Once again: SHAME, shame on Notre Dame. There is simply no possibility anyone could give money to Emily’s List without intending to elect pro-abortion candidates to public office unless the contributor was not aware s/he HAD given money to Emily’s List. I am so angry and offended at Notre Dame’s actions and prevarications and deceits and games that I am about ready to pray a novena to the Blessed Mother to clean out that nest of ...

Unfortunately, Notre Dame University may be on the way to demolishing “touchdown Jesus” and replacing Him with a statue of Dr. Kevorkian, Nancy Pelosi, and the CEO of Emily’s list all holding hands and looking wide eyed at their leader, Mr. Obama???????

It’s all well and good to say that she didn’t know the gun was loaded. However, now that she has shot herself in the foot,and managed to wound the rest of the board of trustees in the process, shouldn’t she disarm? Ms Martino ought to publicly proclaim her horror that Emily’s list would dupe a good Catholic girl and take her money. She should publicly declare that she is, henceforth, not going to give money or any other kind of support to any organization that promotes the Culture of Death. She should then announce a generous contribution of time and money to her local Pregnancy Help Center and a donation to the pro-life Susan B. Anthony’s List that at least matches her previous contribution to the death promoters at Emily’s List. The board of trustees should suspend her membership until she makes takes such positive public actions. It would really be great if the board began meeting regularly at the nearest Planned Parenthood abortuary to represent Notre Dame’s commitment to Catholic teaching by praying the Rosary together. Meanwhile we should all pray for everyone immersed in the Culture of Death.

Thank you for this penetrating and damning examination of this lamentable episode. I can add information that makes it even worse.

You report that you asked the University how Father Jenkins could justify Ms. Martino’s contributions to Emily’s List on the ground that it was an organization that “perform[ed] other important services” in addition to promotion of pro-choice Democratic women candidates, and that in response the University offered Chairman Notebaert’s explanation that he and Father Jenkins didn’t mean to include Emily’s List in this description of the “several organizations” to which Ms. Martino contributed.  That is, while purporting to describe the organizations to which Ms. Martino contributed, they deliberately and silently omitted the most important one.

We are mercifully spared any purported justification for what you generously refer to as this “dissembling.” To know the precise question that was put to Fr. Jenkins is to appreciate even more fully just how impossible justification would be.

I have copies of a number of these questions to which the answer you quote was given. Several specifically focus upon Emily’s List. Thus, for example:

“I am dismayed to see that a long time, regular contributor to Emily’s List, an organization dedicated to electing candidates who support legalized abortion, has been appointed to the board of trustees.  The first sentence on Emily List’s website says “Welcome to EMILY’s List, a community of progressive Americans dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to every level of office.” 

And now we learn that to this and similar inquiries about Emily’s List Jenkins irrelevantly explained that Ms. Martino had contributed to some other organizations that had different purposes. My goodness! As one of the recipients wrote me, “Do they think we’re a bunch of morons?”

William H. Dempsey
President Sycamore Trust

Martino, Notebaert, Jenkins, Jenky & others of their ilk should be aware that they have been under the radar of us “unawares” out here for some time.  To plead ignorance of the true purpose of Emily’s List & expect us to believe them is ludicrous & speaks to ther total conceit & “better-than-thou” attitude.  We are aware, & we do see who they really are.  Fortunately, God will judge them.

Has Martino ever made a donation to a right to life group?

Well written!!  Let’s face it people ... Notre Dame should no longer be called or considered a Catholic University.  Maybe they should change their name to the Cafeteria Catholic University of Notre Dame (a crying shame).

Last April Fr. Jenjins showed poor judgment in giving comfort and support for our president who is the strongest promoter of abortion the office has ever seen. I object to the Land of Lakes Declaration of 1967, by which Catholic Universities including Notre Dame declared freedom from the restrictions caused by being “Catholic”. Notre Dame should be audited by the Holy See to determine if they qualify to be called Catholic. Roxanne Martino’s contributions to Emiily’s List and her ignorance that the List promotes abortion, makes me think she is not good trustee material. It seems that insufficient due dilligence was done to qualify Martino for the job by Fr. Jenkins, Richard Notebaert Bishop Daniel Jenky and other board members
changes22

It’s hard not to be very disappointed.
I expect leadership and exemplary integrity from the president of the University of Notre Dame.  Instead, we continue to see mixed signals, and a clear conflict between rhetoric and action.
Fr. Jenkins, after being made aware of Roxanne Martino’s regular financial support for Emily’s list, could have reacted with leadership and moral courage….in either direction.  He could have been embarrassed by not vetting her out because of the clear conflict between his words, “Notre Dame (is) unequivocally committed to the sanctity of human life and to its protection from conception to natural death” and Ms. Martino’s disposition to fund abortion-minded groups.  On the other hand, he could have defended the favored academic rationale, something like perhaps, that he finds it healthy, constructive and appropriate that a good person with contrary views provides a good balance on the board of trustees.
  No, it wasn’t to be.  Jenkins chooses to explain to us that Ms. Martino just didn’t know what she was doing….she made the same silly mistake of funding the abortion-focused group with thousands of dollars over and over again.  But she’s well qualified to make board member decisions.
  Leadership and integrity don’t appear to be very high on his list.

