UPDATE, 8:45p: Fr. Pavone has made a YouTube video explaining his plan for Sunday:
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Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has announced he will hold an alternative ceremony at the same time as the Notre Dame commencement, 2p, at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on campus.
Seniors not attending their commencement honoring radical pro-abortion President Barack Obama invited Fr. Pavone to offer this option, called the Class of 2009 Vigil for Life.
Fr. Pavone's statement (bold and italics his)...
In standing with these students, I am standing with the true spirit of ND: a pro-life spirit, in harmony with human reason and Catholic Faith. The scandal that has been generated does not represent what ND is all about; it represents a radical betrayal of what ND is all about. I am encouraged by the pro-life activities of so many student groups on this campus - activities that are carried out all year round.
Hundreds of thousands of Catholics, hundreds of priests, and dozens of bishops have called upon ND to end this scandal by withdrawing its invitation to President Obama. The result of that demand is not in our control.But one final response to this scandal is fully in the control of each graduating senior: don't show up. Don't participate in an event which will only serve to obscure rather than highlight the Church's pro-life teaching and the true spirit of ND. Instead, come to the Class of 209 Vigil for Life. The seniors who do this are manifesting the real meaning of commencement: they are carrying out the witness to truth and service that their hard-earned degrees have prepared them to give in the world.
[Photo attribution for Grotto with ND dome in background: Dorothy Corsen]
Comments:
WOW...a TRUE PRO-CHOICE question: the graduates are now being given a chance to choose between honoring Obama with their presence in the university commencement activity OR show up to the Vigil for life...
Get a "symbolic" diploma on-stage in the presence of President Abortion OR receive a pro-life blessing and stand as a witness for life in the presence of Mother Mary.
hmmm....choices, choices....
Posted by: RSD at May 11, 2009 10:38 AMThis leaves me wondering if Father Pavone will be thrown off camput, arrested, or just attacked verbally. Of course, since ND is now Catholic in name only, who knows how many students will actually take him up on his offer?
Posted by: Doyle Chadwick at May 11, 2009 10:45 AMWhich event will you cover, Jill? The blasphemous or the non-blasphemous one?
Posted by: carder at May 11, 2009 11:01 AMCarder, only invitees are allowed into the commencement, so I won't be on the inside. Joe Scheidler will be. And I'm thinking it'll be shown on tv somehow, somewhere? Maybe even covered by cable news?
Posted by: Jill Stanek at May 11, 2009 11:27 AMI pray many students will join with Fr Pavone...
Posted by: Theresa at May 11, 2009 11:41 AMFather Frank is one of the gutsiest people I have ever known. I'm cheering him on.
Posted by: Julie Culshaw at May 11, 2009 12:08 PMI will be traveling from Colorado to South Bend this Sunday to join Fr. Frank. I'm bringing a couple of people with me. Time to clean house and stand up for what it REALLY means to be Catholic.
Posted by: Ken jamieson at May 11, 2009 1:26 PMPavone is like Don King with less charisma. Everytime he steps into the ring it's all about pavone. Heck, when he says mass, it's an event - come see pavone say mass.
Posted by: Yo La Tengo at May 12, 2009 12:49 AMI'm not anti-catholic, I just don't have a high opinion of Christianity as performance art. If you recall, in ancient times there was an arguement about wether or not the eurcharistic sacrifice of the Mass was performance represenation or an actual transformation. When you add a political backdrop one has to ask if mass is being said for God or for politics? Is Jesus being used like a magic genie or is there any reverence left - or is the reverence a cover for the political gamesmanship? It just seems tacky.
Posted by: Yo La Tengo at May 12, 2009 5:47 AMIt wouldn't be a normal day without the obligatory nasty personal attacks on those on the side of life by people who have no life. Nothing new there.
I admire Father Pavone for his strong personal convictions and his devotion to the unborn in general. And I love the fact that he puts the interests of the unborn ahead of all the whining and moaning of the "conservative" members of the PL community who express disdain and disapproval of any tactic that actually works. He endorses the widespread use of the graphic images of the victims of abortion, saying "America will not reject abortion until America sees abortion". I wish we had more such men on our side.
Posted by: Doyle Chadwick at May 12, 2009 7:58 AMIn a recent poll, 97% of Notre Dame seniors enthusiastically support Obama's invitation to speak at commencement.
This does not mean that 97% of seniors support abortion. You Flat Earthers always make the classic miscalculation(which killed the George W. Bush administration) - "Good vs. Evil....You're either with us or against us".
Life just isn't that simple. And until you folks come to terms with that fact, you'll always be marginalized.
"Life just isn't that simple. "
That statement is simple though, right?
Posted by: Bobby Bambino
at May 12, 2009 10:23 AM"And until you folks come to terms... you'll always be marginalized."
And until you let the little folks come to term, they'll always be marginalized. Life is just that simple.
Posted by: Jon at May 13, 2009 12:08 AM