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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000>Notre Dame President firm on Obama invitation<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A href="http://www.lifenews.com/state3971.html"><FONT color=#800080>http://www.lifenews.com/state3971.html</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000>A look at Notre Dame President as school schedules speech by president<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A href="http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5649&Itemid=48"><FONT color=#800080>http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5649&Itemid=48</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 21pt; COLOR: #4061c4; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Notre Dame's President at a Crossroads <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN class=small><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #615c52; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">by Deal W. </SPAN></SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN class=small><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #615c52; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Hudson</SPAN></SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN class=small><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #615c52; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><st1:date Month="3" Day="23" Year="2009"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #ff6600; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">3/23/09</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #ff6600; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #4061c4; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">For the past few years,</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000> the buzz about </FONT><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_I._Jenkins"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT color=#0000ff>Rev. John I. Jenkins</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT color=#000000>, the president of Notre Dame since 2005, has been very positive. In spite of his </FONT><A href="http://newsite.vday.org/node/949"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT color=#0000ff>refusal</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT color=#000000> to ban <EM><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The Vagina Monologues</SPAN></EM> from the campus, Father Jenkins was viewed as strengthening the Catholic identity of the nation's most beloved Catholic institution. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>But with one bold stroke, Father Jenkins has radically altered the perception of his leadership. His decision to honor President Barack Obama at Notre Dame's commencement this year has been met with stunned disbelief among Catholics across the nation. The Cardinal Newman Society immediately launched a petition drive, </FONT><A href="http://notredamescandal.com/"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT color=#0000ff>NotreDameScandal.com</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT color=#000000>, and within 48 hours it collected over 10,000 signatures.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>In 2006, Father Jenkins defused the uproar over <EM><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The Vagina Monologues</SPAN></EM> with a statement on "Academic Freedom and Catholic Character," which argued that "a Catholic university is where the Church does its thinking, and that thinking, to be beneficial, must come from an intellectually rigorous engagement with the world."<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>Will Father Jenkins use the same argument to defend his invitation to Obama? Perhaps. Obama's pro-abortion views are, no doubt, part of "the world" that, in Father Jenkin's view, his university must engage. Now that the president has accepted the invitation, Father Jenkins could refuse to disinvite him on the grounds it would "suppress speech," as he argued in permitting <EM><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The Vagina Monologues </SPAN></EM>to be performed on campus. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">More likely, Father Jenkins will simply say that Obama is the president of the </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">United States</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"> and, as such, should be welcomed on campus as a political leader who is making history with every speech and appearance. Why shouldn't the community of Notre Dame become part of that history? Such an encounter, Father Jenkins could say, has unmistakable educational value.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">This argument would be convincing -- if Notre Dame were not a <EM><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Catholic </SPAN></EM>university honoring a political leader committed to removing <EM><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">all</SPAN></EM> restrictions on abortion-on-demand in the </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">United States</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">. Whatever educational value there is in the visit of a </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">U.S.</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"> president to the campus is trumped by the spectacle of moral support being offered by Notre Dame to Obama's position on abortion.
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>The U.S. Catholic bishops have been clear on this point. In their </FONT><A href="http://www.usccb.org/bishops/catholicsinpoliticallife.shtml"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT color=#0000ff>2004 document</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT color=#000000> "Catholics in Political Life," the bishops wrote, "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors, or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>In short, the moment Father Jenkins places the honorary doctorate into the hands of Barack Obama, the university will be viewed as either supporting his pro-abortion views or turning a blind eye to them. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>Father Jenkins also has the option of making what could be called the "</FONT><A href="http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT color=#0000ff>Faithful Citizenship</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT color=#000000>" dodge. He could say that the university gave Obama this honor without <EM><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">intending</SPAN></EM> to honor his pro-abortion views. Readers may recall that the bishops' 2008 document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," left the same opening to allow Catholics to vote for pro-abortion candidates like Obama and his Catholic running mate, Joseph Biden. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #4061c4; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Since the Friday afternoon announcement</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000> of the honor being conferred by Notre Dame on President Obama, there have been no statements from any of the bishops, including the ordinary of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Bishop John M. D'Arcy. A few days ago, Bishop D'Arcy issued a strongly worded </FONT><A href="http://www.diocesefwsb.org/COMMUNICATIONS/statements.htm"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT color=#0000ff>statement</FONT></SPAN></A><FONT color=#000000> on Obama's decision to allow federal funding for the destruction of embryos for their stem cells. He wrote,<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">This decision by the president is an imposition of a utilitarian ideology, which allows a group of human beings that some believe do not share human dignity, to be used and exploited. Human history, of course, is rife with examples of the strong dominating the weak and defenseless. Doesn't the promise of a democratic </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">America</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"> -- of respect for the dignity of all -- hold us to a higher standard?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>A bishop who is capable of such eloquent conviction will surely publicly express his disappointment in the leadership of Father Jenkins. Bishop D'Arcy, who has challenged Notre Dame before, must invoke the guidelines of "Catholics in Political Life" or risk some of the other bishops doing it for him. (The University of Notre Dame may lie within Bishop D'Arcy's diocese, but Catholics across the country feel ownership, regarding it as a national, rather than regional, institution.) <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>Barring some miracle of divine intervention, the world will soon watch as the preeminent Catholic university in the country lauds the world's leading advocate for killing children in the womb. Under Father Jenkins's leadership, Notre Dame has had an "intellectually rigorous engagement with the world," and the world has won.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><EM><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT color=#000000>Deal W. Hudson is <SPAN style="COLOR: black">the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></EM><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><A href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416524428/insidecatcom-20"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT color=#0000ff>Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States</FONT></SPAN></A> <EM><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">(Simon and Schuster).</SPAN></EM></SPAN></P>
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<DIV><EM><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000bf>Like a deer that longs for running waters so my soul longs for you, O God.</FONT></EM></DIV></FONT></EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000bf><EM><FONT face="comic sans ms">Ps 42:1</FONT></EM></FONT></DIV>
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