Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 8:52pm

Shock!

I am shocked, shocked, that Notre Dame, which honored Obama when he opposed gay marriage, blocks the speech of a group on campus that opposes gay marriage.  Father Z gives us the details:

More news from the school that gave the most aggressive anti-Catholic pro-abortion politician we have probably ever seen an honorary doctorate in law (of all things).

From the TFP site:

Young Catholics Not Welcome at the University of Notre Dame By Peter Miller April 29, 2014 Officials at the University of Notre Dame revoke permission for pro-marriage table, tell young Catholics to “cease and desist” promoting natural marriage on campus.

Sound Bend, Indiana: April 29, 2014 — Young volunteers with Tradition Family Property Student Action were ordered to “cease and desist” promoting traditional marriage at the University of Notre Dame on Friday, April 25.

“Permission to have a table had been granted through an officially recognized on-campus student group,” said TFP Student Action director John Ritchie.  “But that permission was revoked for some odd reason.  Police officers arrived soon after we started giving out pro-family literature and cut the event short, informing us that we were no longer welcome to talk to students about the importance of preserving the sanctity of marriage between 1 man and 1 woman, which fully agrees with 2,000 years of Catholic teaching,” Ritchie explained.

The TFP handout, 10 Reasons Why Same-Sex “Marriage” is Harmful and Must Be Opposed, was being warmly received by students and faculty members alike. However, several pro-homosexual students ripped up the flier, shouted obscenities, and expressed their desire to deprive the pro-true marriage volunteers of their right to free speech.

[…]

Read the rest there and find links.

Apparently there is room under the golden dome for all points of views, so long as they coincide with the current views of President Obama.

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Jonathan
Jonathan
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 5:55am

While the campus may have acted (overreacted) unfortunately, there seems to be some hint (checking my own sources) that this was a student group not comprised of Notre Dame students who were using a ND student permit to run the table. I do not excuse ND in all things pro-life-related, but here, there seems to have been a violation of campus rules (getting an ND-approved table for a student group for another non-ND student group).

Perhaps the rules are selectively enforced, but that information isn’t available, and I would hesitate (perhaps due to my own charitable desires) to imply it.

Apparently, the group also brought cameras and videocameras, and were recording students, similarly without permission.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 6:17am

Notre Dame is a public square, not a private entity. If some of the people were not Notre Dame students they ought to have been respected as other than students. The abuse to which these other than students were subject to really is a disgrace. Communists and criminals would have been treated better.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 6:19am

As far as video cameras goes, almost every store videos customers. It is the dissemination of the video that needs permission of the captured people.

Jay Anderson
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 6:41am

“Notre Dame is a public square, not a private entity.”

Actually, Notre Dame is NOT a public square. And it IS a private entity. I don’t wish to disagree with you to be argumentative, but rather because it is an important distinction that works to protect Catholics. Private Catholic entities do not have to provide a forum to those whose viewpoints are deemed objectionable to them. Next time, it could be a group seeking to promote teachings contrary to the Catholic Faith, and it is important to emphasize that Notre Dame – or any other Catholic institution – is NOT a public square and do NOT have to provide a forum for such viewpoints.

Jonathan
Jonathan
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 6:43am

“Notre Dame is a public square, not a private entity.”

Notre Dame IS a private entity, and as such, can exclude non-Notre Dame students, people, etc., at will. