WASHINGTON — For the U.S. bishops, the battle to overturn the Department of Health and Human Services contraception mandate is a religious-freedom fight — though partisan groups have sought to characterize it as a “war against women.”
Now, Georgetown University’s decision to invite HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to a prestigious graduation awards event suggests that the controversy has moved into a new phase, with an open attempt by the mandate’s supporters within a Catholic university to endorse the new federal rule over the objections of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Further, the ensuing controversy has revived all the issues that were hotly debated in the wake of the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama, a consistent supporter of abortion rights, as the speaker for its 2009 commencement exercise.
This week, protests immediately erupted following a May 4 announcement that Sebelius, who spearheaded the effort to secure the contraception mandate, would speak at an awards ceremony at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute.
Critics also expressed shock that Sebelius, a fervent abortion-rights supporter who headlined a 2011 NARAL Pro-Choice America fundraiser, would be given a forum at the oldest Catholic university in the United States. Some who protested the invitation have suggested that the action sought to directly challenge the U.S. bishops’ campaign to defend the free exercise of Catholic institutions by overturning the mandate through legal or legislative remedies.
Patrick Deneen, a Georgetown political science professor, has initiated a letter campaign that asks the university’s president, John DeGioia, to rescind the invitation to Sebelius.
The letter noted Sebelius’ role in securing the mandate and described the honor conferred on her by Georgetown as “a grave and serious mistake — indeed, a scandalous one.” It cited a 2004 document issued by the U.S. bishops that called on Catholic institutions to avoid providing any forums or honors for public figures who defy Catholic moral teaching.
The letter suggested that the decision to invite Sebelius could be viewed as an endorsement of her controversial policy: “In truth, it is difficult to believe that the according of this honor to Secretary Sebelius was motivated by anything other than a desire to send a message of endorsement.”
In an interview with the Register, Deneen confirmed that a small number of Georgetown faculty members had already signed the letter. He expresssed his hope that many more would sign the letter in the coming weeks, including the 60 professors who had protested a speech on campus delivered by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the chief architect of the GOP budget, because they believed that Ryan had violated Catholic social doctrine.
‘Still Catholic?’
In a May 6 post on the Mirror of Justice blog, Robert George, the Princeton scholar and Catholic public intellectual, offered more pointed comments regarding the political context for the invitation, asserting that “left-liberals” who dominate Georgetown's faculty sought to undermine the bishops’ credibility and "blunt the force of their witness as leaders of the Church.
“I get it. It’s a bold and clever move. Although I find its substance appalling, I can’t help but admire its shrewdness,” he wrote.
Jesuit Father James Schall, the noted political philosopher, author and longtime professor at Georgetown, echoed the letter’s concerns about the symbolic impact of the invitation.
Further, he argued that it was past time for the U.S. bishops to clarify the status of self-identified Catholic political figures like Sebelius and Catholic institutions that consistently depart from Catholic teaching.
The faithful, and the larger public, need authoritative guidance to answer two key questions raised by this invitation, Father Schall said: Is someone who opposes basic Catholic positions still Catholic? Are institutions that consistently honor such persons still Catholic?
For the present, Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., declined to issue a statement responding to the news. But the record shows that Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., had already publicly barred Sebelius from receiving Communion. Though Kansas is generally viewed as a pro-life state, Sebelius, as governor, backed late-term abortions and vetoed pro-life legislation.
Archbishop Naumman also published a March 2009 column that expressed dismay about Sebelius’ appointment as the HHS secretary and offered a prescient warning of her likely impact on the crafting of a new health bill and the religious freedom of Catholic health care.
Today, Doug Johnson, the chief lobbyist for the National Right to Life Committee, describes Sebelius as “one of the most extreme abortion advocates who has ever served in any president’s cabinet.”
“As the secretary for Health and Human Services, she has relentlessly expanded government support for abortion,” said Johnson in an interview.
Sandra Fluke
But Sebelius’ supporters at Georgetown see things differently.
Judy Feder, the former dean who is now a professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI), responded to a request for comment from the Cardinal Newman Society with an enthusiastic endorsement of Sebelius as a “great inspiration to our students.”
Feder is a Democrat whose commitment to abortion rights earned an endorsement from the National Organization of Women when she ran for a seat in Congress in 2008. Last month, Feder moderated a university forum that featured a “Conversation With Sandra Fluke” but offered no opposing viewpoint or even a clarification of university policy.
The news that Sebelius had been invited as a commencement speaker first surfaced on May 4, posted on the university blog. It immediately spurred a petition drive by the Cardinal Newman Society to rescind the invitation, an effort that has already garnered more than 13,000 signatures.
On May 7, Rachel Pugh, director of media relations for the university, responded to the Register’s request for clarification regarding Sebelius’ role at the 2012 awards ceremony for Georgetown’s Public Policy Institute.
In an email message, Pugh suggested that Sebelius’ appearance on campus was of no special significance: “The GPPI ceremony is one event during commencement weekend, but it is not a commencement ceremony.”
She noted that the university would host a total of “28 ceremonies to honor the achievements of our graduates and our faculty … 10 official commencement ceremonies to award degrees … and 18 other awards ceremonies.”
Pugh did not respond to requests for an interview with President DeGioia or with administrators of the Public Policy Institute to outline the reasons for extending an invitation to Sebelius.
‘Time to Decide’
In the wake of media reports about Sebelius’ appearance at Georgetown, critics recalled Notre Dame’s controversial decision to invite President Obama to speak at its 2009 commencement exercise.
Pugh may have sought to discourage that comparison, but Patrick Deneen shrugged off the university’s explanation, arguing that it didn’t matter what activity Sebelius would be headlining.
