University of Notre Dame on road to recovery...worth reading

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Domer1997

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:)For the many on this site who think the University of Notre Dame might as well fold up her Catholicism and walk home, please be aware that Fr. Jenkins recently made the following comments to all alumni regarding the university’s commitment to pro-life causes:

"Dear Members of the Notre Dame Family,

Coming out of the vigorous discussions surrounding President Obama’s visit last Spring, I said we would look for ways to engage the Notre Dame community with the issues raised in a prayerful and meaningful way. As our nation continues to struggle with the morality and legality of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and related issues, we must seek steps to witness to the sanctity of life. I write to you today about some initiatives that we are undertaking.

Each year on January 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, the March for Life is held in Washington D.C. to call on the nation to defend the right to life. I plan to participate in that march. I invite other members of the Notre Dame Family to join me and I hope we can gather for a Mass for Life at that event. We will announce details as that date approaches.

On campus, I have recently formed the Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life. It will be co-chaired by Professor Margaret Brinig, the Fritz Duda Family Chair in Law and Associate Dean for the Law School, and by Professor John Cavadini, the Chair of the Department of Theology and the McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life. My charge to the Task Force is to consider and recommend to me ways in which the University, informed by Catholic teaching, can support the sanctity of life. Possibilities the Task Force has begun to discuss include fostering serious and specific discussion about a reasonable conscience clause; the most effective ways to support pregnant women, especially the most vulnerable; and the best policies for facilitating adoptions. Such initiatives are in addition to the dedication, hard work and leadership shown by so many in the Notre Dame Family, both on the campus and beyond, and the Task Force may also be able to recommend ways we can support some of this work.

I also call to your attention the heroic and effective work of centers that provide care and support for women with unintended pregnancies. The Women’s Care Center, the nation’s largest Catholic-based pregnancy resource center, on whose Foundation Board I serve, is run by a Notre Dame graduate, Ann Murphy Manion (’77). The center has proven successful in offering professional, non-judgmental concern to women with unintended pregnancies, helping those women through their pregnancy and supporting them after the birth of their child. The Women’s Care Center and similar centers in other cities deserve the support of Notre Dame clubs and individuals.

Our Commencement last Spring generated passionate discussion and also caused some divisions in the Notre Dame community. Regardless of what you think about that event, I hope that we can overcome divisions to foster constructive dialogue and work together for a cause that is at the heart of Notre Dame’s mission. We will keep you informed of our work, and we ask for your support, assistance and prayers. May Our Lady, Notre Dame, watch over our efforts.

In Notre Dame,

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C."

Also, Campus Ministry is going strong…larger and stronger than any university’s campus ministry program in the U.S. (a website really worth perusing)

campusministry.nd.edu/

Also, the undergraduate seminary program, comfortably fitting 15 undergraduate students in their residence hall, Old College, is at an overcrowded capacity of 21.
oldcollege.nd.edu/The%20Men.html
(also, well worth the read).

The Center for Ethic and Culture is unique to any American university…and has established a foundation for pro-life initiatives.
ethicscenter.nd.edu/

With a residence life program staffing dozens of Holy Cross priests and religious sisters in Notre Dame’s single-sex only dormitories provides a very unique living experience centered around the Eucharist (present always in each dorm chapel).
orlh.nd.edu/

Just peruse through www.nd.edu and you will hopefully also agree that the university is clearly on its way to healing and promotion of Christ’s wonderful Gospel.

Enjoy and God Bless all of you.
 
Domer1997 said:
:)For the many on this site who think the University of Notre Dame might as well fold up her Catholicism and walk home, please be aware that Fr. Jenkins recently made the following comments to all alumni regarding the university’s commitment to pro-life causes:

"Dear Members of the Notre Dame Family,

Coming out of the vigorous discussions surrounding President Obama’s visit last Spring, I said we would look for ways to engage the Notre Dame community with the issues raised in a prayerful and meaningful way. As our nation continues to struggle with the morality and legality of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and related issues, we must seek steps to witness to the sanctity of life. I write to you today about some initiatives that we are undertaking.

