ND and Obama: CSC Superior responds and I comment

The University of Notre Dame was founded by the Congregation of the Holy Cross (CSC). The superior of the CSC, Fr. Hugh Cleary, wrote an open letter to Barack Obama about his visit that is worthy of sharing.

In particular, there were a couple of paragraphs that expressed some of my own thoughts, not only on this matter, but on others as well.

The first one is about voting:

President Obama, I found the entirety of your remarks at the prayer breakfast truly inspiring and motivating. In your words I found, in summary form, the reason of my admiration and esteem for you and the root of my patriotism. With your words, however, I also found, in summary form, the reason I could vote neither for you nor the Democratic ticket nor the Republican ticket. In fact, as a Catholic I believe myself disenfranchised from my government and disillusioned with what I perceive as a great gap between the rhetoric of our founding national ideals and the hubris of our so-called national convictions which more and more seem simply to enshrine our self-interest for prosperity over democracy. As an American Catholic, will I ever be able to vote again for a nominee of a major political party when each party, in my view, fails the consistency test in promoting the rights and dignity of all human beings from conception to natural death?

I am embarrassed to confess that I sat out the last election cycle. I am finding it more and more difficult to vote for the candidates of our major political parties. My friends tell me to vote by all means, vote for the lesser of the evils. Unfortunately today's evils seem so much larger than my conscience can bear, whether they be on abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, immigration, the economy, housing for the poor, health care for the uninsured, the environment, war or weapons of mass destruction. I do love my country and I do want to vote. I just don't know how to vote while remaining true to my conscience formed by my faith convictions.

The second is about hatred for the University and towards people who disagree with the Catholic position on abortion and other life issues:

There are some people who hate the life of a child in the womb due to the unwanted consequences of sheltering, nurturing and forming that new "intruder," that new guest, who is now forever altering the agenda of one's personal life as well as the life of our larger society.

There are some religious people who now hate Notre Dame for inviting you to speak at the 2009 graduation and receive an honorary degree. I fear their hate will beget further hate. Will their hatred ultimately destroy their souls in the guise of self-righteousness, just as powerfully as abortion destroys the physical life of a newly conceived child?

How do we best love in this situation? How do we soften our hearts? What action, thought, or belief will make us grow in the image and likeness of God? What would be the most loving and prudent move? How could we, as American Catholics, best love the nation and the entire Catholic population? What would be the most prudent action? I don't know and that's probably why I'm not in charge of making that decision.

A lot of me is sad about the entire situation -- so much division is coming out of a commencement speech. Some of me is excited -- he is an excellent speaker and the first black President of the US. But most of me is disappointed. Disappointed at Notre Dame is honoring a strongly pro-choice president. Disappointed that people are making this into a political thing when I'm not sure it should be. Disappointed that we're losing focus on the need to provide support and love for mothers contemplating abortions. And those who already have and are broken and full of pain. I'm disappointed in a way that I don't know how to describe: a disappointment that comes deep within me. But a disappointment that calls me to love the University more. And to love our President more, despite our disagreements.

Many people will see this as a fall from grace for Notre Dame, that ND is no longer Catholic, despite it's deep commitment to its Catholic identity: Campus Ministry, the center for Social Concerns, the various social outreach programs, ACE, Echo (I had to include it in the list 8-)).

If Notre Dame has sinned by inviting a pro-choice president to speak and honoring him with a honorary degree, are we to throw stones at the University? Or are we to love the sinner and hate the sin?

For His Glory,
Isaac