He called Pugh’s statement a “sophistical effort to deny the import of this invitation. If you look at the university’s website on its commencement activities (entitled ‘Commencement 2012 to Feature a Wide Range of Speakers’), you will see Secretary Sebelius listed among those who will be delivering addresses as part of the commencement exercises.”
Deneen stated: “It is of no moment whatsoever that it is not a ‘commencement’ address — it is an invitation to address the graduating class of one of the university’s schools, and, hence, it is extended as both an honor to the invitee and as a commendation of the speaker’s words and actions to Georgetown’s graduates.”
Deneen noted that he will be leaving Georgetown to teach at Notre Dame and thus was more able to freely address the issues raised by the university’s decision.
When he accepted the faculty position at Notre Dame, he issued an open letter that cited Georgetown’s weakened sense of religious identity as one reason for his departure.
In recent months, Georgetown has been in the crosshairs of “reproductive rights” activists led by Sandra Fluke.
In testimony before Democratic lawmakers and then at an April 16 public university forum, Fluke, a Georgetown Law student, backed the HHS mandate and called for the university to rescind its policy of barring contraceptive services from its health plan.
Last month, after Catholic and pro-life student groups at Georgetown repeatedly pressed him to defend the policy that barred contraception from the student health plan, DeGioia emailed a statement to the university community that confirmed his intention to maintain the policy and noted that the new HHS mandate had not become law.
In his email message, he made a belated attempt to address the confusion prompted by Fluke’s original public charges against Georgetown’s health policy, which she raised at a February meeting with Democratic lawmakers.
DeGioia confirmed that students who needed contraception for therapeutic purposes could receive a prescription. And he noted that law students could purchase a health plan offered by a third party that covered contraception services.
Yesterday, Colin Cortes, a Georgetown undergraduate who has served as an officer in the Republican Club on campus and is now the president of Hoyas for Troops, suggested that the university administration was sending conflicting signals, thus sowing additional confusion.
“As a Catholic student, I’m wondering why Georgetown would comply with the Church’s teaching on contraception, yet give such an honor to Secretary Sebelius, who is leading the charge against our First Amendment right to free exercise of religion and religious conscience,” Cortes said.
“It is time,” he said, “for Georgetown to decide whether it wants to be a Catholic institution and be an advocate for the Church, or if it wants to be a secular university and not be held accountable by Church teachings.”
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Time for Cardinal Dolan to step into this mess and force Georgetown as a Catholic University to rescind the invitation. We’re waiting.
I am grieved to see a fellow Knight of Malta failing to prevent or reverse this invitation to Kathleen Sebelius, an admitted enemy of the Church and its teachings. I would respectfully suggest to President DeGeoia that he consider resigning from Malta…you are either with us or against us.
Archbishop Wuerl our crosses are heavy enough without you riding on them. Could you just get off, stand on your own legs long enough to at least give the faithful enough respect with a comment towards stopping this. Thank you.
“you are either with us or against us”
I don’t recall these words ever spoken by Christ.
Only G-d can speak in absolutes.
Why are we suprised that a “Catholic” University invited not only a pro-abortion Catholic but one that also promotes abortion and contraception. Our supposed Catholic universities have long been liberals. And, now all of a sudden Bishops are trying to pull in the reins? How, funny!!! Father Paul Marx (God rest his soul) over 30 years ago warned the Bishops about supposed Catholic politicians and universities that promoted this horror “sexual liberty”. It’s like raising children. You can’t expect a child of say l3 years to start obeying you if in the past you have not taught them how to follow the rules. What a mess!!!
We need to pray like Lepanto.
Does anyone know what actual concrete actions can be taken against Georgetown by the Church? As I understand it, Georgetown is a Jesuit institution so is ostensibly “independent” of the local bishop, Cardinal Weurl. Unfortunately, from what I have read, many people simply don’t thing Cardinal Weurl has the guts to take any real action, or else may not see this as all that big of a deal. THIS IS A BIG DEAL! People, we are in a mortal struggle with the forces of secularist statism, and the oldest Catholic university in America is giving aid to the enemies of the Church! Oh, what a shameful scandal! The time for platitudes has passed; it is time for action.
Is it beyond all hope that the Holy Father would directly intervene if Cardinal Weurl fails to take direct and decisive action? I suppose it would be inappropriate for him to jump into a “local” issue like this, but it sure would send a message to all these so-called Catholic universities that love their “independence” and “academic freedom” (i.e., themselves) more than they love the Church. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he could personally back up a demand by Cardinal Weurl that that Georgetown withdraw the invitation and fully comply with Ex Corde Ecclesiae within 6 months or have it’s Catholic “charter” yanked?
