I am intrigued by comments here and there asserting that the opposition to Barack Obama’s role in Notre Dame’s commencement must be nothing but politics at work. Politically motivated. Obviously and clearly. Usually “hacks” is used at least once in the conversation.
I am trying to figure out what this means.
Of course, bringing the word “politics” into a religion discussion is a tactic used to immediately discredit the other side. You know that right? It doesn’t matter if the assertion is true or not, if secular political considerations are actually a controlling factor in decisions or discourse. To accuse someone, especially a bishop, of “playing politics” is to render their position suspect.
We have seen this for years in the discussions of abortion-rights-supporting politicians and the Eucharist. (The few) bishops who have stated that their understanding of canon law moves them to declare that abortion-rights supporting Catholic politicians have cut themselves off from the Eucharist are accused of “politicizing the Eucharist.” Which never made any sense to me. If a bishop said, “You’re a Democrat. You can’t receive Communion.” That’s politicizing the Eucharist. But focusing on a position and support for organizations that provide and promote abortion is not about politics. It’s about moral issues that do happen to have a political dimension.
It’s the same with Obama and Notre Dame. Is the criticism being leveled because Obama is a Democrat?
No.
First. The accusation is faulty because it presumes American bishops are naturally sympathetic to the GOP. Anyone who is familiar with the American episcopacy knows how laughable an assertion this is, not only historically, but in the present as well.
Secondly, does anyone really think that if Rudolph Giulani or Arnold Schwarzenneger were invited to serve in the same role, that those protesting Obama’s role would be either silent or cheering?
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
