In an exclusive interview with CMR, Mary K. Daly, the President of Notre Dame’s Right to Life group, said that the school administration’s decision to invite President Barack Obama to deliver the Commencement Address is a “slap in the face” to many Catholics and has many students questioning whether they can “in good conscience” attend their own college graduation.”
“I think that this is a travesty that students should have to wrestle with whether or not to go to their own college graduation, after working very hard to gain admittance to this university and then working very hard to earn a diploma from this university,” Daly said.
Daly expressed her “acute disappointment” with the administration’s decision, adding that the invitation “undercuts the University’s Catholic character.” Daly said she believed the school should hold its Catholic Identity above that of secular prestige.
Daly acknowledged that the school has offered numerous Presidents honorary degrees and invitations to speak at Commencements and said she realized the importance of Obama being the first African American President but added, “However, and in spite of this, it is an acute disappointment in view of his political and personal beliefs that Obama will be speaking. This president espouses and defends many political ideals that are fundamentally in tension with and in opposition to what lies at the foundation of this University. That these are his ideals and beliefs cannot be separated from his position as president.”
Daly pointed to Church documents such as Ex Corde Ecclesia…”it is a serious conflict of interest and failure to live up to its Catholic obligation for Notre Dame to allow Obama to speak on campus in the capacity of the graduation ceremonies.”
Daly urged organizations who wish to protest the school administration’s decision, contact her organization in order to coordinate efforts.
* The “May” in the headline “ND Students May Not Attend Commencement” does not mean that Daly herself is instructing others that it is morally impermissable to attend. She is saying that some students may not attend due to Barack Obama’s pro-choice stance. I think that was clear but she asked me to pass that on lest a reader be confused.
Below is the entire transcript of the interview done via email:
CMR: What’s your response to Notre Dame’s invitation to President Obama being the commencement speaker?
My personal reaction is one of disappointment and frustration. My reaction is founded in my belief that the University should hold its Catholic Identity above that of secular prestige. I address this further in the next questions.
CMR: How does this invitation relate or contrast with ND’s Catholic identity?
One the one hand, I recognize the great honor it is of having the President of the United States coming to my university. It is a tradition dating back to Hoover that ND extends this type of invitation to each newly-inaugurated president. That this president is the first African-American president of the country also makes this an exciting occurrence. However, and in spite of this, it is an acute disappointment in view of his political and personal beliefs that Obama will be speaking. This president espouses and defends many political ideals that are fundamentally in tension with and in opposition to what lies at the foundation of this University. That these are his ideals and beliefs cannot be separated from his position as president.
Notre Dame is a premier university, but what makes it distinctive amongst other premier universities is its Catholicity and its tradition. Many people, including many with no affiliation to this school, look to Notre Dame to be a leader in American Catholicism because of it is the most prestigious Catholic university. To invite and host Obama as the 2009 commencement speaker is a slap in the face to these people and it undercuts the University’s Catholic character.
According to Church documents such as Ex Corde Ecclesia as well as other Catholic groups (see http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/News/tabid/54/ctl/Details/mid/452/ItemID/99/Default.aspx for good, compiled information on these subjects), it is a serious conflict of interest and failure to live up to its Catholic obligation for Notre Dame to allow Obama to speak on campus in the capacity of the graduation ceremonies. Furthermore, because Obama stands for so many things that are decidedly not Catholic, there are a number of students who believe that they cannot in good conscience (sp) attend their own college graduation. I think that this is a travesty that students should have to wrestle with whether or not to go to their own college graduation, after working very hard to gain admittance to this university and then working very hard to earn a diploma from this university.
CMR: Do you folks have any plans to protest?
Notre Dame Right to Life as a student group, though we do not at this time have concrete plans of response, I can assure you that there will be a response. The leadership committee of Right to Life, together with the leadership from all of the other conservative, Catholic-minded campus groups, will be meeting this Tuesday to discuss an organized response.
CMR: What can regular folks do?
The most important thing to do is to recognize that this event should not be considered damning of the entire community and history of the school There is a substantial amount of students and faculty who strongly support the Catholic mission and identity of the University, who believe in it and who believe that it is still worth fighting for. This said, any form of negative reaction should be contained and directed towards the event of Obama’s speaking engagement.
Many non-University groups have contacted me and other students asking us what we plan to do in response, letting us know that they want to be involved, or letting us know that they are planning reactions or protests of their own. I would advise that outside groups be in contact with University groups, such as Right to Life, so that people are “on the same page” about what is going on. I appreciate that groups like the Cardinal Newman Society are informing people of the situation. However, for an unaffiliated third party to come to campus and to solicit current students to join their protests is counter productive. Outside groups, as truly concerned as they might be, do not have an intimate enough knowledge of the University life and of the actions or protests being planned behind the scenes by informed students and affiliates. As has happened at ND in the recent past, outside groups can end up doing much more harm than good, because they are usurping a role that is most competently filled by those who are invested in and present at Notre Dame. This said, I reiterate that people are welcomed to be in touch with University groups for guidance on potential action they might want to take.
March 22, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I think the best thing students can do is to make their absence as apparent as possible, and make sure the President is aware of their protest as he enters the facility to give his address.
March 22, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Or if a student does attend, ignore the featured speaker with head bowed and pray the Rosary in silence. No applause, no jeering, no reaction at all. And sternly refuse to let a Molochian hand you the diploma you’ve earned.
