It takes courage and selfless humility to walk away from receiving an honor, and choose instead to honor your commitment as a Catholic in supporting life.
Former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon has refused to accept the Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal at commencement on May 17th. The Laetare Medal is considered the most prestigious honor for American Catholics. Yet, she has declined the honor choosing instead to publically uphold her convictions as a Catholic and remove herself from a platform where President Obama, the guest speaker, is expected to receive an honorary law degree.
She joins others, such as Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John M. D’Arcy, who for the first time in his 25-year tenure as bishop of the region that encompasses the famous Catholic university, will not be on the main stage during the university’s commencement ceremonies. Bishop cites President Obama’s “long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred.”
“I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well,” the bishop said in a statement. “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. My decision is not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life.”
At this time, over 350,000 signatures of protest have been secured by the Cardinal Newman Society and presented to Notre Dame’s President, Father John Jenkins, requesting that he withdraw his invitation.
Now the moment as come to see how the USCCB will respond publically to this matter. In 2004, the United States of Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a policy statement called “Catholics in Political Life,” which says, with reference to pro-abortion politicians, “They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
We can only hope that the USCCB stands as firmly as Glendon and Bishop D’Arcy in upholding Scriptural and Church teaching on the sanctity of life while enforcing the policy statement they generated.
