Notre Dame Double Take
I haven’t felt compelled to say anything regarding the Notre Dame/Obama scandal because I believe our bishops have already been doing an excellent job. However Bishop D’Arcy’s latest comments left me scratching my head:
“This is giving a Doctor of Laws to a person whose only experience with laws, in the state legislature and here, has been anti-life laws,” said Bishop D’Arcy in an interview with a local television station. “It’s saying to the young people, ‘Well, it’s okay, it really doesn’t matter.’”
Okay, so far so good…
Bishop D’Arcy added that “he does not believe Notre Dame should suffer a penalty” according to WNDU-TV.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on! Excuse me, Excellency, but didn’t you just implicitly say that it is not okay to tell the young people to carry on like “it really doesn’t matter” yet you believe no penalty should be assigned… as if it doesn’t really matter?
Here’s the problem, folks – the Catholic community can rant and rage and issue statements all they want but until someone does something and acts on their words it will only fall on deaf ears. Alumni need to stop contributing, parents need to stop sending their kids there or even withdraw them, and bishops need to be forthright that they hold the right to the title “Catholic” and be willing to exercise it.
Sticks and stones…
Great post Adam. It’s very disheartening that so many are up in arms and outraged about this situation, but the very people who have the power and authority to do something are sitting on their thumbs…or have their thumbs elsewhere.
Words and statements can only get you so far. I don’t have any particular affinity for Notre Dame as a school, but since this episode first started I have heard and read interviews of former allumni who are simply crushed and sickened to no end that their beloved alma mater has finally put the last nail in the coffin of this “formerly Catholic school”. Prayerful action is the answer, no doubt about it.
Just saw this and had to share:
April 3, 2009
The Reverend John Jenkins, C.S.C
President, University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Reverend and dear Father Jenkins,
Permit me to add my name as well to the long list of Bishops of the Catholic Church who are utterly appalled at your dedication to immorality and wrong-doing represented by your support for the obscenity called “The Vagina Monologues” and your absolute indifference to the murderous abortion program and beliefs of this President of the United States. The fact that you have some sort of past connection with the State of Nebraska makes it all the more painful that the Catholic people here have to see your betrayal of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.
I can assure you of my prayers for your conversion, and for the conversion of your formerly Catholic University. I am
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus,
The Most Reverend Fabian W. Bruskewitz
Bishop of Lincoln
Go get ‘em Bishop Bruskewitz! That was the most biting one I’ve read yet! The Cardinal Newman Society is great. Check them out if you haven’t already. http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CardinalNewmanSociety/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/435/ItemID/495/Default.aspx
The Reverend Jenkins is thinking the way man thinks, not the way God thinks.
I came online to find an inspirational piece for reflection on the Passion today (see my webpage for links to the best stuff I found) and your comments popped up in my reader and caught my eye. Anyway, just had to say hip hip hooray for Bishop B. – that’s our Bishop from home! We’re proud.
Way to go, bro (er, son)!
Judge Neopalono (sp?) on Fox & Friends the other day said that he had gone to Notre Dame and it is Catholic in name only. He also wished everyone a Happy Easter and said that the Resurrection meant hope for the dead. And if there is hope for the dead, there is hope for everyone!