Fear, Fire, Foes! Fighting Irish, Awaken

I know that I am days behind on posting about the ND Obama news, but I feel obliged, as an ND alum, to voice my utter disgust with the University’s decision to honor President Obama at the 2009 Commencement.  The University’s administration has for years made decisions that bring distress to the faithful faculty and students on campus and besmirch the name of Notre Dame with faithful Catholics throughout the country.  And, now this.

I loved my years at Notre Dame–the candlelit Grotto after sunset, the twin lakes (St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s) bursting with spring blossoms, Lucenarium at the seminary across the lake, Tenebrae in the Basilica with all the lights off and the Reproaches sung so beautifully.  I fell in love with my faith at Notre Dame.  I was part of the effort to bring Christopher West to campus in 2002 and to establish a Theology of the Body class through the depts. of Theo and Philo, which continues to this day and is consistently full.  My JPII Catholic friends and I were eager to evangelize the culture and felt that we owed a debt to the University to evangelize her, too; some friends talked of joining the Holy Cross priests and reforming from within.  Others hoped to work for the University and evangelize through the administration.

In recent years, however, I have begun to lose hope that such reform is possible.  Optimism was rekindled with the appointment of Father Jenkins as President but has been dashed by his decisions regarding the V-Monologues, etc that seem too much like appeasement for “progressive” elements of campus.  And, now this.

How Christ must grieve.  This University dedicated to His mother, who is the primary model of life honored in the womb, will now give public honors to a president who seems so wholly bent on supporting the destruction of human life.  There seems a deeper irony, here, too.  One might wonder how long before Obama’s administration begins to persecute and penalize faithful Catholics who stand in the way of his plans for social engineering.  His administration seems to brooke no opposition, for all his talk of collaboration, and one wonders how long he will stand outspoken bishops and homeschooling families and pro-life protests.  And, so, for a very visible Catholic university to publicly honor this man who might one day touch off a major persecution of Catholics is, well, ironic.

I’ve written my letter and signed the petition and so forth, and suppose I ought to encourage you to do the same.  Here are the requisite links: Letter to Father Jenkins, Petition.  However, I don’t really see much point.  God help him.  Blessed Mother, please pray for him to your Son.