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Kudos for Bishop D’Arcy’s Notre Dame stance

There has been much coverage concerning the decision of the University of Notre Dame to not only invite President Obama to speak at its 2009 commencement ceremony but also bestow on him an honorary doctor of laws degree from the university. I fail to understand how this so-called Catholic university can justify its decision to honor someone who not only supports abortion but also seeks to expand federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. I was pleased to read (CR, April 2) that Bishop John M. D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend has decided not to attend the 2009 commencement ceremony and trust that more and more Catholics will support his decision.

Don’t confuse honors with a political dinner

Concerning the flap about inviting and honoring President Barack Obama at Notre Dame, I was disappointed with Father Reese’s comparison to Cardinal Egan. Father Reese neglected to mention that the Al Smith Dinner was not an occasion to bestow an honor, and that Notre Dame is bestowing an honorary doctorate degree on the president. The comparison is not well-crafted. The Al Smith Dinner invited both Republican and Democratic candidates to state their case; but Notre Dame is singling our President Obama for an honor, not merely to talk. Good for the position by the local bishop, who appreciates when not to reward support for an intrinsic moral evil.

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