Bishop Joseph Latino makes statement
on invitation to President Obama
JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Latino of the Diocese of Jackson has voiced his concerns in a letter to Father John Jenkins, CSC, president of Notre Dame, over the invitation of the University of Notre Dame to President Barack Obama to speak at its commencement and receive an honorary doctorate of law this May. The invitation has been widely criticized by Catholic bishops, leaders, and laity throughout the country.
In his letter to Father Jenkins, Bishop Latino states: “As one of the premier Catholic universities in the county, one dedicated to Mary our Mother (Notre Dame), I can see no justification for the invitation to speak or the granting of an honorary law degree to one who, with the power of his office, is pro-choice (death).
“By both word (in the primaries), and now in action (signing a bill providing federal funding for stem cell research on aborted babies), and promising that in the future the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would also be signed and become law as soon as it crosses his desk, it is clear President Barack Obama espouses and promotes a culture of death as opposed to a culture of life.
“Under the pretext of so-called ‘freedom of academia,’ I believe (Father Jenkins) that you chose to sacrifice the church’s teaching concerning the sacredness of all life for the prestigious distinction of hosting the first African American president to grace your campus. On a Catholic campus, the dignity and rights of all life should be paramount.
“To invite and honor one who publicly promotes the death and destruction of infants to be used for stem cell research is in direct opposition to the position taken by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). No Catholic university should provide a pulpit or platform to anyone who directly opposes and contradicts the Catholic church’s teaching on so vital an issue as the sacredness of all life.”
The bishop’s letter was mailed to Father Jenkins, Tuesday, April 7. For information on the Catholic church’s stances on pro-life, visit www.usccb.org and click on Life Issues.
