Rejection of Notre Dame honour by US’s leading layperson a slap in the face for beleaguered university.
By Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON – Citing concerns about plans to honour President Barack Obama despite his views on “fundamental principles of justice” that are contrary to Catholic teaching, former US Ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon has turned down the prestigious Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame.
In an April 27 letter to Holy Cross Father John I Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, Glendon said she will not participate in the May 17 commencement exercises during which the award was to have been presented.
The letter, posted on the blog of the magazine First Things, does not mention specific justice principles, but Glendon was critical of Notre Dame’s decision to give Obama an honourary degree.
Obama supports legal abortion and his administration recently proposed new regulations that would allow the use of federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research. Both are in direct conflict with fundamental church teaching.
The Laetare Medal is presented annually to an American Catholic layperson for outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society.
A spokeswoman for the Indiana university confirmed on April 27 that Glendon, who served as ambassador from 2007 until earlier this year, was the first person to accept and then later decline the award.
Father Jenkins offered a two-sentence response on the university’s Web site.
“We are, of course, disappointed, that Professor Glendon has made this decision,” his statement said. “It is our intention to award the Laetare Medal to another deserving recipient, and we will make the announcement as soon as possible.”
Jen Psaki, White House Deputy Press Secretary, issued a statement from the White House saying: “President Obama is disappointed by former Ambassador Mary Glendon’s decision, but he looks forward to delivering an inclusive and respectful speech at the Notre Dame graduation, a school with a rich history of fostering the exchange of ideas.”
Glendon, professor of law at Harvard Law School, wrote that Notre Dame’s decision to honour the president disregards a 2004 request from the US bishops to Catholic institutions and organisations asking them “not to honour those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.” The former ambassador said she felt the bishops’ request is “reasonable” and does not seek to “control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite speakers and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes.” As a result, she wrote: “I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.”
Glendon said she was also concerned that the university had issued “talking points” that implied that her acceptance speech for the award would “somehow balance the event.” She quoted two statements from the university:
l “President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former US ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.”
l “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”
Glendon wrote that a commencement is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families.
“It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision – in disregard of the settled position of the US bishops – to honour a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice,” the letter said. In light of reports that other Catholic institutions also are choosing to disregard the bishops’ request, Glendon expressed concern that Notre Dame’s example “could have an unfortunate ripple effect.”
Glendon concluded her letter by saying that she would release it to the media without making any other comment “at this time.” The university has been under nearly constant criticism since announcing on March 20 that Obama would speak at the commencement.
Bishops, clergy, alumni and Catholic organisations have mounted a campaign seeking to have the university revoke the invitation to the president, though students have been reported to be enthusiastic about and supportive of the president’s upcoming appearance on campus.
l University of Notre Dame alumni have also withheld a total of US$8.2 million in planned donations to the flagship Catholic university as a result of its decision to have President Barack Obama give the commencement address at its upcoming graduation ceremonies.
The full text of Mrs Glendon’s letter can be found on
The Record website: www.therecord.com.au
Here is the full text of Mary Anne Glendon’s letter to US Notre Dame University President Fr John Jenkins, dated April 27, explaining why she had chosen to decline the Laetare Medal the university had decided to award her.
Dear Father Jenkins,
When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame’s most memorable commencement speeches. So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty.
Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President Obama, I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.
First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.
Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:
• “President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.”
• “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”
A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.
Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.
It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.
In order to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision, I will release this letter to the press, but I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.
Yours Very Truly,
Mary Ann Glendon