Are we really surprised that Notre Dame (and the majority of its alumni) continue to stick their heads in the sand and try to pretend they represent a truly CATHOLIC institution?  What more proof do we need of their lukewarmness? If alumni would immediately stop support of this mockery of the church,perhaps leaders of this institution would be thrown out and replaced with representatives who truly reflect the views of our church.

As a father of a 2011 Notre Dame graduate I take Fr Jenkins’ dissembling and obfuscation with sadness but not shock.  The ND board of trustees once again arrogantly flaunts the university’s and Church’s mission in favor of the common (as in base), left wing world of American academia.  I witnessed this arrogance first hand a week before President Obama spoke at the 2009 commencement.  A liberal friend I was with asked Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, about the Obama controversy and the alumni’s reaction.  He replied “to hell with them.”  Because they are the major financial benefactors, the Notre Dame alumni is about the only force that can wrest control back from this conceited, insular board.  And it starts with blocking the appointment of Roxanne Martino then, ultimately, the replacement of Father Jenkins.

I sent Father Jenkins an e-mail expressing my disgust over this matter and like Mr. McGurn I got the same “canned” e-mail response. I replied back. I asked Jenkins if he could explain to me how a promininent businesswoman who is well versed in the secular and businessworld could be so ignorant as to where her financial support particularly one as well known as Emily list go. I asked him for a response to my question and to date I have yet to see one. I am not surprised though.

The time has long past for these so called “Catholic” universities like ND, Georgetown, Boston College, DePaul, Marquette and so many others to stop calling themselves Catholic. Most of the bishops continue to be utterly useless in holding these schools feet to the fire. When our man child president went to ND two years ago only 90 something bishops out of over 200+ wrote to express their disdain. Where were the other 100+ bishops?

In the end there will be a lot of souls who will have to stand before Our Lord’s Throne to answer for their actions or lack thereof.

The inadequacy of the Board of Trustees notwithstanding, much good stuff happens at Notre Dame.  In September of 2009, The Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life was established to promote and fund pro-life activities at Notre Dame.  It is independently administered by a committee of five pro-life activists, a committee which is separate from departmental control, and is self perpetuating.  Donations to this Fund are spent only on a narrowly and clearly defined set of pro-life projects.  To find out about the activities supported by the Fund, and to see where donations can be safely directed in the promotion of a true Catholic Character for Notre Dame, please go to the fund website at http://www.ndfundforlife.com

Ms.Martino should make her own statement and clarify that she was not aware of the websiite’s statement.

Over 30 years, Father Paul Marx, the founder of Human Life International, publicly and in his writings reported this kind of problem in Catholic Universities.  Priests and Bishops laughed at him, knowing all the while that that it was true.  90% of all universities, including the Catholic ones, are liberal.  I might believe that Father Jenkins didn’t know about Emily’s list not Mrs. Martino or is it Ms. Martino.  When, when, when are we going to see a honest, faithful, Father Jenkins.  He seems to spend a lot of time “spinnin” his own beliefs.  Very sad that the Jesuits are continuing to get a bad name for themselves.

Well, it seems Notre Dame is no longer a “Catholic University.” Notre Dame will fall in the line with other former schools like - Georgetown, Marist or just fill in the blank.

Notre Dame is just a Football school like Ohio State, USC, Miami-Fla, Michigan or any others you can name. Stay Classy, Father Jenkins.

Michael Fleming’s comment reporting Hesburgh’s response to the Obama scandal is just sickening.

Perhaps Martino had her lists mixed up. Susan B Anthony List, Emily’s List - who can tell the difference right? Martino CAN READ can’t she? No one gives that much money without understanding what the organization does, and trying to tell people this was the case just makes them look like exactly what they are - caught in the act.

Beginning in the late 90s and extending into the early years of this millenium the play ‘The Vagina Monologues’ was performed annually on campus at Notre Dame for a week or so (more?) during the winter semester, usually sometimes in February or March.

