Comments on OSV Daily Take: Notre Dame, "the bishops," and "Catholic schools"

Well the 'Class of 09' is certainly on the map! No...

2009-03-28T20:32:00.000-04:00

Well the 'Class of 09' is certainly on the map! Now how about some constructive suggestions and support for their situation?
I would have thought there would be some spiritual and biblical guidance given to them by now.
They seem to be the forgotten group in all of this. Yes it's great so many see this as a 'call to action' - and the first focus surely is the commencement ceremony.

It is a tragedy that Fr. Jenkins and his liberal f...

2009-03-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

It is a tragedy that Fr. Jenkins and his liberal friends have so willingly sold-out the values, morals, and fundamental teaching of the Catholic Church. Obama needs Notre Dame more than Notre Dame needs Obama. I hope the benefactors will direct their monetary gifts this year to a truly Catholic cause by visiting www.oltiv.org and supporting the Our Lady of America devotion by helping to preserve

It is time for all Catholics to stop funding thes...

2009-03-28T14:07:00.000-04:00

It is time for all Catholics to stop funding these charades known as Catholic universities . It may be a good thing this has been in the news . There are many bona fide Catholic Universities that are loyal to the Holy Father . It should be looked into before applying to a so called Catholic College. Eble United States

Dear Msgr. Campion,I am sure your column is offere...

2009-03-28T12:42:00.000-04:00

Dear Msgr. Campion,

I am sure your column is offered with the best of intentions, and is not in general terms false, but when it comes down the specifics of this situation a quick look at the facts (always in order) shows a different story.

Its quite true that of the 55 members of the Board of Trustees only 6 odd are priests, 5 CSCs and Bishop Jenky, formerly a CSC. A quick look

"The fury transferred in many cases to “the bishop...

2009-03-28T12:25:00.000-04:00

"The fury transferred in many cases to “the bishops”, assuming that either the bishop of the diocese in which Notre Dame is located could stop the whole thing, or the American bishops collectively could do something."

What can American bishops collectively do? How about pay attention to this:
Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Veritatis Splendor, 116:
"We have the duty, as Bishops,

When I read that the founding religious communitie...

2009-03-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

When I read that the founding religious communities formally transferred their ownership rights to lay boards, the first thing that came to my mind was the recent State Bill 1098 in Connecticut, which tried to force the transfer of oversight of parish finances and decisions from bishops and parish priests to the lay boards in CT.

In retrospect, the transfer of ownership at Catholic

What planet are you from? Look behind the veneer ...

2009-03-28T07:55:00.000-04:00

What planet are you from? Look behind the veneer of the grade schools. They have kids at the school whose parents are not even married. They have some nuns that don't believe in the hierarchy of the male dominated church. They have all kinds of teachers of all walks of life. Some even handing out comunion. They have large contributors whose children get to do whatever they want. Kids when

With all due respect, I do not agree that there's ...

2009-03-28T05:58:00.000-04:00

With all due respect, I do not agree that there's nothing the Vatican and the Bishops can do but stand back and "hope for the best." ND uses the name "Catholic" to raise funds. It is sadly true that the current student body is more liberal than the alumni base (an inevitable result of the short sighted transferral of responsibility to a lay board and the ensuing hiring of non Catholic faculty).

PS: I've re-read the blogs. I now understand this ...

2009-03-28T00:16:00.000-04:00

PS: I've re-read the blogs.
I now understand this is not your graduation but 'commencement' - a celebration I am not familiar with in Australia.

Also my "TOLERANCE - to views other than your own" should have read "TOLERANCE - to people with views other than your own"
Sorry for that confusion.
As Bishop D’Arcy said:“I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and

@ Notre Dame Senior, Class of '09:Thankyou for you...

2009-03-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

@ Notre Dame Senior, Class of '09:
Thankyou for your reply. I think you are totally 'intolerant to his (Obama's) views' and that is a legitimate position to take. "Abortion is intrinsically evil and those in politics who don't work toward righting this grave moral wrong, should not be honored."
By tolerance I mean of the man and the right of ND to invite him.
You said it here:"We

@Craig: I don't believe Emily Toates meant that Pr...

2009-03-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

@Craig:
I don't believe Emily Toates meant that President Obama is attacking Catholics. Rather, her point is that as a University, supposedly having a Catholic character, the University should not honor a man who promotes a policy contrary to the Catholic teaching on the fundamental right to life. Abortion is intrinsically evil and those in politics who don't work toward righting this

I agree that the Catholic identity shoul NOT be as...

2009-03-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

I agree that the Catholic identity shoul NOT be ascribed to schools who are tolerant of obviously anti-catholic persons or events. They are trying to eat their cake and have it too by pretending to unsuspecting donors that they honor catholic traditions. I hope these donors support more worthy enterprises. As an aside, healthy debate is appropriate to subjects for which there is a grey area,

With all said & done...the President of Notre Dame...

2009-03-27T10:52:00.000-04:00

With all said & done...the President of Notre Dame doesn't seem to care what the Bishops said & I truly feel the Bishops SHOULD HALT Obama from giving the commencement address! He is so very pro death of the unborn! How could one want a man who said if his daughters make a mistake, ABORTION is available!

I URGE the graduates not to ATTEND their own commencement...that

So then, Catholic universities are not really Cath...

2009-03-27T09:02:00.000-04:00

So then, Catholic universities are not really Catholic at all. It's a charade that has been played on Catholics who have contributed substantial sums of money over the years to these universities, thinking they were supporting higher learning with Catholic higher morals.

This scam must end! It's an abuse of the holy names of Catholics' most revered holy personages, such as Our Lady.

The president was invited specifically by FATHER J...

2009-03-27T08:41:00.000-04:00

The president was invited specifically by FATHER Jenkins.

Most commencement speakers are either invited or approved by the college presidents who are typically Catholic PRIESTS who have a vow of obedience to the pope and the Magisterium.

There is also a canonical role for the local bishop. Your article is a nice history lesson but not relevant. All the local bishop needs to

THIS ARTICLE IS AS SINUOUS AS A WEASEL CLIMBING A ...

2009-03-26T21:38:00.000-04:00

THIS ARTICLE IS AS SINUOUS AS A WEASEL CLIMBING A FLAG POLE. WHAT IE COMPLETELY OVERLOOKS IS THE CANONICAL ROLE OF THE BISHOP REGARDING A CATHOLC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING.

THE BISHOPS BOTH COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY FORSOOK THEIR CANONICAL AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBIILTY REGARDING SUCH INSTITUIONS. THEY CONTINUED TO PUBLICLY ESTEEM THEM AS BONA FIDE CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS WHILE

Good to see this informed comment to the invitatio...

2009-03-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

Good to see this informed comment to the invitation NOT the moral issue. Here I've learnt that the Catholic church has no jurisdiction to over-rule the decision.
'Prolifers' have the right to protest (and not just Catholic)- go ahead.PL's protest a President who is not the first President or controversial figure to speak at Notre Dame.
PL's have given themselves the insult and now

Good point and good article.I would not downplay t...

2009-03-26T18:11:00.000-04:00

Good point and good article.

I would not downplay the role of religious themselves in the development of what some universities have become, however. At USF for instance, which you mentioned, there are 13 members of the Society of Jesus on the board. Being the most informed members of the board and receiving deference as Jesuits, they do effectively control the University. The Jesuit