I'm not a Roman Catholic. But I have always had the utmost respect for the mother church of all Christianity. I was raised a conservative Episcopalian and I remember we jokingly called ourselves "back door Catholics." I still admire many things about the Roman Catholic Church. But I cannot understand the attitude of the Catholic Church and its members toward abortion.
Popes have made as strong statements condemning the practice of abortion as may be possible. There can be no doubt in anyone's mind but what the Roman Catholic Church holds abortion to be murder. (See The Catholic Encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01046b.htm) Yet in the face of this absolute and total condemnation, Catholics in America, and Catholic institutions in America steadfastly refuse to fall in line with the edicts of the Church. How can that be? How can parishioners continue to call themselves "Catholics," and accept the holy sacraments while actively supporting political candidates and parties that promote continued abortion? How can Catholic organizations and institutions acquiesce and even encourage the practice of abortion? Hypocrites!
Now the Catholic University of Notre Dame has invited President Barack Obama to speak at its 2009 commencement ceremonies. It makes no difference whether his speech will touch on the subject of abortion. Everyone knows that he is a great advocate of abortion, extending even to his voting to allow infants born alive to die unattended following failed abortions. He has no shame. He carries high the bloody banner of sin as a standard under which his followers are called to rally. And it is this apocalyptic visage of our nation's leader soaked in the blood of innocents that the University of Notre Dame intends to lift above the heads of common men and women as their chosen speaker. The university will even extol this evil with the granting of an honorary degree. Shamelessness!
A University cannot elect to invite a commencement speaker without implication of approval of that speaker. And that is the problem, the University does approve. What I see as sin, wickedness, and the murder of innocents, the University of Notre Dame must see as some form of acceptable social engineering, or population control. There is no other possibility. And further, the University must not care about the Church's position. The real tragedy is that the Roman Catholic Church will let this happen without invoking sanctions against the offenders. I can think of no greater display of weakness. The Church is apparently irresolute and toothless.
I scoff at the notion that there is any middle ground here, or that the university is merely inviting dialogue in an unbiased manner. No right thinking person can be unbiased about murder, the Roman Church declares abortion to be murder, and President Obama supports it. That's all need be said. The University of Notre Dame should never have invited him to speak at its commencement.