I do not remember exactly what year it was but in that year it happened that the opening performance of the play fell on the 2nd most solemn day of the Catholic Calendar - Ash Wednesday. Some friends of mine And I made up small notes about 3"x5” protesting this and went to the Basilica for Mass. We put a number of these notes in each pew and then took our seats to say a Rosary. It didn’t take long before we were told - very politely - that we could NOT pass out the notes, and they were all given back to us.

We spoke to a few priests about it. Some acted sympathetic, some just brushed us off, but it was clear that NOTHING could be done - ‘Academic Freedom’ and all that.

The fiasco at graduation 2 years ago was just the latest outrage. This has been going on for years, and in my opinion Notre Dame should be called CINO - Catholic In Name Only.

If Ms Martino really has given to a broad spectrum of organizations that help woman, are any of them clearly pro-life?  If not, we all know that she is not really “fully supportive of Church teaching on the sanctity of human life.”  Her giving reflects her level of support.

This is the first time I have taken the time to respond to an article.  I have also read national catholic reporter.  My raction to both of these publications is the same.  Get a Life. The reporter is always bashing the conservatives and the register is always bashing the liberals.  Both papers poorly serve the Church.  Jesus would be digusted with both of you.
The presumption is that anyone who disagrees with you is wrong. We can learn from each other if we will listen, but that seems to be out of the question.

++++++++++++++ Begin Quotes +++++++++++++++++

Thursday April 23, 2009

Public Statement by The Bishop of South Bend, Bishop John D’Arcy.

The statement concludes:

“As I have said in a recent interview and which I have said to Father Jenkins, it would be one thing to bring the president here for a discussion on healthcare or immigration, and no person of goodwill could rightly oppose this. We have here, however, the granting of an honorary degree of law to someone whose activities both as president and previously, have been altogether supportive of laws against the dignity of the human person yet to be born…”

“I consider it now settled—that the USCCB document, “Catholics in Public Life,” does indeed apply in this matter. The failure to consult the local bishop who, whatever his unworthiness, is the teacher and lawgiver in the diocese, is a serious mistake. Proper consultation could have prevented an action, which has caused such painful division between Notre Dame and many bishops—and a large number of the faithful.”

“That division must be addressed through prayer and action, and I pledge to work with Father Jenkins and all at Notre Dame to heal the terrible breach, which has taken place between Notre Dame and the church. It cannot be allowed to continue. I ask all to pray that this healing will take place in a way that is substantial and true, and not illusory. Notre Dame and Father Jenkins must do their part if this healing is to take place. I will do my part.”

+++++++++++++++ end quotes ++++++++++++++++

Still holding your breath waiting for that “healing” to take place?  Who really thought the action would follow those words?

In “The Liturgical Year,” Dom Gueranger makes that point that without Ecclesiastical Discipline chaos abounds and when was the abandonment of Ecclesiastical Discipline formally and publicly abandoned? In Pope Blessed John XXIII’s Opening Speech to the Second Vatican Council.

So, really, one has to face facts that the Laity, effectively, has been abandoned by The Hierarchy and for the Laity to continually ask them to act with the expectation they will act is silly.

The Laity must act. The must stop supporting Notre Dame du Lac; stop sending their kids there; stop supporting their sports team, etc etc.

Sometimes, there is nothing more stunning than shunning.  Shun Notre Dame. Imagine if they hosted a football game and nobody paid to go inside but rather staged an enormous protest outside the Stadium and called a Presser to explain why they were protesting.

Notre Dame du Lac may not like Catholic Doctrine but it loves money. Hit ‘em where it will hurt - in their wallet

Let’s stop being surprised by all this, OK?  And let’s stop sending our kids to these universities.  Hit them where it hurts.

“This is the first time I have taken the time to respond to an article.”

Your time would have been better spent doing something else, since your “pox on both your houses” moral equivalency has added absolutely NOTHING of value to the discussion.

The joke is what did the presidents before Jenkins teach Jenkins and Rocco and Roxanne Martino? The institutional Catholic Church is dead—has been since prior to VCII. VCII is just the death writhings…

robert h verbek:

Truth can be painful, and I mean this poke-with-a-sharp-stick of Truth to be charitable to you.  It is a spiritual work of mercy to instruct the ignorant:

What is it God will do to the lukewarm? Isn’t it something about vomiting them out of his mouth.  In other words, they make Him sick to His stomach, they are the ones who “disgust” Him.  The lukewarm “poorly serve the church,” Mr. Verbek. 

You wrote, “We can learn from each other if we will listen, but that seems to be out of the question.”

If you wish to learn from people who cannot rouse themselves to stand up against the slaughter of innocents, or who are actively supporting that slaughter, not only are you lukewarm, but you are walking in the way of the wicked.