Each year on January 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, the March for Life is held in Washington D.C. to call on the nation to defend the right to life. I plan to participate in that march. I invite other members of the Notre Dame Family to join me and I hope we can gather for a Mass for Life at that event. We will announce details as that date approaches.

On campus, I have recently formed the Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life. It will be co-chaired by Professor Margaret Brinig, the Fritz Duda Family Chair in Law and Associate Dean for the Law School, and by Professor John Cavadini, the Chair of the Department of Theology and the McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life. My charge to the Task Force is to consider and recommend to me ways in which the University, informed by Catholic teaching, can support the sanctity of life. Possibilities the Task Force has begun to discuss include fostering serious and specific discussion about a reasonable conscience clause; the most effective ways to support pregnant women, especially the most vulnerable; and the best policies for facilitating adoptions. Such initiatives are in addition to the dedication, hard work and leadership shown by so many in the Notre Dame Family, both on the campus and beyond, and the Task Force may also be able to recommend ways we can support some of this work.

I also call to your attention the heroic and effective work of centers that provide care and support for women with unintended pregnancies. The Women’s Care Center, the nation’s largest Catholic-based pregnancy resource center, on whose Foundation Board I serve, is run by a Notre Dame graduate, Ann Murphy Manion (’77). The center has proven successful in offering professional, non-judgmental concern to women with unintended pregnancies, helping those women through their pregnancy and supporting them after the birth of their child. The Women’s Care Center and similar centers in other cities deserve the support of Notre Dame clubs and individuals.

Our Commencement last Spring generated passionate discussion and also caused some divisions in the Notre Dame community. Regardless of what you think about that event, I hope that we can overcome divisions to foster constructive dialogue and work together for a cause that is at the heart of Notre Dame’s mission. We will keep you informed of our work, and we ask for your support, assistance and prayers. May Our Lady, Notre Dame, watch over our efforts.

In Notre Dame,

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C."

Also, Campus Ministry is going strong…larger and stronger than any university’s campus ministry program in the U.S. (a website really worth perusing)

campusministry.nd.edu/

Also, the undergraduate seminary program, comfortably fitting 15 undergraduate students in their residence hall, Old College, is at an overcrowded capacity of 21.
oldcollege.nd.edu/The%20Men.html
(also, well worth the read).

The Center for Ethic and Culture is unique to any American university…and has established a foundation for pro-life initiatives.
ethicscenter.nd.edu/

With a residence life program staffing dozens of Holy Cross priests and religious sisters in Notre Dame’s single-sex only dormitories provides a very unique living experience centered around the Eucharist (present always in each dorm chapel).
orlh.nd.edu/

Just peruse through www.nd.edu and you will hopefully also agree that the university is clearly on its way to healing and promotion of Christ’s wonderful Gospel.

Enjoy and God Bless all of you.
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I am still not rooting for the football team.
 
It sounds as if they are starting to get the message. A friend of ours - a pro-life, Catholic physician - received a letter from Fr. Jenkins asking him to join him in the Notre Dame contingent at the pro-life March.

I am pleased with this development; we know many fine, orthodox Catholic families who are Notre Dame alums, have children who attend or have graduated, and who will be very happy to see Notre Dame take a highly visible role in pro-life efforts.

It is imperative that colleges and universities who call themselves Catholic stop being embarrassed by the Catholic position on abortion and speak out as strongly about this as they do on other, more politically correct social justice issues.

