Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Cardinal's criticism of Notre Dame unfortunate

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Cardinal's criticism of Notre Dame unfortunate
Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times
April 6, 2009
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1512563,CST-EDT-edit06a.article


Cardinal Francis George delivered harsh words the other day in the ongoing debate over the University of Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to give a commencement address in May.
The cardinal called the university's decision an "extreme embarrassment" to Catholics and said, "Whatever else is clear, it is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation."

Cardinal George's words were unfortunate, both for their insulting assessment of the premiere Catholic university in the country and for their implication as to how he hopes to engage dissent in the wider debate over abortion.

We suspect the cardinal would not have used such blunt language had he been speaking to a more general audience, rather than to a pro-life group. But in an age when a tiny video camera can fit in a child's hand, he must understand that anything he says before any audience might well wind up on the Web -- to be read or heard by the world -- before he finishes his speech.

Make no mistake, we fully appreciate that the cardinal has every right -- and often an obligation -- to voice his opinion in the strongest possible language. And his remarks were no doubt a salve to pro-life groups who often feel religious leaders do not speak out with enough force and passion to fight for life.

But we wonder how persuasive his words were to anyone not already firmly in agreement. His tone stands in contrast to the consistent tone of our president, who for example went out of his way to invite pro-life pastors to his inauguration, in the face of criticism from his supporters.

The cardinal's words also offended many of the students, graduates and professors at Notre Dame, who believe that they and their university understand perfectly well what it means to be Catholic.

Notre Dame students still live in same-sex dorms. Each dorm has its own chapel. And many attend mass with great regularity. In an American culture that often mocks people who are serious about their faith, Notre Dame can be a refuge for devout young Catholics.

What's more, Notre Dame's invitation to Obama is hardly a seal of approval for every policy stance of the president, despite what critics claim. The invitation is an appropriate and even patriotic seal of approval for the office of the presidency -- and for the belief that we must talk and work with each other even when we profoundly disagree.

Notre Dame and Obama share a deep commitment to social justice. Notre Dame students are well-known for their dedication to idealistic causes and public service in college and after graduation.

Notre Dame and Obama also share a commitment to academic excellence -- an excellence that requires respectful yet vibrant intellectual debate, not disengagement.

Far beyond the shadow cast by Notre Dame's famous golden dome, more than half of all Catholics voters across the country -- who believe that they, too, know perfectly well what it means to be Catholic -- cast their ballots for Obama for president. For those millions of Obama Catholics, clearly, the abortion issue is not the sole litmus test of political acceptability. This is unsurprising, given that 40 percent of Catholics view abortion as morally acceptable, according to the latest Gallup poll.

The Catholic Church in Chicago is pro-life. That is church doctrine. But the church is also so much more -- a champion for the poor, for the oppressed, for love and for peace.

When the church reduces Catholic identity to unwavering allegiance to a single matter -- opposition to abortion -- it paradoxically erodes support for the pro-life cause while trivializing all the other excellent work of the church in Chicago and around the world.