You are pushing the relativism that the Catholic Church has repeatedly condemned.  Some ideas are simply wrong.  Abortion is WRONG. Anyone who equivocates on that issue does not deserve a hearing.

I hope this is some food for thought…

Bishop Jenky refused to make any public statement at the time of Pres. Obama’s honoring.  I understand he told his permanent deacons that he did not like Notre Dame honoring Pres. Obama.  He is refusing to comment on this latest fiasco.  Sharing responsibility for Notre Dame decisions, refusing to publically comment on them, but privately wringing his hands, seems disingenous.

Bishop Jenky is defending indefensible activities in his own diocese, as well.  The Catholic healthcare system in Peoria, OSF, has an oral contraception accomodation, allowing employee physicians to prescribe oral contraceptives during regular working hours within OSF facilities.  The accomodation fabricates a “limited private practice” charade, by which it denies responsibility for the prescribing of contraceptives when the physician has separate insurance for this offensive practice and has informed the patient that OSF is not involved.

Please pray for Bishop Jenky.

Is Fr Jenkins an anti-Catholic plant determined to ruin the University of the Blessed Mother? I could be forgiven for thinking such a thing - his judgment is responsible for that many scandals its beyond fiction. Somebody do something!

These correct criticisms should be filed against, say Boston College and Georgetown University as well… others too?

This is considerably worse than the Obama invite: Unlike Obama, Martino is being asked to help run the university, and make key policy decisions to that end.

Notre Dame has not been Catholic for at least the last 50 years.  Its former long-time president, Theodor Hesburg, belonged to many globalist organizations devoted to ending nation states and establishing a one world, one new age Luciferian relgion, death and slavery system for all.

Notre Dame gives Our Lady and the Roman Catholic Church a bad name and they ought immediately to change their name and remove any claims to being a Catholic institution.  All the clerics associated with this university ought to be defrocked.

Unfortunately, federal funding (and even student loans) comes with strings from the federal gov’t and I think we all realize that our gov’t has been pro-death since Roe vs Wade.  The only Catholic college that has been able to maintain its Catholicosity (that I know of) is Christendom in Ft Royal, VA and that college is struggling financially.  That being said, I wonder why a college as large and well endowed by alumni as Notre Dame would require federal funding as well?  Perhaps someone should audit their books to find out what exactly is costing them so much that they have to sell their collective souls (and those of their students) for this funding?

Please forward this article to those who love life and love ND. The “powers to be” have been consistently making choices in promoting, encouraging and supporting a culture of death and lies. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1).

When will the family of Holy Cross “truly” defend life and the faith?
Today is the 19th anniversary of Father Patrick Peyton’s death. He is the Holy Cross priest from Ireland who was ordainded from the Seminary at Notre Dame, and coined the phrase “the family that prays together stays together.”  What would he, Fr Basil Moreau, Fr Sorin, and Blessed Andre Bessette say to their brother, Fr Jenkins and about “good old Notre Dame” these days?
Keeping the faith,
Geraldine McSorley

EMILY..smemilee!!!
Pro choice, abortion, rights, sex on and on.
I like Fr. Charles Curran take on the whole issue, really, who really knows when life begins? The blastocyte certainly is a life in potency, potentially a zygote, embryo, fetus…new born. I think life begins with a heartbeat and ends when there is no heartbeat. Pretty basic.
With all actions there are circumstances, although there are some absolutes, but the term “intrinsically evil” is so non cogent, invalid without remainder.

Life begins at Conception, so teaches the Church established by Jesus and upon which He sent the Holy Ghost to teach it all truth; and the Church He established is the pillar and ground of truth.

I like Fr. Charles Curran take on the whole issue, really, who really knows when life begins? The blastocyte certainly is a life in potency, potentially a zygote, embryo, fetus…new born. I think life begins with a heartbeat and ends when there is no heartbeat. Pretty basic.

Unfortunately, neither your philosophy nor Curran’s are based in biology.  Your attempted distinctions are, sadly, purely arbitrary cut-off points. A blastocyst is consuming energy, growing, organizing, etc.  It is a stage of development.  To argue that it is a “potential” life is to import a pre-determined definition of life into the discussion which stands outside of the reality of biological development.  A life not viable outside of the womb—well, certainly.  Developing life?  Absolutely.  Potential—no. 

On the other hand, if you agree that what happened to Terri Schiavo was a homicide, then I will tip my hat to you for intellectual consistency.

