President Obama’s invitation to speak at Notre Dame this spring is causing a number of Roman Catholic leaders to boycott the ceremony, including the Bishop of the local diocese. The problem is centered in the President’s support for keeping abortion legally available in the United States.
According to Daniel Burke, the Jesuits at Notre Dame, among others, are coming out in support:
“‘People need to recognize that Catholic universities have to be places where freedom of speech and discussion is recognized and valued. Not to allow a diversity of speakers on campus is to put Catholic universities into a ghetto,’ says Reese.
Meanwhile, National Catholic Reporter takes the gloves off, calling Patrick Reilly, whose Cardinal Newman Society incites a lot of commencement outrage, a ‘self-appointed ayatollah’ and ‘overseer of false orthodoxy.’
‘…as Cardinal Newman rolls over in his recently relocated grave, Reilly uses the cardinal’s good name to promote the idea of university as Catholic madrassa,’ says Joe Feuerherd, NCR’spublisher and editor-in-chief.”
Read the full article here.