I have no knowledge of Canon Law, but I do know that Matthew’s Gospel talks about treating offenders as “Gentiles” (Matthew 18: 15-17). One of the subtlest claims by Protestants to authenticity vis-a-vis the Catholic Church is that the “Church,” as they see things, is constituted of all believers without the need for a unitary, apostolic, world-wide (“catholic”) authoritative governing authority. It is to the so-called “rock” of the “belief” of these believers against which Jesus offers His promise of infallibility; not to any “pope” and his underlings—or so say Protestants. Therefore, whenever there is scandal in the Church—public actions against clear Church teaching that remains uncorrected, or corrected only in words and without actions to back up those words, thereby giving the lie to the words—then there is lent a veneer of credibility to the Protestants’ claim that the gates of Hell have prevailed and continue to prevail against the limp-wristed words of the so-called “authorities” of the Church who, however, never ever see fit actually to discipline offenders, such as Jesus orders to be done in Matthew Chapter 18. At least within any given Protestant denomination, there are certainly actions taken against offenders—expelling the pastor and getting a new one, for example. The failure of Church authorities to act in accordance with Matthew Chapter 18 gives credibility to the Protestants’ claim that the Church is a hollow facade without a legitimate claim to true authority. This invitation to Sebelius is scandalous, as was Notre Dame’s honoring of Obama. The scandal is in the failure of our so-called “shepherds” to keep the wolves out of the sheepfold. IF the Church’s Bishops were to begin to take action as suggested in Matthew 18, they would soon find that the “sheep” would, in turn, return the shepherds’ loyalty. Dear Bishops: How’s about a little loyalty to your own sheep, instead of inviting the wolves to prey upon the gullible such as the narcissists who run Georgetown and similar places? We are waiting! And have been doing so now for 45 years! Maybe now is the time—finally?
Dear Pesqueira, “He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.” Matthew 12:30
ND, Georgetown, DePaul, Marquette, and all these other so called Catholic universities and colleges need to stop pretending to be Catholic universities. They are not! The bishops and the Vatican need to finally put an end to their charade and lay down the law. Get in line, adhere to Church teachings and the authority of the Holy Father and the Bishops as or leave the Church and take your filth with you. Long past time to prune the dead and rotten branches from the Tree of Truth.
This should not come as a surprise to anyone….. Gtown gave up its Catholic Identity yrs ago when the admin funded “Gtown pro.choice” as an extracurricular activity at a time when a Jesuit priest, Fr. O’Donavan, was president.
Don’t expect the local ordinary to intervene over this invite. He may express his dismay and disappointment at this decision, but unfortunately, Jesuit governance is exempt from the authority of the local diocesan bishop. One has to get to the Provincial Superior(Maryland Province) and better still, to the General Superior(“The Black Pope”) in Rome. That said, Cardinal Weurl, if he so chose, could pick up the phone, call Rome, discuss the matter with the Superior General, and, I suspect, get the invitation withdrawn in no time. He may have already done so. We need to pray for him.
the time is now to start mobilizing for a protest at georgetown.
Again ... Jesus met with all types of people - the woman at the well, the rich man. He talked with them in a loving way. Georgetown is doing the same. Let her participate in the discussion, and let us hear what she has to say. We have nothing to fear.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his Templeton Prize Lecture, entitled “Godlessness: the First Step to the Gulag” (given in London on May 10, 1983) observed:
“The West has yet to experience a Communist invasion; religion here remains free. But the West’s own historical evolution has been such that today it too is experiencing a drying up of religious consciousness.
…This gradual sapping of strength from within is a threat to faith that is perhaps even more dangerous than any attempt to assault religion violently from without.”
Solzhenitsyn’s sober warning, that the gradual “drying up of religious consciousness” in the West… would lead to a “gradual sapping of strength from within” has now proven all too prophetic in light of the HHS Mandate that directly threatens both Conscience Rights and Religious Liberty.
We are now witnessing the full import of Solzhenitsyn’s words in light of the present threat that the HHS Mandate imposes within our Nation. Left unchecked, this is not an attack upon the Catholic Church alone, but upon the fundamental rights of every human being.
So what was Georgetown University thinking when it chose invite HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to its prestigious graduation awards event? Are they “tone deaf” to the firm position taken by the USCCB, or what? Clearly, the injustice to conscience rights that Ms. Sebelius and the Obama Administration pose are of little consequence to Georgetown.
Nonetheless, as Solzhenitsyn summarized: “Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.”
Time for Georgetown to wake up and grow a Catholic “spine” before its too late.
OUR BISHOPS ARE GENERALLY SPEAKING AFRAID OF THOSE THEY HAVE SUPPORTED FOR OVER 50 YEARS. WHEN THEY LOOK IN THE MIRROR DO THEY SEE OUR LORD, JESUS OR DO THEY SEE THE FACE OF SIN THAT PERMEATES OUR CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST, IN ALL THE HORRIBLE SCANDALS OF THE RECENT PAST? IT MAY BE THAT SECRETLY THEY APPROVE OF PEOPLE AND OPINIONS LIKE THOSE OF THIS INSTITUTION AND THAT WOMAN.
Apparently too many Bishops have conflicting political views to be effective Catholic leaders. Guess they should have instead become politicians.
Everyone PLEASE sign the petition to stop her from speaking and vote correctly in November. Voting Obama and his minions out is the one thing we CAN do.
The Holy Father needs to contact the Superior General, Rev. Pachon, and ask that HE correct the situation, or the Holy Father will do it for him. That is actually where the problem rests (the Jesuits, and Holy Father) and it would bolster Cardinal Wuerl and the U.S. bishops giving them the political capital they need to protect the church against the ongoing encroachment of our liberty. They don’t have the guts and they do have the wisdom to attack the Holy Father in an election year.
We need to see the bishops make a stand asap. Where is the testrone?
I believe the Jesuits of Georgetown university have lost sight of what a true Catholic is. They have become “Cafeteria Catholics” by inviting persons like Obama and Sebelius to speak at their institution. I think this is a scandal! They should take some classes from “Opus Dei” to re-learn what a real Catholic is.
