News

By Alex Bush

May 20, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo was a guest on CNN Newsroom, anchored by Fredricka Whitfield, during President Obama’s commencement speech, along with Fr. James Martin, S.J.  During the segment Arroyo told Whitfield and Martin that Obama should not have been invited to Notre Dame because the issue is “about someone representing a pro-abortion policy, and vociferous pro-abortion policies being honored at a Catholic institution.”

Arroyo pointed out that “the bishops of the United States in 2004 told all of these Catholic institutions and universities, you should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles, and you shouldn’t give them honors and medals because that would be seen as supporting their policies.”

Fr. Martin, however, argued that giving the President an honorary law degree and allowing him to give the commencement speech was laudable.  “If anyone deserves a degree in law, it’s this constitutional law scholar,” he said, referring to Obama’s position as Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.

“I think it’s terrific that he’s coming to Notre Dame.”

Fr. Martin criticized the use of the term “pro-abortion” to describe Obama, arguing that he doesn’t know “anyone who’s pro-abortion, and I think that label is really very misleading.”

“If the Catholic Church wants to work with the president on this issue, they’re going to have to find common ground,” stated Fr. Martin, “The Catholic Church is not about imposing its will on people that don’t agree with it. It needs to be about talking with the president in order to move ahead on this issue.”

Arroyo responded that “Finding common ground doesn’t mean ceding important moral ground.” The problem with Obama, he said, is not that he wants to find common ground between different sides of the abortion debate, but rather “the difficulty is his policy.”

President Obama has been widely criticized for his plan to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would “codify Roe v. Wade” according to NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy Keenan.  FOCA would also eliminate all common-sense restrictions on abortion in the U.S., including a doctor’s right to refuse to perform abortions due to conscience or religion. The president has also rescinded the Mexico City Policy, which blocks taxpayer money from funding abortion-promoting organizations overseas, is working to rescind Bush era conscience protections, and has appointed numerous pro-abortion individuals to his cabinet and other leadership positions.

Fr. Martin, however, proposed that the pro-life debate ought not to be abortion-centered.  He said that “life issues are being reduced to simply abortion, and I think the Gospel is a lot broader than that. If we’re going to look at someone who accepts or rejects the Gospel, we cannot simply boil it down to one issue, and I really think that does a disservice to all of Catholic moral teaching.”

“It’s certainly the preeminent issue for the Catholic Church, but it’s not the only issue, and it’s certainly not a litmus test upon which we should judge people.”

Carl Olson, writing at InsightScoop, responded that while Fr. Martin “admits that abortion is ‘the preeminent issue for the Catholic Church,’ ” he also dismisses “those Catholics who make it the preeminent issue.” Fr. Martin’s reasoning, he said, is “simply illogical. At best.”

Whitfield also asked Arroyo if he agreed with Fr. Jenkins’ reasoning for inviting Obama to give the speech – that “he was willing to engage with those who disagree with him?”  In response, Arroyo pointed out that his opinion is not important. “It doesn’t matter if I agree or disagree. The bishops of the United States clearly don’t agree.”

Video clips from the interview:
https://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?v=ydqGSUSUeu

Transcript of the full interview:
https://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/static/2009/05/2009-05-17-CNN-NR-Whitfield.txt

Related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

A False Theology: Obama’s Appeal to Faith Runs Contrary to Christian Faith
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09052001.html

Excerpts From Significant Reports on Obama Speech at Notre Dame
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09051913.html

Congressmen Challenge Obama to Follow Through on Notre Dame Statement, Stop Efforts to Repeal Conscience Regulation
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09052005.html

Commentary: Notre Dame’s President at a Crossroads over Obama Fiasco
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032304.html

Bishops Chaput, Finn Slam Fr. Jenkins Speech at ND Commencement: “Intellectual Vanity”
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09051905.html

Pro-Life Leaders Dismayed by Obama’s Abortion Remarks at Notre Dame
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09051801.html

“The Abortion President” Counsels Notre Dame Grads on How to Address Abortion Issue
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09051802.html