They can’t hear you. They WON’T hear you. The Obama fiasco should have been enough to convince us all.
Pancho

Glen Lillquist writes: “I think life begins with a heartbeat and ends when there is no heartbeat. Pretty basic.” Why do you believe that?
“...Although there are some absolutes…” And what ARE they? Why are they absolute? “...But the term ‘intrinsically evil’ is so non cogent, invalid without remainder.” That sounds like a rather “absolute” statement to me. And it’s “invalid” without the “remainder”—of what?

I know Father Jenkins and Mr.Notebaert to be men of good character and I do not believe they would try to deceive anyone. Sometimes even men of good character can be mistaken. That being said, since it is true that from the moment of Conception, nothing is added to the DNA of that Human Individual that has been brought into being, every Human Person, from the moment of their creation, is wholly Human, and thus endowed by their Creator with the fundamental Right to Life as provided for in our Constitution.

I am not surprised at all.  No pro-lifer could have justified defying the Bishops’ teachings.  No pro-lifer could have honored President Barrack Obama.  People, Wake up and smell what they are serving.  That smell is the “smoke of satan in the church”.  Do not be led astray by the wolves in the flock…....Come HOLY SPIRIT come.

I don’t think any Catholics who support the papacy, the catechism, canon law and Holy Tradition should donate any $$ to Notre Dame. They are catholic in name only. Boo - Notre Dame !

Sadly, Notre Dame has proven time and again that it isn’t a Catholic University. It is a formerly Catholic University dedicated to the destruction of the faith of children and undermining the authority of the Magisterium. A Requiem Mass should be said for Notre Dame.

Many thanks to Mr. McGurn who continues to speak the truth to his own alma mater—an institution that has truly lost its way.  Throughout this past year, Notre Dame’s truly independent student newspaper, The Irish Rover, has published a number of stories exposing the anti-Catholic activities, affiliations, and questionable financial dealings of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees.  It should be remembered that the Notre Dame Fellows (six CSC priests including Fr. Jenkins and Bishop Jenky and six lay persons)are THE ones responsible for electing trustees to its board, determining the powers of the board, and keeping the “essential character” of a Catholic university.  The intended purpose of having six CSC priests was to be able to “block” any board vote antithetical to Catholic teaching.  That this Board of Fellows has failed in this regard is apparent.  The underlying reason remains speculative and raises the question as to what kind of pressure would compel at least 2 priest-fellows to allow the kinds of decisions which, in the raw, amount to utter blasphemy against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  This Board of Fellows and Board of Trustees at Notre Dame (I believe the phrase “brood of vipers” comes to mind) will not stand for long.  Even now at Notre Dame, there are many good and faithfulf priests as well as many priests of the John Paul II generation in formation.  A school under the care and protection of our Blessed Mother will not err for too much longer.  Count on it, and in the meantime, continue to pray for Notre Dame.

Shame on Fr Jenkins, shame on Bishop Jenky and on all the apologists for Notre Dame’s corruption of the faith.

Ah yes, by all means let’s rearrange the deck chairs now that the iceberg
has been struck.  Colleges, catholic or otherwise, are all about money, not
values, traditions, etc.  How much money did the lady donate to N.D.?  This
will reveal the true answer as to why she was selected and why the powers that
be are unwilling to excommunicate her from the board.  Even a protestant such
as myself can see that.

Sad to say that for all practical purposes the Democrat party “owns” and has owned the Catholic Church in America. The mark of courage is to speak the truth to power ... instead we get silence or dissembling in the face of evil ... it is a scandal. Speaking from personal experience and having attended Mass for the last 35 years I have only heard a sermon that mentioned abortion as an evil (and this only in passing) once. Who would of thought the day would come that one would have to say in all truth that even the Mormons have done more to defend marriage and family than the institutional Church. See http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/22/opinion/main6323651.shtml  for a cogent summary of the real problem. If the Catholic church was REALLY opposed to abortion it would have ended decades ago.

I’ll never send my kids to colleges like ND or slu - its like turing them over to PP as far as I’m concerned.

@veritas: are you aware that there is a crucial difference btwn the Church as the institution founded by Christ, and individual members of the Church? I think you meant to say that if all Catholics were serious about living out their faith and informed themselves about Church teaching—or perhaps simply tried to learn what the Church actually teaches, and by what authority—abortion would have lost its protected status in federal law by now.
2) you are ABSOLUTELY wrong that the “institutional” Church has done little to defend life or marriage. I forgive you only on the presumption that you are truly ignorant on this; if you are not ignorant you are a liar, and I lack the ability to cleanse you of the slander you have perpetrated. If you are really a Catholic, if I were you, I would quickly make an appointment for private confession with a really gifted pastor, confessor, and teacher.
3)I recommend you look outside your current parish for this; if I had not heard a pro-life homily at least thrice each year for even a one-year span, I would seek a parish with a better priest. 4) I recommend not sourcing Catholic teaching via CBS news. Sincerely, Mary P. Cracraft, former communications coordinator for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life and former reporter and editor for the Minnesota Daily.