I will blame this farce on Cardinal Wuerl (who should resign) and all of the other Bishops and Cardinals that refuse to be Men Of God. They have had over 50 years with the useless USCCB to do things right, and despite the Vatican, they keep their heads in the sand. Mr. DeGioia and all of those that are involved in this, should all be fired, and yesterday is too late. Of course, the USCCB is so afraid of losing government money, they won’t take a stand for God and His Church. I feel very sorry for wonderful priests such as Father Schall, as they have an uphill battle to get the Jesuits back into the Grace of God. How much longer before God says ENOUGH as HE WILL NOT BE MOCKED by anyone, including His Priests. Have mercy on us dear Jesus. +JMJ+
I would think that every Bishop in the US would take this as a teaching moment and issue a strong statement. But that is expecting a lot. After the initial flury of outrage when Sebilius/Obama first issued the “mandate”, how many Catholics have heard about the issue that remains unresolved. I suspect August 2013 will come and go and it will be business as usual.
I am from Manchester, NH diocese. Bishop Peter? Are you there?
Dear Pesqueira, I believe you when you say you don’t recall words spoken by Christ. Nevertheless, He did say “He that is not with me is against me ...” Mt:12:30 also Lk:11:23
Despite the best effort of many foolish people (from within and without), “The Gates of Hell will not prevail against the Catholic Church”. Be patient. Pray. And, God will right this situation one way or another. He always does.
Pesqueira: “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.” MT 12:30
I know that Cardinal Weurl has the authority to tell Georgetown University that they may not use the name “Catholic”.
Since the Jesuits are priests operating in his Washington DC Diocese, he may have the authority to throw the Jesuits out of his Diocese, or take away their right to teach Catholic Theology.
This same Cardinal who recently punished a Priest for not giving a former Catholic, who is now a gay practicng Buddist, Holy Communion.
This is the same Cardinal who refuses to enforce Canon 915 regarding politicians who call themselves Catholic and publically support abortion.
He needs to stop writing books and tend to his own Diocese in full accord with the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition”, Code of Canon Law, and be in union with the Pope.
I hope that the US Papal Nuncio and the Pope find out about all this. This mortal sin of SCANDAL and any participation in it - must stop in the USA.
“Priests who see insults offered to God and remain silent are called by Isaias, mute dogs”.( Dignity and Duties of the Priest or Selva by St. Alphonus De Liguori )
It has finally come. Now is the time please, please, please, please,please,please,please,please,please,please,please,please,please, Bishops fix this.
Cardinal Wuerl… its time to step up to the plate. This is getting embarrassing.
Make a comment, for goodness sake. Speak up for The Church and stop being cowardly.
There were good reasons why popes and councils of long ago issued stern anathemas and penalties to those who would dare defy Christ through His Church. If you give a heretic an inch, he will take the entire universe, and the wise popes knew it.
Pesqueira,
You obviously have not read the New Testament. There are countless of passages where Jesus speaks about hell and how He will judge. He also calls us to take up His cross and follow Him? He talks about us being ridiculed and be “persecuted in my name.” Persecuted for what? For standing up and defending His stance on ALL issues - even the unpopular ones (i.e. contraception)
So Deneen quit Georgetown because it wasn’t upholding Catholic teachings. So instead he goes to…Notre Dame, who did the exact same thing a few years ago when it invited Obama. Out of the frying pan, into the fire? Yeah, that makes sense. Maybe he should retire or teach at Lyceum in OH.
What is the war on women? In 2005 the World Health Organizaion reported contraceptives as a Class I Carcinogen.
Women have sought asylum in the United States to escape that which is called a “procedure” in the United States.
What is the war on women? Who is waging it?
JGak,
Georgetown has CLEARLY shown that THEY DO NOT speak for Jesus. They can meet with whomever they want. But not “in persona Cristi,” which is the claim you and they are making.
Mandating that free contraception must be provided for all promotes promiscuity and thus the sexual objectification of the human person. It is absurd to suggest that that which promotes the sexual objectification of the human person is good for our posterity or our prosperity.
“He who is not with me, is against me.”- Christ. (Matthew 12:30)
So when is not being in line with the magestrium going to have consequences such as closure? When is faith going to be put before money? I’ve got news, in case you haven’t heard, you can’t take money with you when you go.
It boils my blood that the secular media is proclaiming that “all” GU is doing is allowing both sides of an issue to be heard. The fact is that GU is not inviting KS to participate in a public policy debate with their students (which is a positive aim of higher education). They are bestowing an HONOR on her. She’ll get to present her views, but those with opposing views will not. Why do they not see the outrage of that? Sigh.
As I stated before, this all stems from two radically different conceptions of what a Catholic university should be - the Land O Lakes view versus the Ex Corde Ecclesiae view. One view comes from self-important academics who view “academic freedom” and “independence” as the paramount virtues of a Catholic university. This point of view actually sees dissent, rebellion, and challenge to the Church as an itegral and critical function of the Catholic university. They view themselves as virtuous agents for change; as the “independent” voice pushing and challenging the Church on every issue, which they believe in the end is for the good of the Church. The other point of view comes from Blessed John Paul II, and fully supported by our current Holy Father, who both the emphasize solemn duty and obligation of Catholic universities to promote the authentic truth of Catholicism through application of both faith and reason, in a world that is awash with moral relativism. The Judeo-Christian foundations of Western Civilization are in grave danger of being washed away. Catholic institutions of higher learning must serve such a critical role in stemming that tide. However, they cannot effectively serve that role if they refuse, out of pride and arrogance, follow the model laid out by our Holy Church. I side with the Blessed John Paul and Pope Benedict. Unfortunately, the leadership at many of our most prominent Catholic universities does not.
