Regular readers of Blogcritics Magazine's Politics pages know that I am not a religious man. What most of you don't know, however, is that I have more than a passing familiarity with the Roman Catholic religion. Understandably, most of you won't care about my personal religious viewpoint, but I bring it up it because it is germane to this discussion.
I was raised in the Catholic faith by my very devout mother, with the acquiescence of my father, who was an Agnostic, leaning toward atheism. My mother had me baptized as a baby, confirmed as I approached adolescence, and sent me to Catechism classes throughout my childhood. I was even graduated from a Catholic high school.
Throughout this period of indoctrination by my mother and the Church, my father stood benignly by, never interjecting his own viewpoint unless I asked him a direct question. I asked him many questions, as I did of the priests whose paths crossed mine, and finally, in my late teens, I decided that my father's answers were more cogent and made better sense than those of the clergy. While I obviously cannot characterize myself as impartial on the issue of religion, clearly my bias is not on the side of the Church.
I have watched with interest as the controversy over President Obama's invitation to speak at the University of Notre Dame commencement tomorrow has raged across the country. Obama will be the ninth sitting U.S. President to deliver Notre Dame's commencement address, and certainly the most controversial.
Many of the pundits on both sides of the issue have aimed their opinions at the question of Obama having been invited to speak at the commencement, in spite of his pro-choice stance. But this is only part of the controversy; Catholic opinion is divided, and many of the Catholics opposing Obama's appearance have another concern: the customary conferring of an honorary degree (in this case, in Law) on the President. While many of the Catholics who have vowed to protest Obama's appearance have indicated their opposition to his presence, the stance of the Vatican, in the person of Pope Benedict, has remained studiedly neutral, with the Pope refraining from even discussing the controversy. The locus of official opposition on the part of the Church is a vocal minority (about 20%) of U.S. Catholic Bishops, led by Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who reacted to the announcement from Notre Dame, saying, "It is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - El Bicho
Have they awarded degrees to graduates who are pro-choice? If so (and quite likely in my opinion), these protests are just more phony political grandstanding, which may be an oxymoron.
2 - Irene Wagner
Would you expect Christopher Hitchens to approve if Mother Teresa were asked to give the keynote address at a Atheist Alliance International Convention.
There'd be some atheists who'd probably consiser it an honor, and then there'd be Christopher Hitchens. So there you go.
3 - Baronius
What's that? A discussion of religion on the BC boards? I wonder if Baronius will stop by.
You can guess that my opinion is different from Clavos'. My analysis is different as well. I see tensions building toward a fight. We have a Catholic VP and Speaker of the House publicly disputing the Church's pro-life stance, even disputing that the Church is opposed to abortion. Numerous bishops are refusing to give communion to leading pro-choice Democrats. The Vatican has turned down each of President Obama's picks for Ambassador. Secretary Sibelius' bishop even protested her nomination to HHS.
My bet is, something big is going to happen in the next year or so that will affect the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Democratic Party.
4 - Irene Wagner
I didn't mean to be so flippant.
There are health care workers -- and many of them are Catholic-- who would be horrified to do harm to a human being in utero. This February, the Obama administration announced it intended to rescind the Provider Conscience Law which protects the right of workers to refuse involvement in abortions and other procedures they may object to on moral or religious grounds.
The objections of some Catholic health care workers to Notre Dame's decision to invite the president to speak are a reaction to what must feel like a kick in the stomach.
5 - Clavos
With what opinion of mine do you not agree, Baronius?
For that matter, what analysis of mine do you dispute?
6 - Clavos
Good point about the Provider Conscience Law, Irene. If it is rescinded, we will not only lose health care workers, we'll also lose entire health care organizations because of it.
I think it's unconscionable that the government has no problem with forcing people to betray their consciences and religious beliefs, but I'm not surprised that the current administration would attempt to do so.
7 - Baronius
Clavos, we disagree on matters of faith. I'm a devout Catholic, as I think you're aware. That'd be the "opinion" part (although I didn't intend to describe faith that way). The "analysis" part is that I see this controversy as the beginning of something big.
8 - Irene Wagner
Well, Obama's move doesn't surprise me at all Clavos --especially since he's rescinding a law put into place in the very last days of Bush's presidency. Notre Dame's action does surprise me.
What's going on? Is the American Catholic elite trying to "build bridges" with Obama to get some sort of mitigation for aforementioned health care workers? From the sounds of Baronius' comment, no.
I know from the experience I've had watching my own church, that there are roads the government and church travel arm-in-arm, roads that make a WIDE detour around heaven.
9 - Clavos
I understand your point, Baronius, but I deliberately expressed no opinion in the article as to the dichotomy between belief and non-belief -- it has no relevance to the subject of the article, which is why I asked you the question.
As to the analysis issue: again, I didn't "analyze" the controversy, I simply reported the various aspects of it. You may be right, it may well be the start of something big within the ranks of Catholics, but it's of limited concern for the country, especially in light of the fact that Catholics seem to mirror the opinions of the non-Catholic population, according to the Quinnipiac poll.
10 - Irene Wagner
And Baronius, there's nothing in that comment that was intended to insult you or the Catholic church. This isn't the first time an American Catholic university has thumbed its nose at the people who put together its endowment. Ask anyone who's gone to Catholic school. There hasn't been much of a distinction in people's minds between "Catholic church" and "Catholic school." There shouldn't have needed to have been.