If only my alma mater, Boston College, would do at least what Notre Dame has done.
 
peregrinus_WA said:
Too llittle too late. Fr. Jenkins must go.
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It’s never too late. That idea is very un-Christian…for with Christ and through Christ all things are always possible. If we live the Gospel, all will be provided. 👍
 
livi said:
I just wish Obama hadn’t spoken in the first place.
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You have a valiant point…and often I think the same thing (wish he hadn’t spoke). However, good is coming out of this. Notre Dame realizes and hopefully other Catholic colleges/universities also soon realize that we cannot succomb to sinfulness. Without the “uproar” the pro-life cause would not have gotten the press it has received. Without Obama speaking, he wouldn’t have promised America to decrease abortions (of which Pope Benedict is holding him responsible). And, without the Obama speech, Notre Dame wouldn’t be as committed to the pro-life cause as they are now. They, like many Catholic colleges, would just sit idle and not take a public stance. So, I’m positive that good is now coming from this. With Christ, all things are possible. When God closes a door he opens a window 👍

Keep Notre Dame and the other US Catholic colleges in your prayers in hopes that they too follow suit and also begin to take public stances against abortion. Prayer is real and really powerful 🙂

God Bless
 
dixieagle said:
It sounds as if they are starting to get the message. A friend of ours - a pro-life, Catholic physician - received a letter from Fr. Jenkins asking him to join him in the Notre Dame contingent at the pro-life March.

I am pleased with this development; we know many fine, orthodox Catholic families who are Notre Dame alums, have children who attend or have graduated, and who will be very happy to see Notre Dame take a highly visible role in pro-life efforts.

It is imperative that colleges and universities who call themselves Catholic stop being embarrassed by the Catholic position on abortion and speak out as strongly about this as they do on other, more politically correct social justice issues.

If only my alma mater, Boston College, would do at least what Notre Dame has done.
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I too wish Boston College would take a more public stance for its Catholicism. But, rest assured, I know well people related to the BC community and there are wonderful Catholics there as well. Never give up hope. There are great, Catholic, aspects of BC. Alumni like you just need to make the public aware of them.
 
peregrinus_WA said:
Too little too late. Fr. Jenkins must go.
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It is certainly late but better late than never; my problem is not that it is too late but that it is too little. The things Fr. Jenkins listed in his letter are good and I applaud them but they are all things done at the margin that have little affect on the perception of abortion in this country. I don’t want to minimize the real good done for people with real problems but let’s not deceive ourselves that this will have any positive political impact or undo the negative impact caused by his commencement decision. His decision had political consequences that are not addressed by his “solutions.”

Ender
 
our family is going to south bend for a notre dame football game this weekend,and i just can’t bring myself to cheer for them. perhaps i’m too cynical, but i’m imagining fr. jenkins scrambling to find ways to make himself look more orthodox. i agree: too little too late. also, i don’t understand why priests like fr. mcbrien are never censured by nd for publishing heretical, scandalous views. come on, notre dame, when it comes to defending the true faith, get your irish up!
 
jinglesniff said:
our family is going to south bend for a notre dame football game this weekend,and i just can’t bring myself to cheer for them. perhaps i’m too cynical, but i’m imagining fr. jenkins scrambling to find ways to make himself look more orthodox. i agree: too little too late. also, i don’t understand why priests like fr. mcbrien are never censured by nd for publishing heretical, scandalous views. come on, notre dame, when it comes to defending the true faith, get your irish up!
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Fr. Jenkins, personally, is very orthodox…unfortunately at times he gets pushed against a brick wall and doesn’t have the courage to always act correctly. Have faith. With regard to McBrien…he has tenure. Legally, it’s difficult to deal with this. Rest assured that he’s not influential on campus (he’s NOT a Holy Cross Priest) and he only teaches a class or two a semester. He’s getting relatively old as well, and surely will retire soon. Why should Notre Dame censor him, when neither the local or universal church censors him? There’s much worse out there than McBrien…but I believe it’s the job of the Church to censor these heretical priests…not the job of the university. McBrien is worldly known, and there have been absolutely no steps to censor him or prohibit him from teaching theology at any Catholic organization, so why should ND take steps to remove him? If the USCCB and the Vatican won’t, how can they or why should they trump these hierarchical structures.