While I personally would have preferred that Georgetown had not extended this particular invitation due to the polarizing nature of this individual, I don’t think it’s the kind of disaster that’s being portrayed here and I don’t think it says anything whatsoever about Georgetown’s standing as a Catholic institution. Just a couple of weeks ago, the same Public Policy Institute at Georgetown hosted the conservative Republican Rep. Paul Ryan as a speaker, accompanied by protests from those on one end of the spectrum who essentially said how can a Catholic institution host someone who’s proposing to cut government programs for the poor? Now the same scenario plays out from the other end of the spectrum, with cries of how can a Catholic institution invite a speaker who is publicly pro-choice and pro-contraception? The answer frankly is that this is a university - more accurately, a graduate school of public policy - that ought to be able to invite speakers with different points of view and enable the kind of open and informed debate appropriate to a graduate school. And if the argument is that this somehow indicates that Georgetown as a Catholic university is not following the Church’s teachings on life issues, that simply isn’t true - the student health services at Georgetown adheres to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, including the directives on contraception and abortion, and to the best of my knowledge, the university in no other way opposes these teachings. I think a little less anger and a little more calm and prayerful discernment of the facts would be helpful.
Thank you for your kind replies. As I previously stated I didn’t recall that verse, Luke 11:23.
What I do object to is the use of that phrase to alienate anyone who does not think as you do.
How many of you supported the Iraq war contrary to the Bishops, or how many of you support the Church’s immigration stance? I am sure there exist many other examples.
Again only G-d can speak in absolutes. There are many Christians faiths that do not think as some Catholic do regarding contraceptives. Are you telling me they are against Christ? I think not. Are they to be scattered? Please, when Scripture is quoted in a narrow context it can easily be used to express a point it was never intended to support. I believe the above example makes my point.
As a Vatican ll Catholic I am a Catholic of conscience. I consider all points of view prior to forming my beliefs. Now there may be some who will say that in doing so I should leave the Church if my beliefs do not strictly conform, I disagree. One only has to read various Catholic publication to know that the Church has many dissenting view within the clergy and hierarchy itself. As a true believer in free will I must exercise my conscience as I see fit, no one but me is responsible for my own soul. I do judge others for their strongly held beliefs or their unquestioning support of current Catholic instruction.
I will leave you with a wish of peace, which is a connection with God, and the following uses of Jesus Christ’s Words. I find anyone’s else use of this Absolute phrase unfitting regardless of who they are.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, in a speech discussing the Chief Committee for Political Education, told the assembled delegates that “It is with absolute frankness that we speak of this struggle of the proletariat; each man must choose between joining our side or the other side. Any attempt to avoid taking sides in this issue must end in fiasco.”
Benito Mussolini declared in speeches across fascist Italy: “O con noi o contro di noi”—You’re either with us or against us.
Hillary Clinton said on September 13, 2001: “Every nation has to either be with us, or against us. Those who harbor terrorists, or who finance them, are going to pay a price.”
President George W. Bush, in an address to a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001 said, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”
I only align myself as my soul sees fit. My beliefs are mortal but my Faith is eternal and my Faith resides only in God’s Love, Mercy, and Justice. I will leave my beliefs for the Almighty’s to Judge. Who here can say what Absolute Truth is? Everything and everyone in this corporal world remains tainted and subject to corruption. History is my witness.
Throwing in with secular progressives on social issues concerning the poor means having to anticipate unwanted items being tossed into the shopping cart. There needs to be boundaries and examples set for persons like Sebelius and Obama regardless of any other merit they might be entitled to. The church cannot endorse subsidizing Ms. Fluke’s fornication habits by abetting her with abortifacients and contraception. The progressive sacrament of slaughtering the infants of the poor in the womb needs opposition with actions stronger than mere lip service. The prospect of the faithful having to supply tax money to provide spousal marriage benefits to gays and lesbians pretending to be “married” borders on criminality. All these things are so foreign to doctrine that the church would be warranted in rescinding the invitation as an example of better judgement.
Father Jenkins made it clear to President Obama in his address at Commencement that The Catholic Church respects the inherent Dignity of every human life from the moment that human individual is brought into being at conception, which is consistent with our Founding Father’s belief that it is a self-evident Truth that all men are created(brought into being, having not evoled) equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…our Right to Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness dependent upon securing our fundamental Right to Life, to begin with.
Georgetown University supports the erroneous claim made by The Obama Administration and HHS, that contraception, which is not Life-affirming or Life-sustaining, is Health Care, and that mandating that free contraception be made available to all, which promotes promiscuity and thus the sexual objectification of the human person, in direct conflict with Catholic Canon 750, is good for the posterity and prosperity of this Nation.
It is that difference that makes all the difference.
“Be Not Afraid.”
Is there a petition? Where do I go to sign it online?
This kind of nonsense needs to stop. And when sincerely devout Catholics who adhere to the teachings of the church fail to speak up, we fail our God, each other, and ourselves.
Vote well in November.
While I like my brother deacon, Ed Peitler’s comment, I don’t think it’s as simple as he would like to have the resolution of this serious situation. Georgetown is not in the canonical province of which Cardinal Dolan is the Metropolitan. I do agree that the invitation is an occasion of scandal and should be rescinded. As well, the university should offer a public (and meaningful) apology to the U.S. bishops, the entire Catholic community in the U.S., and to the entire Pro-Life community in this country.
