On a recent segment on a cable news network, a self-appointed spokesman for Catholics was articulating  his objections to Notre Dame University’s invitation to President Barack Obama to receive an honorary degree and to give the commencement address next week. Many Catholics, including most U. S. bishops, and many Catholic publications, including the Southern Cross, have questioned this”unfortunate” invitation.

What made this news segment memorable and equally unfortunate was the vehemence with which the self-appointed defender of the faith spoke of the President of the United States, the University of Notre Dame, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and so forth.

When a representative of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (formerly “Protestants and Other Americans United for the Separation of Church and State”) was invited to comment, the self-appointed spokesman erupted, “You shouldn’t even be here!” When it emerged that the representative of Americans United had been raised Catholic, the spokesman became apoplectic.

What’s wrong with this picture?
The reason that the bishops and others have questioned Notre Dame’s invitation to President Obama is that his positions on certain fundamental moral issues, especially those concerning life before birth, are at odds with Catholic teaching and the bishops have asked Catholic institutions not to honor public figures who hold contrary views with degrees and a platform.

But the statements of the bishops have been measured and kindly in tone. Bishop John M. D’Arcy Fort Wayne-South Bend, in whose diocese Notre Dame is located, voiced his objections early on and announced that he will not attend the university’s graduation exercises for the first time in his 25 years as the diocesan bishop. But he has also pleaded for those who object to Mr. Obama’s positions on life issues not to demonstrate or protest against the President of the United States while he is at Notre Dame. His pleas have fallen on some deaf ears.

What distinguishes Bishop D’Arcy from the spokesman mentioned above is the former’s pastoral concern and respect for the office of President of the United States and, yes, for the man who holds that office.

As one would expect, Bishop D’Arcy understands Saint Paul’s admonition that Christians should do and speak “the truth in love” (Ephe­sians 4:15). Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, also does, for he pointedly mentioned this passage at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast last weekend, even as he questioned Notre Dame’s invitation.

The motivation for all Christian behavior and all the Church’s moral teachings is and must be love.
The great commandment of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, is “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27), or, as phrased in the Gospel according to John, “I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.”

The motivation for the Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion is love. We see the unborn child as our yet-to-be born neighbor. Out of love for him or her, we seek to protect his or her right to life. But we also love the child’s mother who may be abandoned and fearful, and the father who may already have fled the scene. We do not condone the choice to eliminate the innocent child. In fact, we hate the sin of abortion. But we do not hate those who sin. It should be as simple as that. But often it is not.

Presumably those, like the spokesman mentioned above, who grow angry and accusatory when this issue is raised, also act out of love for the unborn victims of abortion. We should not presume otherwise. But they do not seem to love their enemies, as Jesus also taught us to do. They may in fact love their opponents, but as long as they do not seem to love the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House of Re­presentatives and others whose policies they oppose, they will not bring the power of God’s overwhelming love to the debate. They will turn off many who might be open to their arguments and leave the vivid impression of being driven by anger or worse, even when their motive is love.

Instead of, “You shouldn’t even be here,” something like this should have been said to the representative of Americans United:, “I’m so very sad that you have left the Catholic Church and  I hope and pray that you will forgive any wrongs committed against you by those speaking or acting in her name. I look forward to sharing with you the overwhelming love of God in Jesus Christ that impels me to defend the lives of innocent, unborn children, and to reach out in compassion to those who have made choices that I cannot in conscience condone.”

It is important for all who seek to promote Christian truths to do so motivated by the purest love, acting in a loving way, so that even those who oppose our teachings may recognize the love that impels us to state them.
—DKC