I can see how easy it is for Notre Dame to do this. We, as Catholics and Christians have been playing a big game since the 60’s in just about every area of morality! In the barrios and ghettos this game is very well known. It’s called “Schuck and Jive, Man”.  It’s been played by us all and we know it!!! Maybe this would be a good place to have some R& R (Repent and Return)! That includes all the Bishops who have bankrupted the church in the Molestation Catastrophe and failed to take a strong stand on just about every issue of decency and morality known to man. I am finally waking up to what my Father tried to teach me as he watched Bishop Sheen, prayed the rosary every night with us, and sacrificed and worked to send us all (7 brothers) to Catholic Schools to the University level. My Grandmother gave me a book of the Psalms in 1950 when I was 15 and I am still using it!! We are all pictured in Psalm 78 - the more we try to get along with this world the worse we become. Don’t blame Notre Dame…we have to look deeply into our own souls and return to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Pope, Bishop, Pastor or lay person. NONE ARE EXEMPT!! Without Him and the Holy Spirit we are all lost. Pray for each other DAILY. Peace to all!

I wonder if they bothered to read her resume before electing her to the board?  They forgot to do that before hiring Coach O’Leary.

the pharisees are selling out morality for the almighty dollar. no doubt martino is a big ND contributor.

Make it simple: put out a “bulletin” stating that Notre Dame is no longer a Catholic Institution.

When Obama came to ND to deliver his commencement address, anti - abortion groups protested his visit because of his abortion stand,  they did not denounce its system of legacy preferences in freshman admissions. Legacy preferences are contrary to Catholic teachings. 25 % of the freshman class at Notre Dame are legacy admits. That is somethng shameful. IF abortion groups are going to denounce abortion then they should denounce legacy preferences too. It is hypocrisy on their part not to do so. Catholic schools like Notre Dame that receive federal tax money from the government should not practice legacy preferences. Roxanne Martino’s case is just another panhanding incident from ND just like its legacy admissions practices. No tax money for ND for practicing legacy preferences. Abortion is is a form of human sacrifice and so are legacy preferences.

A legacy preference that seeks to admit qualified students who respect the mission of the Catholic University is a good thing. Those who do not support the Catholic mission of Catholic Schools have created the problem which began when Catholic Schools no longer insisted that those involved in Catholic Education respect the Catholic mission.

Ummm, Mr. Cruz, did your application get rejected by Notre Dame?  How else can you rationally equate legacy admissions with the university’s efforts to subvert Church teachings on abortion in order to promote the progressive/socialist agenda of the left. One is a matter of personal opinion the other is a fundamental part of our Christianity and Catholicism.  Personally I feel that ND’s legacy students are part of the enduring strength of Notre Dame.

@ Mike Fleming

Don’t worry Mike , my family and relatives go to public universities here in California, I myself at one point in my life I went to the University of the Philippines- Diliman, and we aresatisfied with the education we get from the public U’s over here in Cali. If Domers want to practice legacy preferences… well then, fine… but they should not ask for a single cent of tax money from the government be it for research or student loans. I am not envious of the school with the Touchdown Jesus, I am more envious of Berkeley, where over a 1000 of the freshman class scored over 760 in the Math portion of the SAT. At Harvard and Stanford there are only about 600 students in the freshman class who possess the same attribute and at Notre Dame, it is even certainly much less. It is certainly a matter of ethics and morals and a Catholic one at that for a school like ND to ask for money from the Feds when it practices alumni legacy preferences. I am much more interested in sending my nephews and nieces to Berkeley than to Notre Dame, and this is someone from a Catholic.

                  from the curacy of Carlo Borromeo
                     
                        Leo Cruz

I would like to echo some of what Dr. Muscarello said regarding the future of Notre Dame. There are plenty of us coming up through the ranks, as well as some of the younger priests, who disagree with the direction the University is headed. It may take time and it may take a lot of pain, but if you continue to pray for the University and for us seminarians who want to return her to her former glory, we can eventually turn things around.

