Notre Dame’s 2009 Commencement

Anybody who watched the Notre Dame graduation on Sunday (May 17th) had to come away with the impression that President Obama was the winner. He is good- really good. He is smooth, charismatic and was a man among boys when he gave his Commencement speech. He relinquished nothing- he didn’t have to-and received thunderous applause when he in essence said that he had his pro-abortion position and the pro-life people had their position and let’s just get together and discuss it. It is as if the killing of the unborn is the moral equivalent of trying to save their lives.
On the supposed other side was Father Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, who was beside himself fawning over the President. When it comes to the pro-life issue, Father Jenkins is an empty cassock. He blithely and figuratively thumbed his nose at the pro-life people and agreed with Mr. Obama that discussion was the way to go- as if Notre Dame has gone anywhere and done anything to advance the pro-life cause. If you have not done anything, it is easy to denigrate those in the trenches who have been fighting the good fight to protect the unborn for the past 36+ years. “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people . . .” What have you done for the unborn Notre Dame? How many lives of preborn children did you save by honoring President Obama who not only favors abortion but also favors partial birth abortion. How many lives of the preborn did you endanger by giving validation to Mr. Obama and implying that pro-life people are all extremists and not to be listened to. Notre Dame, I ask again how many preborn lives did you save on Sunday?
John T. Noonan was worthless. To enumerate a list of “wrongs” and not include abortion among them just about says it all for Mr. Noonan. Although he did list the obligatory and politically correct “torture” as one of his wrongs and in return he did receive the expected applause. What a pathetic presentation.
There are those in the media who already classify Notre Dame not as a catholic university but as a secular university. Based on Notre Dame’s treatment of the pro-life movement and the pro-life people at the 2009 Commencement, it would appear those media people are correct. The president of Notre Dame is running the University as if it were a secular university. Pro-life people, in particular, need not apply.
I would be remiss if I did not say something about the ND Response people. These are primarily graduating seniors who are pro-life and who sacrificed their attendance at their 2009 graduation because they value principle over expediency. To their credit, they organized an agenda of events that pro-life people could go to in good conscience. Hurray for them.
I attended the 11:15 A.M. ND Response planned Mass on the south quad of the University and I was pleased to see 2,000 or so students, families, old and young present to join together to give witness to the pro-life cause. Here were the true protestors. Here were the true pro-life people. Here was the true spirit of Notre Dame. Thank you students for caring enough for the pre born to do what you did. For the rest of your life you will carry with you the knowledge that by your actions you did more to advance the pro-life cause and the protection of the pre born than anyone else at Notre Dame. YOU are ND.