The Hits Just Keep On Comin': Archbishop O'Brien of Baltimore and Archbishop Buechlein of Indianapolis

Chalk up two more shepherds as defending the Church's honor on this Obama invitation business.

The story on Archbishop O'Brien came to me from The Catholic Review by way of the Traditional Latin Mass in Maryland blog. Much obliged to both of those sources.

Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien said he is “disappointed and bewildered” by the decision of University of Notre Dame officials to honor President Barack Obama with an honorary doctorate at this year’s graduation ceremony.

In a March 26 letter, Archbishop O’Brien told Notre Dame President Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins he “fully supports” the March 24 statement of Bishop John M. D’Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., that raised concerns about the decision.

To echo some more of what Karl said earlier, I am very much wondering how much of this has become personal for these guys. As the criticisms have continued to roll in, they have become more and more focused (it seems to me) on Bishop D'Arcy's role in all this. There definitely seems to be a growing notion of "This could happen to me" among our nations bishops.

“(I) regret that (Bishop D’Arcy) must bear this personal affront from a university which he has so consistently and ardently supported this last quarter century,” Archbishop O’Brien wrote.

Archbishop Buechlein's words were a bit harsher. Considering he's just down the road from ND, I can understand his being upset which such shenanigans in what amounts to his own backyard:

I join my voice to the chorus of thousands of faithful Catholics around the United States, and those of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in particular, who are appalled and embarrassed by your recent invitation to President Obama to address the 2009 graduates of Notre Dame.

I was stunned and angered upon hearing the news of the invitation; in the end, I am among the thousands of good people who are profoundly saddened by it.

There isn’t a single reason that would justify Catholic sponsorship of the president of our country, who is blatantly opposed to the Catholic Church’s doctrine on abortion and embryonic stem-cell research.

You dishonor the reputation of the University of Notre Dame and, in effect, abdicate your prestigious reputation among Catholic universities everywhere.

Like other people of good faith, I await some action that indicates your regret concerning a truly wrong decision.

And the silence from under the Golden Dome continues. . .