Mary cracraft I am happy for you that you have had pastors who are willing to speak out against this core evil. I have not. Based on my personal experience I can say that what I have heard from the pulpit is lots of specific concern for gun control; for example sign up sheets in the back of the church to oppose guns, clearing the church after mass and placing pictures of the outdoors over the stations of the cross for environmental meetings etc. just before elections. This year there will be huge concern for the immigrants among us. Nothing wrong with that as a matter of fact; anything to distract from abortion and it’s 40 million victims. I challenge you. I challenge you; Google the roster of “Catholic” politicians Kennedy, Leahy, Kucinich, Drinan, Durbin, Pelosi, Casey (Jr.), Mitchell, Sebelius, Cuomo, etc. all of whom have made abortion a very public core plank on which they can not compromise and just see how how many of the hundreds upon hundreds of bishops have just as publicly corrected them. Maybe 3 bishops out of hundreds. Those 3 are hero’s. God bless you in your naivete and I would be careful for your soul before I call people liars. I forgive you and I will pray for you. It is long past time for the bishops en masse and in Mass to finally live up to their responsibilities and speak out clearly and unambiguously about this evil in every diocese across this hurting country BEFORE the election and put our priorities straight. To do otherwise is to sell out Christendom for a mess of pottage. Pray for them as well.

JMJ////If Fr Jenkins and Mr Notebaert really have any decency, and we have to wonder if they do based on what we have just witnessed, they will admit that they were wrong in the way that they handled the whole process starting with qualifying Mrs Martino; they will admit that it is highly unlikely that Mrs Martino did not know what EMILY’s (Early Money Is Like Yeast) List does, 100%; they will admit that Mrs Martino has never donated to any crisis pregnancy centers or any pro life organization—where is the glamour in that? and then will dedicate themselves to finding a true, pro life, Catholic for the position.  But they will not do that, because they are elitists who love mixing with the beautiful, successful ND grads.  And not a peep out of the cowards/politicians at USCCB.

THIS JUST IN:  http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/22201/  Mart.ino steps down.

Dear Veritas, in no way was I referring to you AT ALL when I said there were untruths being told. I font know how you got that idea but please un-get it immediately if not sooner!!! I was referring to some of the statements from those involved at Notre Dame—the administration and the woman proposed for the board herself. I don’t remember anything you said that I would argue isn’t true, i think I just wanted to say that I’ve been in and still am—deliberately—in a parish, the Cathedral if St Paul in the Twin Cities, MN, where pro-life is preached regularly. I was also encouraging anyone not in such a parish to seek and join one like that if you are currently stuck with a priest who doesnt wholeheartedly support the Magisterium and ALL Catholic teaching. I certainly join you wholeheartedly in annoying the pro-abortion politicians who refer to themselves as Catholic!!! SHAME!!!!! I’d like to hear public reprimands but I am not charged to be their shepherd and I pray they are being at least privately corrected. Yes of course I agree that if these people are voting to fund and continue abortion, then going up to receive the Eucharist, that is a total abomination, sacrilege, and objectively a mortal sin. It hurts me very much if a priest doesn’t stand up to such behavior. It hurts Jesus. I think we do , however, have to remember that it’s not always easy for the priest ministering the Eucharist, to know whether these individuals may not have repented or otherwise corrected the situation with another priest. I’m just saying it’s possible. Sadly I think some terrible scandal is given in some of these situations. They certainly attack the faith of people like you and me.

Dear Veritas: well, I have to eat my words. Or at least fess up. I did say that either you were ignorant, or lying, in your statement below:  “Who would of thought the day would come that one would have to say in all truth that even the Mormons have done more to defend marriage and family than the institutional Church. See http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/22/opinion/main6323651.shtml  for a cogent summary of the real problem. If the Catholic church was REALLY opposed to abortion it would have ended decades ago.” I apologize if I wrongly accused you of lying. I still say you are ABSOLUTELY wrong!!

Thank you God! :) We prayed Rosary and Perpetual Help Novena for this woman and asked God to prevent her from the board of Trustees of the already-struggling Catholic university! Thank God! We should not have any personnel who claim to be Catholic be supporting abortion-funding evils! Deo Gratias!

I must admit, this is progress. Time was when you could protest all you wanted about an important nominee to a Catholic Church post having flouted Catholic teaching—they would never have stepped down or been replaced. Things are changing, albeit slowly.

GOOD NEWS !!!!

