I am still getting over the audacity of Father John Jenkins' invitation to President Obama to speak at a Notre Dame graduation. Father Jenkins introduction to the president was an embarrassment to any practicing Catholic. Given his gushing platitudes, it was quite obvious who Father Jenkins voted for in the presidential election and that was very sad to me.
The president kept talking about people being kinder and more considerate to each other's viewpoints in order to accomplish a common ground. I just don't see how you can find common ground between killing a baby or not killing a baby. It was particularly disgusting to see so many Catholics give this anti-life politician a standing ovation when his voting record in the senate showed that he didn't even have compassion for a baby that survived an abortion but voted to let the child die. Isn't the pro-choice agenda all about whether the child is viable outside the womb? If a child survives a lethal attack, isn't the child outside the womb and still breathing?
I'm ashamed to be a part of a California diocese because I didn't note a single bishop from our state coming out against the Notre Dame invitation. Their silence told us volumes. Whenever they plead for support for the DDF and Combined Spring Collection, I wish I could ask them to their face, "What will the money do for our salvation?" "Where were you when you could have stood up for what is right?"
You have to worry about the formation of our priests if they advocate silence on what was an important issue in the minds of many Catholics this past week. I think an elderly priest expressed it well when the police cuffed him and he cried out, "Why are you doing this to a Catholic priest?" Actually, it wasn't the police so much as the lukewarm clergy in power who wanted media coverage and didn't seem to care about insuring their salvation.