I invite other readers to my post of May 8th at 6:09 p.m. My lengthy posting perhaps obscured a point that I do not see other readers addressing: namely, that the claim to legitimacy by the Church is at stake when a scandal like this is allowed to fester without disciplinary action being taken. Because if the “gates of Hell” have prevailed, over and over again, in the repeated scandals of the last 45+ years—in which only ineffectual, milk toast words are mouthed but not backed up with real disciplinary measures, including public excommunications and firings—then it is arguable, at least from the Protestant point of view, that the Church Herself cannot be who She says she is—that is, the ONE Church instituted by Christ Himself. Why? Well, because THAT church doesn’t look like the gates of Hell have prevailed, over and over and over. It is indeed a scandal—to Catholics and non-Catholics alike—because in multiple, repeated scandals, the Church allows the wolves into the sheepfold. The “real” church wouldn’t allow such a thing, you see? Tell me again, why is it that we have a Church with authority if no one is willing to exercise it?? Hmm??
Deacon Ray Dever,
In case you’re not aware, the Social Teaching of the Church contains 2 pillars: the principle of subsidiarity and the principle of solidarity. The best way to carry out the “preferrential option for the poor” is through these means. If you’re not familiar with these principles, please look them up in the CCC. It’s right there in black and white. As Paul Ryan said, “The preferential option for the poor does not mean a preferential option for the government.” There is room for disagreement in how BEST to carry this out. But with abortion, there is no room for disagreement because abortion is ALWAYS wrong!!! It’s an intrinsic evil. This is a non-negotiable issue. Whether one thinks it’s best to help the poor through more church involvement or through more government involvement is reserved for “prudential judegment.” But there is room for disagreement. In terms of morality, these 2 issues - how best to help the poor and abortion - are NOT EVEN CLOSE in terms of moral weight. One is always wrong (abortion) and the other can have some room for negotiation. So, the reason WHY this is a disaster is because one person, Sebelius, represents a position that is ALWAYS wrong and against the Church teaching, while Paul Ryan’s proposal is not necessarily a violation of Church teaching. If anything, his proposal is probably more in line with the 2 principles of social teaching. The liberals just don’t like it. But it’s not immoral. Abortion is immoral and a Catholic Institution cannot be honoring someone who is blatantly speaking for murder of the innocent who - by the way - are the “poorest of the poor.”
Pesqueira,
There are moral absolutes. And Jesus, who is God, gave authority to HIs Church to speak on these matters. And on’es conscience needs to be formed according the moral absoltes as revealed by the Church. Not all Christian denominations are the same. The issue of contraception is one of the biggest issues of contention between the different denominations. And one that matter, they are wrong and the Catholic Church is RIGHT! Why? Because Jesus says so! And His Church carries this mission out. If you’re trying to compare historical figures and their exercise of absolutes to Jesus’ Church, then you truly have NOT understood Jesus and His message. For starters the majority of the people you quoted were atheists or against the Catholic Church and God. Did Jesus say, “I am the Messiah,” or did He say, “I might be the Messiah. But I’ll let you be the judge.” Jesus spoke in absolutes - and He was right. And His Church speaks in absolutes becasue He gave it the authority to do so.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. appears to be approving this debacle with his silence….
Deacon Ray:
This invitation had nothing to do with an honest desire to “engage different points of view” or have “open and honest debate.” The invitation was entirely symbolic. It was specifically intended as a declaration opposition to the US Bishops. It was made for the purpose of to delaring: We at the Georgetown PPI reject reject the US bishops’ position on religious freedom and the HHS mandate. Moreover, our opposition to the Bishops is so strong that we feel it is appropriate to publicly humiliate them by inviting the very architect of the HHS mandate, who also happens to be one of the most strident abortion advocates in the country, to address our graduates. That’s why this is a scandal and is, in fact, the “disaster that’s being portrayed here.”
WHERE ARE THE SHEPHERDS? WHERE ARE THOSE WHO SPEAK IN THE NAME OF JESUS? W
WHERE IS THE CHURCH? NOT IN THE UNIVERSITIES WHOSE POLITICALLY CORRECT
CONCERNS CONFLICT WITH THE SHEEP WHO HAVE NO VOICE.
Posted by Pesqueira on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 12:29 PM (EST):
“Thank you for your kind replies. As I previously stated I didn’t recall that verse, Luke 11:23.”
and
“Who here can say what Absolute Truth is?” So, now it looks like you are channeling Pilate. John 18:38 This was well articulated in Holy Week services.
Try reading the Holy Bible if you want to use it as a source for your arguements.
I want to love the sinner, but hate the sin. I also want to be able to love those who disagree with me, but it is becoming so hard for everytime I see Sebelius’s face, I see the face of evil. It is becoming so hard, but I am still praying for her. Lord, please help me and all those who are standing up for You.
Over ten thousand Catholics have spoken via petition. Not a word from Cardinal Wuerl or Dolan, and yet, Cardinal Wuerl has been appointed to the CDF! Ironically, it is Terry Randall, a non-Catholic who seems to speaking for us, not our “Shepherds”. He says the following:
“WE ARE COMING TO GEORGETOWN.THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. THE CORRECT RESPONSE IS RAGE. PEOPLE SAW WHAT WE DID AT NOTRE DAME; WE ARE COMING TO GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY…AND PERHAPS WE WILL NOT BE SO MODERATE.”
IT IS TIME FOR THE LAITY TO RISE UP AND FIX THIS PROBLEM.
Contact: Juan Lepanto, 304-289-3700
Members of The Society for Truth and Justice, led by Randall Terry, are coming to protest the Georgetown Commencement Exercises.
Expect arrests.
Catholics are coming, too.
“Who can say what absolute truth is?”
“He Is Risen.”
We no longer have to wander in the desert in search of The Living God. We now have a place to rest our weary heads, for Christ, The Truth of Love, Has Revealed Himself to His Church in the trinitarian relationship of Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and The Teaching of The Magisterium.