11 - Clavos
Notre Dame's action does surprise me.
What's going on? Is the American Catholic elite trying to "build bridges" with Obama to get some sort of mitigation for aforementioned health care workers?
It shouldn't surprise you, Irene. American Catholics have been at odds with the Vatican for several decades now; the Americans have consistently been more progressive than the Vatican, and there have been strong disagreements before. American Catholics, for example, have long dissented regarding women as priests, and the rule of celibacy (a hot topic in South Florida right now, because of Fr. Cutier), and of course, there's the issue of Liberation Theology, another American idea.
12 - Jordan Richardson
the rule of celibacy (a hot topic in South Florida right now, because of Fr. Cutier)
C'mon. You made that up, Clavos. ;)
13 - Irene Wagner
And Baronius, that wasn't intended to be a slam at the Catholic church in general. It was a slam at the schools. There's never been any reason before to make a distinction between Catholic School and the Catholic church. That's why Catholic parents send their kids there.
14 - Clavos
LOL, Jordan.
Actually, it's pronounced Coot-ee-ay.
15 - Irene Wagner
No, Clavos, Notre Dame's decision DOES surprise me. Celibacy and genders issue have to do with considerations of the contributions various kinds of people (women, men with children) can make to the Catholic community (and those contributions are most certaintly NOT limited to the priesthood.)
Forcing health care workers to perform abortions or give up their licenses and jobs is a horse of a different color.
16 - Clavos
There’s never been any reason before to make a distinction between Catholic School and the Catholic church. That’s why Catholic parents send their kids there.
Many parents send their kids to Catholic schools for the religious exposure, to be sure. But most Catholic schools' enrollment is as much as half non-Catholic, because they are generally very superior to public schools, and non-Catholic students are exempted from religion classes.
That was true in my day, and continues to be true today.
17 - Clavos
Forcing health care workers to perform abortions or give up their licenses and jobs is a horse of a different color.
The Church will simply stop offering those services in their owned facilities, as it did when the government declared they would have to allow adoptions by gays. Catholics working in non-denominational or government facilities will, of course, still be in jeopardy.
I personally am opposed to the government getting involved in what amount to personal decisions on any level, including those you mention, as well as such issues as what people do in their bedrooms or how they educate their children.
But, the PC do-gooders are in charge now, so I suppose we'll be seeing a lot more government interference in the future.
18 - Irene Wagner
I'm not throwing away my door hangers Clavos :) See ya!
19 - Baronius
Irene - No offense taken, at all. I don't even see why I would take offense.
Clavos - Ditto. I appreciate the quality and neutrality of your article. That's part of the reason I highlighted the difference between opinion and analysis: however either of us view the Catholic Church, it doesn't affect our assessment of the current controversy.
I've got a little more to say, but I want to make sure I post this comment right away so I can score the magic #20 slot. Eternal fame! The comment that everyone will see!
20 - Baronius
Notre Dame is typical of the watered-down American Catholicism that Clavos describes. Most Catholics don't perceive it as any different from, say, Ohio State. Georgetown is a similar story. The president recently spoke there, and at his request the university covered up all religious symbols in the hall.
Why would Obama's team ask for that? I don't know. Why would the school comply? Are they positioning themselves, as Irene suggests? I don't think so. I just don't think it occurs to them that they're supposed to be witnesses for Christ.
The current pope has talked quite a bit about the Church risking its popularity, and its numbers, in a stand against the culture. John Paul was a cuddly guy whom people could love without agreeing with him. Benedict is an academic who doesn't shy away from controntation.
21 - El Bicho
Irene, I am not sure what you are trying to say in #2, but since the university awarded death-penalty proponent GW Bush an honorary degree, then they have no defense to not give Obama one other than sheer hypocrisy. Although there would be no surprise in ND resembling a Cafeteria Catholic like so many members of the Church have become.
22 - Baronius
EB - The Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty can in some cases be morally acceptable, but that abortion is never morally acceptable.
23 - Ruvy
Notre Dame is typical of the watered-down American Catholicism that Clavos describes
It's rapidly getting to that point with most "Jewish" schools in the States too.
Unless there is going to be some nasty actions by the American administration regarding religion, I don't view all this as more than the typical ass-kissing one sees out of academics eager for a buck....a tempest in a teapot with a cross bubbling over.
24 - Irene Wagner
re#2 El B. #2 Maybe you'd have to be a Monstervision fan? Read the link again, or for the first time. Or maybe this logical diagram will help:
Catholics who opposed Bush's War but welcome Obama's Surge in Afghanistan, plans to reverse the Conscience Provision, and his speaking engagement at ND : Catholics who oppose ND's decision to invite Bush to speak
:: Atheists who are pro-choice and yet OK with giving Mother Teresa the 1979 Nobel Peace prize, and would've been delighted had she come to speak at the Atheist Alliance International Convention, a highly unlikely event given the fact that she's dead and wouldn't be caught there even in that condition : Christopher Hitchens, who ...meh, google it.
25 - Cindy
Irene, do you happen to have the link to the evangelist manifesto? My computer was overwhelmed by trojans and then with the BC change I forgot where it was.