Looks like Fr. Jenkins is just covering his behind for all his mishandlings of inviting the POTUS to ND to speak. His treatment of the pro-life protesters by bringing criminal charges against them was reprehensible. I still remember the gushing and giddiness exhibited by Fr. Jenikins when introducing Barack Obama to the podium on that day. Ick. I wonder if he is having second thoughts or just trying to recover the millions of dollars lost because of such poor judgement in the first place?
Actually, it sounds like you are a Negative Nancy Elgar. I, on the other hand, will look at it in a more positive light. And pray that good comes out of Father Jenkins’ letter. He is a very good man.
Just to be clear, Fr. Jenkins is not taking a stand against Obama Care, Fr. Jenkins is taking a stand against the way the law is being implemented; namely that Notre Dame is being considered an employer along with all other employers.
Just to be clear, he is speaking out against Obama care because he is speaking out against a component of Obama care that directly affects his institution and institutions similar. He may or may not agree with the entire policy, I have no idea. But that wasn’t the point of his letter. That is a whole other can of worms that hasn’t been publicly addressed by any university president.
Precisely. His letter, in fact, specifically asks only that Notre Dame be included in the religious exemption. He is not pleading for a broader conscious exemption beyond ND and other similar “Catholic” colleges and universities.
Well, how laudable of Fr. Jenkins for looking out for ND and not for all Catholic institutions.
We each read the letter differently. His letter is requesting a broader definition for exclusion as a religious institution; HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, has chosen to implement Obama Care with a very restrictive definition.
Okay. You are all being a bit ridiculous. You need to read the current news and timeline on this issue. There is available public discontent that may be voiced through today, Sep 30th. It has nothing to do with being pro or anti-Obama Healthcare plan. It has completely to do with not allowing religious institutions of higher learning to exercise their rights as Catholic universities and avoid paying for this anti-Catholic contracteptive coverage.
If he has repented of the scandal he brought among not only Catholics but other faiths, he must press on to debunk all Obama’s anti-Christian mandates, specially abortion.This is my view as well. One can view this completely cynically and negatively, as a few in this thread seem to, or one can view it with the eyes of charity - seeing evidence of at least some change in heart and practice. While it would be wonderful if all Catholic institutions were “smack on” with everything, the sad fact is that many are very, very far from that. IMO, this was a very positive step by Fr. Jenkins. I pray that it portends more positive steps in the future.
Yes. The arrest of Ambassor Keyes and that wonderful 80 year old priest who was walking with a sign and saying a Hail Mary rather starkly contrasted with (not only welcoming the POTUS to the campus as a speaker at the same time but) having him: give the GRADUATION address; awarding him a “doctorate” (for “community organizing”?) and introducing him in a YES ‘giddy’ way that was either a simultaneous fundraiser/recruiting pitch for the radical side of the Democratic Party or the accidental near exposure of a celebrity man-crush. Ick is right.