PLEASE don’t cheer for Michigan State this weekend! Go to ND, go to the grotto, go to Mass on campus and cheer for Our Lady’s University 👍
 
Domer1997 said:
Fr. Jenkins, personally, is very orthodox…unfortunately at times he gets pushed against a brick wall and doesn’t have the courage to always act correctly. Have faith. With regard to McBrien…he has tenure. Legally, it’s difficult to deal with this. Rest assured that he’s not influential on campus (he’s NOT a Holy Cross Priest) and he only teaches a class or two a semester. He’s getting relatively old as well, and surely will retire soon. Why should Notre Dame censor him, when neither the local or universal church censors him? There’s much worse out there than McBrien…but I believe it’s the job of the Church to censor these heretical priests…not the job of the university. McBrien is worldly known, and there have been absolutely no steps to censor him or prohibit him from teaching theology at any Catholic organization, so why should ND take steps to remove him? If the USCCB and the Vatican won’t, how can they or why should they trump these hierarchical structures.

PLEASE don’t cheer for Michigan State this weekend! Go to ND, go to the grotto, go to Mass on campus and cheer for Our Lady’s University 👍
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This is not a defense of Fr. McBrien, but a defense of the Holy See. The Holy See makes it a policy not to label heretic or to censure any cleric unless they directly disobey the pope. The key word here is “directly”, such as the case of Archbishop Lefebvre (RIP). As long as the papacy is not disobeyed, there has to be three conditions met for a censure:
  1. It has to be grave matter. The Church does not consider theological speculation grave matter.
  2. The person must not only speculate, but must actually practice what he speculates and do so deliberately, even when told not to do so by the Holy Father.
  3. The person must do it of his own free will.
When a theologian speculates, but does not practice what he speculates, he is not a heretic or disobedient. A good example is Fr. Hans Kung. Fr. Kung wrote many things that were condemned by the Church. But when told to stop teaching Catholic theology, he obeyed. As far as the Holy Father is concerned, it’s over because he obeyed. Obedience is what the Church looks for in her deacons, priests, bishops, religious and laity. She looks for absolute obedience when the Holy Father calls you to task. That’s why Fr. Kung was assigned by Pope Benedict to lead the commission on ecumenical philosophy for the Church in his homeland. He’s a very orthodox philosopher and the Holy Father appreciates this. In the case of Fr. Jenkins and Fr. McBride, they have not been disobedient to the Holy Father. For a priest to be considered disobedient, he must receive a direct command from the Holy Father or his bishop. If he is a religious, as is Fr. Jenkins, then from his major superior. For example, if Fr. Jenkins disobeys his major superior he can be excommunicated. The major superior speaks with the authority of the pope. However, the Church always warns major superiors not to invoke this authority, for the sake of mercy. Therefore, most major superiors refrain from invoking this authority when they give orders. These are called ordinary orders, rather than obediential orders, under the vow of obedience.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
I just wanted to drop my 2cents. I know very little about this issue on a personal level, but I do recognize a pattern.

God forgive those who turn away from sins, mistakes, or trespasses and follow Christ wholeheartedly as the parable of the prodigal son and the road to emmus suggests.

God has an awesome record of bringing good from evil.

If hearts are being changed, we should cheer just as the angels cheer when a lost soul returns. And we should remember that even if wonderful things are happening it is not because of something bad but it is because God worked in it despite whatever bad thing transpires.

It’s like the fall of man when Adam sinned. Well it was terrible and if it had not happened things may be different. But God still has a way to save his wayward sheep in a way that is so full of wonder that it has changed the course of history.
 
Thanks for the explanation, JReducation. And StillWondering, I hope Fr. Jenkins is sincere and that good will come out of the obama situation. I’m still not rooting for their football team, but I’ll say a few prayers at the grotto for the whole situation and my unmerciful heart.
 
All of us need to pray for God’s mercy on our souls and for the grace to be merciful toward others.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
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