March 22, 2009 at 10:35 pm
It is gravely sinful by giving scandal and bad example to invite a solidly pro-abortion speaker to address a Catholic college. To confer an honorary degree on such a person compounds the sinful act.
Over 47 million babies have been killed by abortion in the USA and it’s NGOs are responsible for many more.
All God’s little babies will be accounted for. TW, M.D.
March 22, 2009 at 11:03 pm
The graduating students should throw their shoes at him.
And then their mortarboards. I would be seriously offended by his inclusion in the ceremonies of a supposedly-Catholic institution. I’m sure that if I had attended ND I’d have had to work extra hard to carve an actual Catholic education out of the curriculum and it would just be insult to injury to have that man touch my diploma.
March 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
Don’t worry, God’s judgment is coming swiftly…
…wait, nevermind.
March 23, 2009 at 6:56 am
My heart aches for you, this years graduating class, and all students at ND! You should not be confronted with this at such a wonderful time in your life! However, in these times when it not often anyone stands up for upholding any moral value, because it’s just: “not nice,” “too limiting in scope/or narrow,” “not politically correct”. Stand-up for yourselves, your beliefs and don’t let anyone talk you out of upholding what you know is truth. This President held no “town meetings” before he made his decissions, he never asked you “how do you feel about this?” Life, Liberty and Happiness… It is our faith, It is our constitutional right, whether embryo or grandparent the rights are ALL of We the people!!God Bless all of you.
E Dressel
March 23, 2009 at 12:45 pm
MACK SAID IN PART:”ignore the featured speaker with head bowed and pray the Rosary in silence.”
Great Idea, Mack. Only KNEEL AND PRAY THE ROSARY OUT LOUD – we are the Church Militant and prayer is our best weapon against evil.
KNEEL AND PRAY THE ROSARY OUT LOUD! Notre Dame’s president’s “choice” would then be to pray or not to pray. Obama’s “choice” would then be to remain silent or to shout down the Rosary.
March 23, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Notre Dame has been Catholic in name only for many years. Why does this surprise anyone?
I feel sorry for the students who attend the university thinking it is Catholic. This should confirm for them that it is not.
Don’t send money or students to this abomination of desolation.
March 23, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I’ve spent my last four years at Notre Dame (I graduated last May) and I must defend that Notre Dame is NOT “Catholic in name”. There are many faithful Catholic students and faculty alike at the University. I saw my own faith grow tremendously during that time. However, I, like Mary (I do know her personally) feel that this is a disgrace that outweighs the good reasons that the University may have had in mind in inviting the first African-American president to commencement. I trust that the deep thinking and faithful Catholics in groups like ND RTL and the ID:ND will find a quick and appropriate response.
I am still in shock over this whole situation, and I just pray that Fr. Jenkins will understand the dilemma that his students will face on their graduation day.
A good response from people not connected to the University may be to write to Bishop D’Arcy and ask that he not attend. Very sad as D’Arcy has a great love for Notre Dame and has always been a part of the graduations there, but I am sure he is outraged at ND for inviting Obama and will want to make a statement about it.
March 23, 2009 at 5:24 pm
It would be BEST to kneel and pray the rosary OUTLOUD OUTSIDE the Hall where the sick speaker will be “commencing”, having no audience, except of coarse the ‘gallant’ president of the college.
PLEASE all students DO NOT ATTEND. Many graces will bestowed upon those who stand on the Church’s principles. God bless,Lois
March 23, 2009 at 8:24 pm
First, thanks to the faculty and students who are standing up for the sanctity of life.
A suggestion: Have an alternative graduation. I am sure that you could get a fantastic speaker who would be willing to donate their time and LOT’S of alumni would support it, too.
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” Jeremiah 1:5
March 24, 2009 at 1:33 am
I agree that students should plan an alternative graduation ceremony. That would give a strong message to both Fr. Jenkins, and to Obama – that people can still stand up for their beliefs, and won’t be bullied. I believe that somehow God will use this for good, and maybe it’s to get people to stand up for what they believe in, and speak out against evil, even if it is being led by a priest.
March 24, 2009 at 4:37 am
If I had the courage, I would want to “turn the other cheek.” Seeing as this is a slap in the face to ND students in communion with the Church, they might want to go and silently protest during their own graduation ceremony that Obama is at, holding up pictures of baby bodies and pictures of acorns and bring rosaries and pray on them the whole time with big posters with stuff like “NO to genocide” (blackgenocide.org) and … other negative effects of abortion…
I mean, that way they could “turn the other cheek” and prepare for another slap in the face with Jesus.
(Man, I wish I had the courage to do stuff like I just suggested…)
March 24, 2009 at 4:39 am
but anyway, I think going to the regular ceremony and praying and protesting and stuff would be better than holding another one in another place. Then the students with convictions wouldn’t have the chance to be crucified – in fact, they would be crucifying the students who are crucifying them! That would be the opposite of what they want as christians.
May 18, 2009 at 3:13 am
It is depressing, utterly depressing, to come to a website like this and see the types of people we live amongst. Your comments show you to be the people you really are: close-minded, unaccpeting, judgemental people. I’m pro-choice, but I don’t go around to blogs ripping apart people who I disagree with. I can respect pro-lifers reasoning. But give a little respect to our President…I can bet some of you would have been the FIRST to deamonize anyone who spoke out against President Bush as being an “UnAmerican” person for “disrespecting” our President. Try realizing that you can disagree without deamonizing the other side. And to the person who suggested throwing shoes at our President…talk about unAmerican…your disrepect is disgusting…try to find something better to do with your life.