“If you know me, you will know my Father also.” - Christ
So let me get this straight, abortion is good. Gay marriage is good. Embryonic stem research good. etc. etc. If the world is right , then I guess in realty, if that is Catholicism, then the whole world truly is Catholic! Why have a Church? Everything’s perfectly acceptable, after all, according to some people here there is no such thing as absolute truth. I’m guessing that holds true for them concerning Jesus Christ being the Son of God. I’ld suggest to some people posting here to read “Architects of the Culture of Death” and then read “Theology of the Body Explained” by Christopher West. Of course if your mind is so closed it wouldn’t help you, but before you say the Church’s teaching’s a wrong, you better be sure about who you steer away from God’s truth. You’ll be held accountable for it.
What if the devil was a better Catholic than you? What if the devil presented itself as the super Catholic or super patriot and all those that questioned or opposed would be branded a traitor and unworthy? Be careful of Absolutes.
The Devil is against abortion too. These unwanted lifes are all lost soul to the devil. Strange bedfellows no doubt.
For those that feel it necessary to address me, please be advised that not knowing you personally I reserve my right to take take or disregard
any comments as I see fit. Those comments expressed humbly are usually appreciated.
I applaud student Colin Cortes’ courage in asking his University’s administration to reflect on their decision and the contradictory message it sends. Keep up the good fight!
Canon 915 is supposed to protect, among other things, the right in “Justice” of the Faithful NOT to be misled, and NOT to be confused by repeated and flagrant scandalous public behavior by prominent Catholic Clerics in positions of Trust, by prominent Catholics in positions of Authority at “Catholic” Universities, by prominent Politicians who claim Catholicity at every election. Canon 915 is supposed to protect the Faithful when those grave wrongs go uncorrected by their Ecclesiastical Leaders. One is forced to ask “Is there anything that is “beyond the pale” for these ultra-liberal Catholics? Seriously is there ANYTHING AT ALL ??????????? proscribed for the priveleged few or is being a “Liberal Democrat” and invoking the secret “Social Justice” handshake just a reincarnation of “Indulgence” abuse; is the Democrat Party Card also the proverbial get out of jail free card ???????? Does the Democrat Party “own” the Catholic Church in America????? Mz Pelosi, Mr. Cuomo, even you Mzzzz Fluke I must apologize to all of you and yours. It is not your fault that you are confused about Abortion et alia ... if this goes on much longer no one but the Holy Father will be left who knows which way is up.
It seems we have another Notre Dame situation ahead. It should be obvious now that there is extreme disunity in our US Catholic Church. We have two popes who have wanted to have the so called Catholic universities teach Catholic docrine rather than pursue non religious studies. These wishes seem to be ignored. We have Jesuits operating in the diocese of Georgetown who see themselves as above the control of the local bishop who is reluctant to settle who is in charge with the Vatican representative of the Jesuit order. We have a Cardinal in charge of negotiating with the US government on the HMS mandate negotiating the detailed functions of our religion, who believes in a soft approach in negotiations. Bishops don’t seem to have the courage to punish heretics as they once did. It is shameful that Georgetown proposes to give comfort to a major enemy of the the Church for secular glory at a time when there is such disunity in our Church.
Sebelius should not be permitted to spread her twisted story with the aid of a Catholic Univrsity. The Bishop in charge of this diocese should demand that Sebelius be denied the exposure. He should cancel the authorization for any involved priests at the university. Then there would be cooperation between the bishop and the university. Any dissenting university would lose its right to be called Catholic. Now is the time for drastic action before the government raises new demands for same sex marriage relationships.
So, Cardinal Wuerl needs to tell the president of Georgetown to rescind his invitation to Sebelius immediately, or remove the Blessed Sacrament and the Jesuits from Georgetown and let it exist as a private secular school….or perhaps, remove his red hat….
President Di Goia it is time to resign from the Order of Malta…...Defense of the Faith has been
totally ignored by you….do the honorable thing and leave the Order…..........
Pesqueira,
As much as you are opposed to “absolutes,” you seem to be pretty comfortable utilizing “absolute” statements:
“The Devil is against abortion too.”
“Again only G-d can speak in absolutes.”
“There are many Christians faiths that do not think as some Catholic do regarding contraceptives. Are you telling me they are against Christ? I think not.”
“Please, when Scripture is quoted in a narrow context it can easily be used to express a point it was never intended to support.”
“As a Vatican ll Catholic I am a Catholic of conscience.”
“As a true believer in free will I must exercise my conscience as I see fit, no one but me is responsible for my own soul. I do judge others for their strongly held beliefs or their unquestioning support of current Catholic instruction.”
“I will leave you with a wish of peace, which is a connection with God, and the following uses of Jesus Christ’s Words.”
“Those comments expressed humbly are usually appreciated.”
this invitation is an obvious attempt to foment controversy and dissension in the Church
“a non-Catholic who seems to speaking for us”
Maria, NOT FOR ME!!! Sounds like an angry French Revolution type mob. I cannot condone this behavior even if it means losing the argument.
The charitable anathema exists for the sake of Christ, His Church, all who will come to believe in The Word of God, and that person who has separated himself from Christ’s Church because they no longer believe in The Deposit of Faith. The failure to feed and tend to His Flock, has caused a spiritual apostasy to take place with many remaining in His Church physically but not spiritually, causing chaos and confusion. The Holy Father must address those bishops and cardinals who have led many astray by failing to shepherd their sheep.
This is just further proof that brainwashing works (and the devil is brilliant). It is also proof that if you don’t care what right is, you will never know the wrong you are doing. Sebelius & DeGioia need to be gone. The Bible says “Seek and you shall find.” They don’t look. “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” These people have no fear, they are their own little God’s until themselves. They have had their hands in the cookie jar for so darn long, they don’t feel guilty anymore.
