Obama at Notre Dame

Catholic News Agency (h/t First Things) has the text of an essay by Archbishop Charles Chaput of the Archdiocese of Denver wherein he explains some of the opposition to President Obama’s speech at Notre Dame this spring. I know this is an old issue and I’m not trying to resurrect it. As a pro-life Catholic I found the perspective interesting:

First, resistance to President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame had nothing to do with whether he is a good or bad man. He is obviously a gifted man. He has many good moral and political instincts, and an admirable devotion to his family. These things matter. But unfortunately, so does this: The President’s views on vital bioethical issues, including but not limited to abortion, differ sharply from Catholic teaching. This is why he has enjoyed the strong support of major “abortion rights” groups for many years. Much is made, in some religious circles, of the President’s sympathy for Catholic social teaching. But defense of the unborn child is a demand of social justice. There is no “social justice” if the youngest and weakest among us can be legally killed. Good programs for the poor are vital, but they can never excuse this fundamental violation of human rights.

Second, at a different moment and under different circumstances, the conflict at Notre Dame might have faded away if the university had simply asked the President to give a lecture or public address. But at a time when the American bishops as a body had already voiced strong concern about the new administration’s abortion policies, Notre Dame not only made the President the centerpiece of its graduation events, but also granted him an honorary doctorate of laws – this, despite his deeply troubling views on abortion law and related social issues.

The real source of Catholic frustration with President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame was his overt, negative public voting and speaking record on abortion and other problematic issues. By its actions, Notre Dame ignored and violated the guidance of America’s bishops in their 2004 document, “Catholics in Political Life.” In that text, the bishops urged Catholic institutions to refrain from honoring public officials who disagreed with Church teaching on grave matters.

Thus, the fierce debate in American Catholic circles this spring over the Notre Dame honor for Mr. Obama was not finally about partisan politics. It was about serious issues of Catholic belief, identity and witness – triggered by Mr. Obama’s views — which Cardinal Cottier, writing from outside the American context, may have misunderstood.

It is troubling to me when political factions cherry-pick from Catholic doctrine to suit their needs. Conservatives select abortion but ignore opposition to capital punishment and protection of the poor. Liberals select the vague notion of ‘social justice’ but ignore abortion. The Catholic Church continues to play an important role in American culture and in some ways is the most powerful of American churches in that it spans the two-party system and could never fairly be attributed solely to either.

It is for this reason that the Church must stand firm on its principles. Notre Dame, as a very visible symbol of national Catholic unity, made a mistake this spring. The Church cannot afford to make too many more like that. Our unity is what binds us and our adherence to doctrine is what makes us strong in the face of outside challenge.