... for Sandro Magister's newest piece for Chiesa:
Magister writes:
ROME, May 8, 2009 – At the end of April, "L'Osservatore Romano"
surprised everyone a little with the admiration it expressed for Barack
Obama after his first hundred days as president of the United States.
It was wide-ranging admiration: not only for his strategy in
international politics, but also on ethical questions "that are very
pressing for the Catholic bishops."
The amazement arose from the contrast between the Olympic calm of the Vatican newspaper – according to which Obama's first hundred days not only "did not shake the world," but even gave encouraging signs "in support of motherhood" – and the outspoken criticism of Obama on the part of a growing number of American faithful and bishops, led by Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago and president of the United States episcopal conference.
The criticisms concern the measures that have been taken or announced by the new president in regard to unborn life, as well as the decision of the Catholic university of Notre Dame to give Obama a degree "honoris causa"on May 17: many view this honor as unjustifiable, given the new president's pro-abortion positions.
An important part in the latest controversy was played by Mary Ann Glendon, a very prominent Catholic scholar and a professor of law at Harvard University – where her students included Obama himself – and the United States ambassador to the Holy See during the last part of the Bush administration. Glendon, who is staunchly "pro-life," refused to receive an award from Notre Dame University on the same day on which Obama will be given his honorary degree. And she explained her refusal in a letter to the president of Notre Dame, Fr. John I. Jenkins, in which she says she is "dismayed" by the Catholic institution's decision to honor someone who acts "in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
***
But immediately after the pro-Obama article in "L'Osservatore Romano," something diametrically opposed came out of the Vatican: radical criticism of the new American president.
From May 1-5, in the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican gardens, the plenary assembly of the pontifical academy of social sciences was held on the theme "Catholic social teaching and human rights."
The academy is made up of about three dozen scholars from many different countries, and of different viewpoints. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, an economics professor at Columbia University, is a member of the academy, and spoke at the assembly. At the end of the sessions, the members of the academy were received by Benedict XVI, who gave a speech to them.
But who is the president of the academy? Mary Ann Glendon. She was its president before she was made the United States ambassador to the Holy See, and was reinstated after the end of this mandate.
So on the morning of May 1, it was Glendon's responsibility to open the working sessions. She also gave one of the introductory addresses.
But the first to speak were French archbishop Roland Minnerath and Belgian priest Michel Schooyans.
The two coordinated their remarks. Minnerath addressed the issue of the "subjective rights" of the person, stressing the contrast between the tradition of the Church and that of secularist Enlightenment thinking. Schooyans attempted to "demonstrate the effectiveness of the ideas presented by Minnerath when they are applied to an analysis of contemporary problems." He specifically applied them to the Obama presidency and to the European leader who most resembles him, Tony Blair.
Schooyans dedicated the entire second half of his address to analyzing and demolishing the "messianism" of Obama and Blair. In his view, this is devastating not only in the area of human rights, but also in the religious sphere.
His radical criticism is perfectly clear in the text of his remarks. The second part of these are reproduced below in their entirety.
The amazement arose from the contrast between the Olympic calm of the Vatican newspaper – according to which Obama's first hundred days not only "did not shake the world," but even gave encouraging signs "in support of motherhood" – and the outspoken criticism of Obama on the part of a growing number of American faithful and bishops, led by Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago and president of the United States episcopal conference.
The criticisms concern the measures that have been taken or announced by the new president in regard to unborn life, as well as the decision of the Catholic university of Notre Dame to give Obama a degree "honoris causa"on May 17: many view this honor as unjustifiable, given the new president's pro-abortion positions.
An important part in the latest controversy was played by Mary Ann Glendon, a very prominent Catholic scholar and a professor of law at Harvard University – where her students included Obama himself – and the United States ambassador to the Holy See during the last part of the Bush administration. Glendon, who is staunchly "pro-life," refused to receive an award from Notre Dame University on the same day on which Obama will be given his honorary degree. And she explained her refusal in a letter to the president of Notre Dame, Fr. John I. Jenkins, in which she says she is "dismayed" by the Catholic institution's decision to honor someone who acts "in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
***
But immediately after the pro-Obama article in "L'Osservatore Romano," something diametrically opposed came out of the Vatican: radical criticism of the new American president.
From May 1-5, in the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican gardens, the plenary assembly of the pontifical academy of social sciences was held on the theme "Catholic social teaching and human rights."
The academy is made up of about three dozen scholars from many different countries, and of different viewpoints. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, an economics professor at Columbia University, is a member of the academy, and spoke at the assembly. At the end of the sessions, the members of the academy were received by Benedict XVI, who gave a speech to them.
But who is the president of the academy? Mary Ann Glendon. She was its president before she was made the United States ambassador to the Holy See, and was reinstated after the end of this mandate.
So on the morning of May 1, it was Glendon's responsibility to open the working sessions. She also gave one of the introductory addresses.
But the first to speak were French archbishop Roland Minnerath and Belgian priest Michel Schooyans.
The two coordinated their remarks. Minnerath addressed the issue of the "subjective rights" of the person, stressing the contrast between the tradition of the Church and that of secularist Enlightenment thinking. Schooyans attempted to "demonstrate the effectiveness of the ideas presented by Minnerath when they are applied to an analysis of contemporary problems." He specifically applied them to the Obama presidency and to the European leader who most resembles him, Tony Blair.
Schooyans dedicated the entire second half of his address to analyzing and demolishing the "messianism" of Obama and Blair. In his view, this is devastating not only in the area of human rights, but also in the religious sphere.
His radical criticism is perfectly clear in the text of his remarks. The second part of these are reproduced below in their entirety.
That was depressing. The persecution is coming. Pray for the Holy Father and those in communion with Peter.
Posted by: SoonerCatholic | Friday, May 08, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Bring it one persecution first the Jesuits came after the reformation what's next?
Posted by: Josue Correa | Friday, May 08, 2009 at 11:27 AM
WOW! Fr. Schooyans was intense in his analysis. This will sound funny perhaps, but the one person in the USA who speaks like the good Father about what is going on is Glen Beck on Fox. Many people, including good catholics like Mark Shea have said that Glen Beck is too looney or crazy with his analysis. This may well be the case. But Fr. Schooyans goes even further than anything Beck would imagine saying. Don't misunderstand me, I like what Fr. Schooyans had to say. It rings true to me. In fact, it sounds very biblical, if you will. The warning is being given.
Posted by: Pat Malone | Friday, May 08, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Also see this, from author Michael O'Brien:
http://vultus.stblogs.org/2008/11/thank-you-michael-obrien.html
Posted by: Jackson | Friday, May 08, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Very thought provoking. Thanks for posting this.
Posted by: Subvet | Friday, May 08, 2009 at 05:48 PM
It almost sounds like we might one day be thankful for the implacability of the radical Muslims.
Posted by: LJ | Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 06:31 PM