Digesting D'Arcy's Response

Looks like His Excellency will be skipping the graduation ceremonies. CNA has the text of his statement. Looking at the high points:

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.

This is a very profound observation that is, I think, lost on many. Obama's actions in this arena really have put us into some uncharted territory when it comes to governmental involvement in killing children.

I have always revered the Office of the Presidency. But a bishop must teach the Catholic faith "in season and out of season," and he teaches not only by his words — but by his actions.

Non-attendance is certainly a good start.

I have in mind also the statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 2004. "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for.

Interesting, especially in light of the rampant sophistry I've been seeing utilized to somehow make this statement inapplicable to the Obama invite. One can only take rationalization so far before treading the ground of dishonesty or insanity. Many Obama-supporters apparently do not care.

Let us ask Our Lady to intercede for the university named in her honor, that it may recommit itself to the primacy of truth over prestige.

Amen.

It's more than I expected but not as much as I had hoped for. My hopes were for a high-level sanction, such as an interdict, but it seems that such things are no longer possible under the new Code of Canon Law. Ed Peters spells it out here. We'll just have to see how it goes from this point onward.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us!