Deal Hudson: 'A Sad, Sad Day for our Church'

Will a spokesman for the Bishops, perhaps Cardinal George, president of the USCCB, publicly rebuke Notre Dame for this decision?

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Inside Catholic) - The University of Notre Dame to Honor President Obama. I had to look twice at the press release when it arrived on my blackberry at 4.14 p.m. EST.

"For Immediate Release, March 20, 2009

President Obama to deliver Notre Dame's Commencement address

President Barack Obama will be the principal speaker and the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree at the University of Notre Dame's 164th University Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. May 17 (Sunday) in the Joyce Center on campus.

Mr. Obama will be the ninth U.S. president to be awarded an honorary degree by the University and the sixth to be the Commencement speaker.

The University will confer degrees on approximately 2,000 undergraduates, 420 MBA students and 200 Notre Dame Law School students.
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From: Dennis K. Brown, University spokesman and assistant vice president for news and information, 574-631-8696"

Several of the people to whom I forwarded it thought it was a joke. Then I had to tell them it was -- how I shall I put it? -- the sad truth.

There is no more beloved Catholic institution in this country than Notre Dame. Among universities known as Catholic it holds pride of place among Catholics and non-Catholics alike. As such, Notre Dame has lots of capital to spend when it missteps, but this particular pratfall will cost a bundle.

Notre Dame knows this is going to create a firestorm -- why else issue a press release late on Friday afternoon? Perhaps they are imitating the example of their presidential honoree who has been bringing in the weekends with with one pro-abortion announcement after another.

Need I list the reasons why this is a terrible idea? Need I state the obvious reasons why this will feel like a body-blow to millions of Catholics across the country and around the world?

How about this?

President Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion president in the history of our nation. As a senator he championed the Freedom of Choice Act, which Cardinal Rigali has said would make abortion an "entitlement." Obama has promised to sign FOCA if passed by the Congress. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has said FOCA will be introduced "sooner rather than later."

The University of Notre Dame is the flagship school among all Catholic colleges and universities. What Notre Dame does, or does not do, sets the "standard" for all the rest.

What is the standard that Notre Dame should represent? One document that comes to mind, among many, is the US bishops, "Catholics in Political Life" (2004), which states, "The Catholic community and Catholic community 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."

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Will a spokesman for the bishops, perhaps Cardinal George, president of the USCCB, publicly rebuke Notre Dame for this decision? Cardinal George, who met with Obama only a few days ago, should be in a perfect position to make a statement in the inappropriateness Obama receiving an honor from a Catholic university.

According to a major donor to Notre Dame, with whom I recently met, over 70% of the Notre Dame faculty voted for Obama. He also told me that he was becoming increasing angered by Notre Dame's tolerance of things like the "Vagina Monologues." I would be surprised if this bit of news did not send him over the top.

By now the telephones at Notre Dame are ringing off the hook, and I sure they are hearing from angry alums.

But the die is cast, and 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.

This is sad, sad day for our Church.

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Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster).

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