Community | May 03, 2009 | 19 comments

Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama riles Catholic bishops, exposes rift with flock

source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=7490121

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Kepano
This coming week, Bishop Thomas Wenski of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando, Fla., will take the unusual step of celebrating a Mass of Reparation, to make amends for sins against God. The motivation: to provide an outlet for Catholics upset with what Wenski calls the University of Notre Dame's "clueless" decision to invite President Barack Obama to speak at its commencement and receive an honorary doctorate May 17.

The nation's flagship Catholic university's honoring of a politician whose abortion rights record clashes with a fundamental church teaching has triggered a reaction among the nation's Catholic bishops that is remarkable in scope and tone, church observers say.

At least 55 bishops have publicly denounced or questioned Notre Dame in recent weeks, employing an arsenal of terms ranging from "travesty" and "debacle" to "extreme embarrassment."
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19 comments // Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama riles Catholic bishops, exposes rift with flock

  • suzannekk
    • 0
      suzannekk  

    • CAN'T WE ALL SEE THAT THE POSITIVES IN THIS WORLD WITH THIS PRESIDENT SO OUTWEIGH THE NEGATIVES?

      Unbelievable, AGAIN.

      This church (formerly my church) has stands regarding women and children that I will never ever understand as "compassionate"

    • 3 years ago
  • maisry
  • Dvsteppenwolf
  • dawnM55
    • 0
      dawnM55  

    • George Bush spoke at ND and he was for the death penalty, killing is killing! So look the other way on President Obama's stance on abortion just as you have looked away from pedophile priest who have caused so much damage to our children, and even forgiven them!

    • 3 years ago
  • seeker561
  • omshaantih
  • omshaantih
    • 0
      omshaantih  

    • I think the catholics don't like Obama cause they are all racist...you that during the War the Catholic Church actually hung Swaztika flags from their posts all over europe

    • 3 years ago
  • quixotic12
  • omshaantih
  • gen468
  • bombastinator
  • artemis6
  • kewal91
  • lexid523
    • 0
      lexid523  

    • And yet when Boston College had Condi Rice come to speak 2 years ago, not one church leader spoke out against one of the architects of the Iraq War (which the Church has condemned) coming to speak at a Catholic school.

      What utter hypocrites.

    • 3 years ago
  • pukemnukem
    • 0
      pukemnukem  
    • lexid523:

      More on point, she also spoke at Notre Dame. Not only did Condi participate in the Iraq War justification, she is also tainted by the torture scandal, and most telling, she is a supporter of abortion. None of these issue came up. To raise such a stink, granted it's a very important view in the Catholic Church, but to remain silent on many of Bush's worst policy decisions...is crazy.

      While I don't support abortion, I cannot stand hypocrisy. I should rephrase that better...I could not image willingly go along with an abortion in a relationship. What I mean is that it isn't an option for me. Why does the Catholic Church stay quiet on the large number of fertilized eggs lost due to artificial insemination? Why does the Catholic Church view contraception as going against god's will...but not viagra? Maybe god doesn't want Grandpa nailing his secretary? Funny, boner pills are covered by health insurance...but many don't cover contraception.

    • 3 years ago
  • ErnesToe123
  • kennymotown
  • bombastinator
  • mario_a
    • 0
      mario_a  

    • hey Kepano!

      this is a great post! it's been picked as a featured story in the 'current stories' section on the homepage!

      congrats, and tell your friends!

      mario
      online community

    • 3 years ago
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