This is all so heinous it makes me nauseous. What Sebelius and DeGioia are doing is a crime. Fire DeGioia in the same fashion as a father would kick out a rebellious child hurting the rest of the family. Sebelius? Let her bark up her own tree, but not in our University!
Has anyone connected the dots to who appoints these bishops and that same authority has the power to remove these bishops when they have proven to not defend souls, hearts and minds of people in order to achieve a good and Final End?
I would like to ask Cardinal Weurl to explain to the faithful why he remains silent when the faithful of his flock are begging him to speak (let alone act), but of course a regular person has no way to contact the Cardinal.
Rafael: There is on;y one Christian Church that can and does indeed speak with absolutes. Those who are not totally with the Roman Catholic Church are not true Christians. What can you possibly mean by a conscience Catholic? You apparently do not have the necessary properly formed conscience dictated by the Church. Don’t forget that free will can be a curse as well, Conscience cannot overrule Church doctrine. Are you a cafeteria Catholic? Your idea about narrow concepts of the Scriptures is why we have the authority of the Church.
Please use my first name only in the comment section
My son went to undergraduate school at Georgetown specifically for the Catholic, Jesuit education. I am very disappointed in their decision to bring in Sebelius at graduation. I was always proud of his Georgetown affiliation - that has now certainly changed!!!
Georgetown is Anti Catholic in what it says, promotes and does. The U.S.C.C.B. (Bishops) should sever our ties with this and other secular colleges that mis use our religon to promote their views.
Don, you said, “but of course a regular person has no way to contact the Cardinal”. Yes, there is, Don. It’s called stop all financial support. There is not a bishop or presbyter that can explain with the mind of Holy Mother Church this terrible fiasco occurring once again. It’s not the first and unfortunately people have very short memories.
In reply to Mr. Pesquiera - You maintain there is a question about absolute truth - I believe a very famous politician once said almost the same thing and offered peace (the Roman Pax) and his name is Pilate - much of what you say flies in the face of reality-
a foot is 12 inches, a yard is 36 inches and a mile is 5,280 ft - this is just a start….all of life is measured in truth or you woouldn’t be able to get from your home to work!!!! Irrational thinking always wants to throw out the truth and justify it’s own self and opinions - about everything ...man’s pride is his own undoing - the scriptures speak to this in every book of the Bible and Shakespeare dramatized it all for us. I thank God I learned these things in Jesuit, Dominican and Sisters of Notre Dame Schools.
What those teachers and professors taught me has kept me alive and well for my 76 years abd the most important thing they taught me is that Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE! It remains for EACH of us to live up to His standards = therein lies the BATTLE!
William A. Kysela, Catholics cannot form their own consciences and opinions on what is Truth. The Total Deposit of Faith was given to Holy Mother Church to safe guard, to hand on to each generation, and to teach all nations. Many are in denial of the infallible teaching Authority in regards to faith and morals. Compromise and tolerance are the United Nation’s virtues.
This invitation is another outrageous scandal. Someone please tell us how to protest to the Jesuit Provincial. Both my husband and his father graduated from Georgetown—-back when it was really a Catholic university. We decline to contribute to Georgetown, or to support them in any way, and we have told them why. No longer is my husband proud of his university affiliation. No longer does he do pre admission interviews. I wouldn’t recommend the school to anyone because of their failure to uphold of Catholic teaching. Who is teaching ethics there? Where have all the leaders gone??? Not just Catholics but the nation watches. Who will stand up for the Lord?
Kathleen
Bob Rowland
I’m with you. I think you meant to address this response to Pesqueira. I was simply quoting him in my above posts, showing the irony in his previous statements, that on the end he’s “warning” us to not use “absolutes,” which is an “absolute” statement in itself. These were the things he was saying.
Peace, brother!
Kathleen, you asked, “Who will stand up for the Lord:?
Holy Mother Church exists in the catacombs. I discovered it several years ago.
This is such scandal for the Church. I feel so discouraged that our bishops aren’t speaking out against it. No wonder the Society of Pope Pius X broke from the church.
Notre Dame, my alma mater, has lost millions (inlcuding mine) because of its disregard for Catholic teaching and I suspect Georgetwon will as well. I hope the Church has influence enough to stop this second major disgrace and Obama’s attempt to divide Catholics further.
Obama ran on ‘change’ and has been very successful in his mission to destroy what American citizens have spent their lives defending. I see a strong correlation with the Council of Vatican II that changed and continues to change what Catholics have defended since Christ instituted His Church.
Any of us can contact any bishop in this country by simply writing him at his regional office or the diocesan headquarters (chancery). Every parish secretary has the office address and phone number for every bishop in a (arch)diocese.
However, if you plan to write please be respectful. An angry, rude, abusive, etc. communication will not get any of us anywhere. (Even if the bishop’s response is less than polite. [I’ve gotten a few of that type in my 27 years of diaconal ministry.]) Please, write the letter; set it aside for a day; and then, re-write it when you are not in high dudgeon. It will be much more effective.
The charity of Christ crucified impels us! 2 Cor. 5:14-15
Thomas E. Brandlin - You have no guarantee that the bishop will be the one responding to his personal mail. Undoubtedly he has assigned someone to answer his mail. Bishops are busy running a business obviously, or these scandals at colleges and univerities would not be continuous and on going intending to wear down the voices who oppose.
I am against Kathleen Sebelius speaking at Georgetown U. I am catholic. It seems scandulous and slanderous to invite such a apeaker at one of our catholic events.
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