An uneasy mix of religion and politics/Chicago Tribune Editorial: Cardinal, respect

An uneasy mix of religion and politics
By William M. Daley
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
April 3, 2009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-oped0403cardinalapr03,0,4013786.story


I did not attend the University of Notre Dame. But as a Catholic and co-chairman of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, I have a personal stake in the dispute over the propriety of the university's invitation to the president to be its commencement speaker.

Cardinal Francis George recently said this invitation is an embarrassment to Catholics because the president disagrees with church doctrine on abortion and stem-cell research. But I believe Cardinal George's stand is an embarrassment to Chicago Catholics and furthers the divide among the church, its members and the rest of America.

To follow his rule, students at Catholic universities would hear only from other Catholics—and, even then, only from those who agree with church doctrine on every subject. But the fact is that American Catholics are divided over the difficult moral issues of stem-cell research and abortion. It's important that students, and Catholics generally, be exposed to people with different ideas and ways of thinking. It is particularly important for them to hear from Obama, whom a majority of voters, including a majority of Catholic voters, have chosen to lead our country through difficult times.

To imply that the president should not be invited to speak at Notre Dame because he disagrees with the church on two specific issues promotes a very narrow view of what constitutes morality. As someone who has been fortunate to work closely with Obama, I consider him to be a person of strong moral character. He is a person of faith, a strong family man and has devoted his life to public service when he could have put his Harvard law degree to more selfish pursuits.

Beyond the specific case of the Notre Dame commencement, Cardinal George's position continues a worrisome pattern in which the Catholic hierarchy in America is mixing religion with politics. It has seemingly lost sight of the difference between a moral nation and a religious one.

Most of our Founding Fathers were Christians, but they had the wisdom to foresee a nation in which people of many religions would live together. So they embedded in our Constitution the separation of church and state. For more than 220 years, that bedrock principle of our democracy has endured—even as political and religious leaders have tampered with the boundaries in an endless tug of war over where that line should be drawn.

Those of us who were raised in the Catholic tradition believe our actions—in our personal, professional and public lives—should meet a certain moral standard. We also know that we are human and not always able to achieve that goal. But no matter how strongly we cherish our faith and values, we have to remember that we are not alone in this world.

That idea is what distinguished the fledgling United States from the many countries with state religions. It still distinguishes us from much of the world. No matter how certain we are that our church is the one true path to salvation, we can never cross the line and believe that it is our God-given right and duty to force our beliefs on others. Otherwise, we are no different than the forces of religious fanaticism and terror that we are fighting today.

As a Catholic, I believe there is a common morality embraced by people of goodwill across all the world's religions. I believe that this common morality is our only hope for solving the problems our children and grandchildren will confront in the years to come. This requires that Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and atheists sit down together and explore their common interests, concerns and dreams for the future. It means we must be willing to listen to others, even if their religious views differ from ours or lead them to different conclusions about what is moral.

I am confident that the values of compassion, tolerance and forgiveness, which we acquire from our church and great universities like Notre Dame, can help us strengthen our religious faith and love of country. But we must recognize that those who differ with our beliefs can still be good and moral people. That's the essence of our democracy, and there's no embarrassment in that.

William M. Daley is the Midwest chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co.






Chicago Tribune Editorial: Cardinal, respect
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
April 3, 2009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0403edit2apr03,0,585182.story


The Archdiocese of Chicago is a grand piece of the fabric of this community, one of its leading institutions. It educates our children, it cares for our poor. It provides a rich source of faith.

This page doesn't presume to tell a church how to practice its faith. We don't presume to tell Cardinal Francis George how to lead his archdiocese.

We do think he is deeply out of line with comments that are a rude repudiation of President Barack Obama.

George said the University of Notre Dame has invited "embarrassment" for Catholics by inviting the president to speak at its May 17 commencement. "Whatever else is clear, it's clear Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation," George said.

Cardinal, where are you going with this? Is it a foundation of Catholicism to refuse to honor a president who doesn't agree with all of the beliefs of the church?

Obama supports abortion rights. One of his first acts as president was to broaden federal rules for public funding of embryonic stem-cell research. We understand that this has angered many people who oppose abortion and who believe that embryonic stem-cell research involves the destruction of nascent human life.

Notre Dame has invited the president to speak at commencement. It will give him an honorary degree. It has not endorsed his views on abortion or stem cells. It has invited him to engage, to inspire. To listen.

Cardinal George's comments reflect not simply an argument between the Catholic Church and the president, they reflect an argument within the church.

Obama won a majority of the Catholic vote in November. Joe Biden, who is Catholic, was honored to be Obama's running mate. Obama did not hide his views on abortion from his vice president or Catholic voters.

Cardinal, how many Catholics in the archdiocese do you think were moved to tears on Nov. 4 by the election of this man, their neighbor, their first African-American president? How many Catholics do you think want to hear debate on these issues, though the church says they are beyond debate?

Don Wycliff wrote about this controversy on our commentary page a few days ago. Wycliff is a former Tribune editor, a former administrator at Notre Dame, and a proud graduate of the university.

"Welcome to our world, President Obama," he wrote. "It's a world where we believe in living examined lives. Thanks for giving us one more occasion to engage in such examination and, yes, to demonstrate to the rest of the nation and the world that we do so vigorously and, in the end, I hope, with deep and genuine mutual respect.

"Let me put my cards on the table right up front: I'm glad Notre Dame's president, Rev. John Jenkins, invited Obama to Notre Dame, glad that he accepted and hopeful that both will stick to their resolve," Wycliff wrote. "Notre Dame is the sort of place where a thoughtful U.S. president with serious moral commitments to things like national service, health care for all and a sense of the common good, ought to speak."

Wycliff spoke of mutual respect. Cardinal George spoke of embarrassment. We dare say that many Chicago Catholics will find more affinity with Wycliff's words.

We write this with respect for Catholics and non-Catholics whose views about these issues go right to the core of their spiritual beliefs. We think those who oppose Obama's views on abortion and stem-cell research should be heard loudly and clearly. We encourage their protest. They should be heard with respect.

As should the president of the United States, when he steps on the campus at Notre Dame on May 17. Many in the Notre Dame community will feel more than respect on that day. They will feel immense pride, whether or not that embarrasses Cardinal George up the road in Chicago.


I think the Cardinal needs an act of contrition: first the cathedral roof fell on him, then it caught fire. I believe God is sending him a message.

Carlos T Mock, MD
Chicago