“Earlier this week .. news broke that the University of Notre Dame had elected to their
board of trustees a woman by the name of Roxanne Martino who had contributed
thousands of dollars to the pro-abortion group EMILY’S list.
The Catholic internet exploded and Notre Dame was buried under an avalanche of
protests and demands from people calling out Notre Dame for its apparently hypocritical
claim to be pro-life.
University administrators offered lame excuses and apologia for their decision to bring
her on board. In the end .. none if mattered.
Notre Dame got exposed once again for either being massively and inexcusably ignorant
or of betraying the school’s Catholic identity. Most faithful Catholics believe the latter.
In the end .. Martino had to pull her name because Notre Dame simply could not continue
to swim upstream against the furor caused by the Catholic internet.
This is one very effective means of building up the Church in this day and age – by
exposing and tearing away the rot to make way for the building.”

http://www.realcatholictv.com/scripts/vort-2011-06-10.pdf

Pope John Paul gave the Bishops marching orders to stop this garbage and I pray that Bishop Dolan will force his fellow bishops to obey now. It is about time that these Bishops quit talking and start acting as men of God, not followers of the late pope Ted Kennedy.  Come Holy Spirit and touch these bishops as you touched the Apostles. Amen.  +JMJ+

Brilliant to read that Martino has been forced to stand down off the Board of ND.  We have to believe that in the end good will triumph and Satan (incl the Masons, pro-aborts, libertarians etc) will be defeated.  It looks like it is now all coming to a head.  Read the Book of the Apocalypse.It is all there. We are definitely in the last warnings.  But the good will have much to suffer, perhaps even martyrdom for our faith! 
But what glorious martyrdom!

Keep the Faith!

My goodness!! Are these posters of the Catholic faith!! The hate! The vitriol!! God help us! I am pro-life too, but I am also a progressive, believing in Catholic values of helping the “little guy” gain a living wage, health care!! These posters who berate our president who is just trying to do these things!! God help us!!

Mr. Hughes, how can you support a president whose economic programs have done nothing short of eviscerating “the little guy”?  It’s the lower wage earners who are disproportionately unemployed.  His income redistribution plan (you folks call it “Social Justice”) is patently unfair and inhibits firms from growing and hiring.  This is a president that is so pro-union that he supports card check and gives every opportunity to the NLRB get a stranglehold on working men and women.  He has fumbled opportunities to support and promote democracy in middle east countries and has turned his back on our key ally in the region, Israel.  His healthcare plan, if fully implemented, will cover only a small portion of the currently uninsured at a huge cost to the taxpayers and finally - this is a president who supports late-term and partial birth abortions.  This is not “hate and vitriol”.  It’s a sober assessment of the man, his policies and his beliefs.

JMJ////Mr Hughes, you did not have to tell us that you are a progressive, because your misuse of the words hate (and the now fashionable word for your purposes, vitriol) reveals that clearly.  There is very little or maybe even no hate in the above posts.  Whether we are Catholic or not hardly matters:  We are sick of seeing one of the greatest Catholic institutions resort to hypocrisy to justify adding a chic, cute, progressive, and most important, millionaire to the board which sets policy for the university.  If you are truly pro life, then you should understand that it does no good to a supposedly Catholic institution to have that kind of a person, stylish, glamorous, and filthy rich enough to donate to EMILY’s List, BUT NOT TO ANY PRO LIFE ORGANIZATIONS.  As to our president just trying to help the little guy, it almost doesn’t matter because we are getting rid of him, but if you are capable of any analysis at all of our presidents ‘help’ for the little guy, you will see that 1.  it comes at a great cost, both financial and moral, and 2.  it has an repulsive ulterior motive, control of individual Americans by his elitist thinking and his elitist friends.  Obama is blood drenched as a result of his pay back of the abortion industry, especially Planned Parenthood, or have you been asleep these last three or so years?

Dear Mary Cracraft so you still say that I am “ABSOLUTELY wrong!!” Tell me what was the result of your “Google poll” when you Googled even one of the the roster of “Catholic” politicians Kennedy, Leahy, Kucinich, Drinan, Durbin, Pelosi, Casey (Jr.), Mitchell, Sebelius, Cuomo, etc. all of whom have made abortion a very public core plank on which they can not compromise and just see how how many of the hundreds upon hundreds of bishops have just as publicly corrected them. Maybe 3 bishops out of hundreds. The “facts” of such a search are truly pathetic. After and ONLY after you do even one such search on ANY one of the above Catholic Democrat Politicians do you have the right to say that I am “ABSOLUTELY wrong!!” When you are as shocked by the result as I was then pray that at least a simple majority of US Bishops will start to do their duty and publicly speak out; hopefully before elections and not after the fact. They have stood by in silence; and as we know from St. Thomas Moore as he went to the chopping block, “Silence means Acquiesence.” A simple Google search will reveal the ugly statistical facts. All but a handful of Bishops have been standing by in silence while the remnants of Christendom in America are demolished. All of us need to remember that the maxim of the law is “Silence means Acquiesence.” I will say it again if the Institutional Church really really cared about the scourge of abortion it would have been stopped years ago.