My family and I are fortunate to live in the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois. Our bishop, Thomas Doran, has been very supportive of Saint Mary's Oratory, the traditional Latin Mass church that we attend, run by the Institute of Christ the King. Bishop Doran is also not afraid to speak his mind and to let his flock know what it means to be a Catholic.
The Cardinal Newman Society, which has organized the petition to ask the University of Notre Dame to rescind its invitation to President Barack Obama, has just published the text of Bishop Doran's letter to the Rev. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame. Like a number of other bishops, including Francis Cardinal George, archbishop of Chicago and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Doran has warned that Notre Dame's action "flies in the face of the expressed directive of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the year 2004."
Bishop Doran, a fighting Irishman himself, does not mince words: After expressing his "dismay and outrage," he urges President Jenkins to rescind the invitation or to change the name of the university so that it does not dishonor the Blessed Virgin. Here is the full text of his letter, as printed on the Cardinal Newman Society website:
March 31, 2009
Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556Dear President Jenkins:
I wish to express in my own name and on behalf of the Catholic community of this Diocese, my dismay and outrage at your decision to invite the current President of the United States to address the 2009 graduates of the University of Notre Dame and to receive an honorary degree.
This decision of your flies in the face of the expressed directive of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the year 2004, that Catholic institutions not so honor those who profess opposition to the Church’s doctrine on abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
I would ask that you rescind this unfortunate decision and so avoid dishonoring the practicing Catholics of the United States, including those of this Diocese. Failing that, please have the decency to change the name of the University to something like, “The Fighting Irish College” or “Northwestern Indiana Humanist University.” Though promotion of the obscene is not foreign to you, I would point out that it is truly obscene for you to take such decisions as you have done in a university named for our Blessed Lady, whom the Second Vatican Council called the Mother of the Church.
I sign myself
Very truly yours,
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Rockford
More on Notre Dame and President Obama:
Way to go Bishop Doran!!!
Rev. Doran’s request to have Notre Dame change its name to the “Northwest Indiana Humanist Institution” is right on and hilarious.
If Notre Dame wants to follow the philosophy of ivy league schools like Princeton regarding abortion and other socialistic viewpoints, it needs to take itself out of the mix of Catholic colleges (and keep your football team off NBC–Boston College is the Catholic football team).
It’s good to see opposition to this bad decision, although I think it’s very unrealistic for ND to rescind their descision. Rev Doran is from Rockford…isn’t that where Cheap Trick is from? I love that band!!
Dave…being a huge football fan I can tell you neither ND or BC deserve any tv time. Both are lousy programs. Go Gators!!!
Logic dictates that ND should provide a forum for Holocaust Deniers.
Most secularized universities/colleges openly & honestly change their names to reflect their changed directions, and alert students and donors to this. Notre Dame has been dishonest for decades, solely because of its football team. Which is more important to it: God or football??
My, my, whatever will happen next…
You mean a Catholic Bishop has told a so-called Catholic University that if they don’t want to be Catholic they should stop pretending to be.
Look, I am from New Zealand (you may have heard of it) and Notre Dame is a cause for hilarity and tears even here.
I like to see a Catholic Bishop being a Catholic Bishop, and yes, that even includes Bishop Richard Williamson when he is being a Catholic Bishop, which is more often than most other so-called Catholic Bishops that I know.
Oh, sorry, he is classed as a “Holocaust denier!!!” which is a greater sin than any other…
Yeah, whatever…
I think I have said before, I am always respectful of Bishops especially Irish ones (My Grandfather was Irish). That said I am also respectful of the President of the United States and Bishop Dorans sugestion that a decision to invite an American President to a US Insitiution is “obscene” because we disagree with his views on abortion is frankly a bit OTT. Band Wagons are dangerous things to jump on. That said the Bishop is entitled to his opinion but I might ask, what is acheived if we tell the President that we dont want to listen to him? Comments on schismatic Bishop Williamson are not really helpful and while I might have problems with Bishop Dorans strategic thinking he is clearly a faithful servant of the Church and would not dishonour himself or us by associating with someone who so clearly disrespects the victims of the holocoust.
The words Notre Dame have entered into a secular use in many locations in the world. Where the university is located in the unincorporated community of Notre Dame Indiana, the university has every right to retain the name The University of Notre Dame. Bishop Doran is only using spin to rally the troops here. Hopefully the Bishop is able to multitask, and address the other equally important topics that need to be addressed.
Councillor Burke, thank you for your comment. Regarding this:
That said the Bishop is entitled to his opinion but I might ask, what is acheived if we tell the President that we dont want to listen to him?
I think we’re back to the question of how we should treat error. It is one thing to say that we should respect our civil authorities—the Church teaches that, and in fact the Eastern liturgies specifically include intercessions for the civil authorities. President Obama is owed a certain respect because of his position, and I think that it would be wrong for anyone, say, to disrupt his commencement speech in protest. (Knowing my bishop, I believe that he would agree.)
However, there should be limits on what the Church will tolerate under Her auspices. The problem here isn’t simply that we “disagree with his views on abortion”; the problem is that President Obama obstinately persists in error on this point, and his error results in the death of innocent children. To give him a platform to promote that error is unacceptable.
Whatever we as citizens might owe to our civil authorities, the Church does not owe to any such authority a platform to promote the deaths of the innocent.
Doug, the words “Jesus Christ” have entered into a secular use pretty much everywhere in the world, and not in a good way. Do those who use the Lord’s name in vain have “every right” to do so? Bishop Doran’s point is no different.
Of course, since you’ve previously made it clear that you have little problem with the continued existence of abortion, and you believe that the bishops of the United States should not be preaching against laws in favor of it, you may be engaged in your own version of “spin.”
I doubt seriously if Fr.Jenkins realized what an uproar this decision of his would cause. Having said that, he should have! Can a person in such an elevated position be so totally out of touch with reality? Bishop Thomas Doran, Rockford Diocese, pointed out, that the supplying of an honorary degree to a pro-abortion politician by a university, named in honor of the Blessed Virgin is the ultimate insult!
The best resolution would be for President Obama to suddenly become “very busy” that week-end and withdraw his commitment. In addition to this, Fr. Jenkins needs to resign as soon as possible, preferably with a public apology to the Catholic faithful.
Failing this, financial contributions to Note Dame University should be withheld until he has the grace and wisdom to do so.
Dear Scott,
I laud Bishop Doran for his ND comments.
It is precisely what I would expect from EVERY American Catholic Bishop.
Do you know if there has been any official Vatican response to the ND announcement?
I know many folks who have an emotional attachment to ND no matter whether they have studied there. It is good that ND is finally showing its true colors.
God bless you in every way.
I love what Bishop Doran has said here, however the things he is allowing to fly in his own diocese is shameful. Priests who are being sanctioned for speaking the truth, like at St. James parish. Priest running wild proclaiming that the Pope is only a figure head. Bishop Doran dont just put out Public statements that may help you politically in the Church, walk the walk, you to will be held accountable too!