Flash: Bishop D'Arcy will boycott Notre Dame commencement

{updated post}

Catholic News Agency gives us Bishop D'Arcy's statement [my comments in brackets]:

On Friday, March 21, Father John Jenkins, CSC, phoned to inform me that President Obama had accepted his invitation to speak to the graduating class at Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree. We spoke shortly before the announcement was made public at the White House press briefing. It was the first time that I had been informed that Notre Dame had issued this invitation. [Fr. Jenkins did not give Bishop D'Arcy much warning at all. This fact goes far in explaining why it took several days for D'Arcy to respond. Also, Fr. Jenkins only informed the bishop after it was a done deal.]

President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life. [This is an excellent, concise summary. Bravo!]

This will be the 25th Notre Dame graduation during my time as bishop. After much prayer, I have decided not to attend the graduation. I wish no disrespect to our president, I pray for him and wish him well. 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. [Bishop D'Arcy has personally established the validity of conscientious non-attendance.]

My decision is not an attack on anyone, but is in defense of the truth about human life. [Right, this is not "us-vs-them" - it is about being uncompromising when it comes to issues as fundamental as defending innocent human life.]

I have in mind also the statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops in 2004. “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” Indeed, the measure of any Catholic institution is not only what it stands for, but also what it will not stand for. [The implicit critique here is that ND can talk all it wants about honoring the President - it ought not to honor someone who supports anti-life policies like Obama does.]

I have spoken with Professor Mary Ann Glendon, who is to receive the Laetare Medal. I have known her for many years and hold her in high esteem. We are both teachers, but in different ways. I have encouraged her to accept this award and take the opportunity such an award gives her to teach. [The Bishop makes a valid distinction here when it comes to his participation as opposed to hers - but leaves Glendon ultimately free to make her own choice about accepting.]

Even as I continue to ponder in prayer these events, which many have found shocking, so must Notre Dame. Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth. [This line should ring in Fr. Jenkins ears - the local Bishop implies that ND is compromising its integrity for ill-gotten notoriety. That's never good.]

Tomorrow, we celebrate as Catholics the moment when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, became a child in the womb of his most holy mother. Let us ask Our Lady to intercede for the university named in her honor, that it may recommit itself to the primacy of truth over prestige. [Amen.]

Meanwhile, the petition will soon pass the 75,000 signatures mark {update - the server is experiencing intermittent unavailability due to the high traffic - they are working on fixing the technical issue}.

important clarifications: Bp. D'Arcy did not say he will boycott the Graduation Mass (which is held the Saturday evening beforehand) - just the Sunday commencement exercises. His attending Mass could prove interesting in its own right, if notable Catholic supporters of Obama such as Doug Kmiec decide to participate.

open questions remain: will Notre Dame be able to find a high-ranking prelate to receive an honorary degree with Obama, as they have always done in the past? How will other invited Bishops respond when it comes to the question of attending the commencement? And finally, how will Mary Ann Glendon choose to make use of her acceptance speech for the Laetare Medal, should she accept?