Lying Father Jenkins Must Go

I believe that Roxanne Martino, the University of Notre Dame Trustee who just resigned over her support of virulently pro-abortion groups, was just a mere symptom of a much greater disease.

Something has been sticking in my craw these last few days. It is this line used by Martino in her resignation statement and is similar to the defense mounted for her by Fr. Jenkins and his minions on the Notre Dame Board.

“In the best interests of the University, I regretfully have decided to step down from the Notre Dame Board of Trustees,” Martino said in the statement. “I dearly love my alma mater and remain fully committed to all aspects of Catholic teaching and to the mission of Notre Dame. I had looked forward to contributing in this new role, but the current controversy just doesn’t allow me to be effective.”

I remain fully committed to all aspects of Catholic teaching. Aspects? If my wife quizzed me on whether I am a faithful husband and I responded by saying, “Honey, I remain fully committed to all aspects of our marriage vows,” she would slap my face and run off crying.

The only people who say I remain fully committed to all aspects of something are people who are not fully committed to some aspects. Truth be told, when it comes to Catholic teaching, this phraseology is as close as you can to saying “seamless garment” without getting invited to Father Fr. Pfleger’s house for dinner and some light meditation.

Father Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, and Richard Notebaert, chairman of the University’s board of trustees, used similar language in their defense of Martino saying that she is fully committed to Church teaching on human life while she sent gobs of money to groups whose sole reason for being is to promote killing babies. This is similar to the defense that Notre Dame launched when it invited the virulently pro-abortion Barack Obama to speak at commencement and receive an honorary degree. Some people have tried to dull the sharp edge of the obvious and call it dissembling. I call it lying. Do you know what you call people who repeatedly lie? You call them liars, that is what you call them.

Father Jenkins is a liar**. Father Jenkins must go.

How can the flagship Catholic University in the country have a priest who has proven to be a serial liar on the most important moral issue of the day? It is untenable.

When Father Jenkins looks into the eyes of those rightfully outraged and says with Weiner-esque chutzpah that Martino is pro-life and did not know that Emily’s list supports abortion, he proves himself to be a liar and completely unfit for the office that he holds.

This is why there is no statement from Notre Dame regretting their error and vowing to fix the process leading to this horrendous error. It was not an error. They knew. They did not care, or worse. Moreover, they lied about it. No amount of spin can change this simple fact.

George O’Leary was fired from a Notre Dame coaching job for lying about things he had not done. Father Jenkins remains president of Notre Dame by lying about things he has done.

All money to Notre Dame from Catholics, who do not just support merely aspects of Catholic teaching but are simply Catholics, needs to cease immediately. Protests should be mounted and petitions signed. Whatever it takes. We want our Catholic University back.

Father Jenkins must go.

**This piece represents my own opinion and not necessarily the view of the National Catholic Register. Although they should agree, ‘cause I am right.