does go as planned, and the associated protests, will raise President Obama’s consciousness on this issue and that it will make him more sympathetic of the position of Catholics and of many Christians in relation to this aspect of the Fifth Commandment.

I was also asking about President Bush speaking in 2001. Why was he invited if he supported the legalization of abortion in certain circumstances?

 

[Trishie]

Dear Will, I don’t know the specifics, but one has to wonder if the University leaders have integrity regarding the Catholic nature of the University. There seems to be greater emphasis on pleasing Caesar than in pleasing God. One wonders if the University needs to renew its guidelines…perhaps they need examination and renewal. Has this become a financial institution in pursuit of public acclaim, rather than a Catholic institution? It would seem so.

 

[diggerdomer]

Hi, I support the effort to protest President Obama as the speaker for the commencement at Notre Dame.

I plan to call to encourage them to rescind the invitation. However, I remember when President Bush gave a speech at Notre Dame, and although he ran as a pro-life candidate, he supported the legalization of abortion in certain circumstances so his position was against Catholic teaching. Why was he invited to give the commencement speech?

If this question was already asked I apologize.

ND has a tradition of inviting presidents to speak at commencement following their first election. President Obama will be the ninth U.S. president to be awarded a Notre Dame honorary degree and the sixth to be the commencement speaker.

Many Catholics protested President Bush because of his support for the death penalty contrary to Catholic teaching (he was invited prior to the Iraq war, or obviously that would have been a much more significant protest)…

Presidents are invited because they are Presidents. None of them live up to all of Catholic moral teaching.

 

[elts1956]

Hi, I support the effort to protest President Obama as the speaker for the commencement at Notre Dame.

I plan to call to encourage them to rescind the invitation. However, I remember when President Bush gave a speech at Notre Dame, and although he ran as a pro-life candidate, he supported the legalization of abortion in certain circumstances so his position was against Catholic teaching. Why was he invited to give the commencement speech?

If this question was already asked I apologize.

I don’t know when President Bush changed his thoughts and actions regarding abortion, whether that was before, or after his speech. I would say the reason his speech wasn’t as publicized as much a bo’s is because he wasn’t as blatently pro death as bo. Also, given the fact that NDU has now given credence to bo, Bush’s speech was a raindrop in a tornado. In other words, NDU wasn’t honest in its pro life convictions then and are much, much, much less so now.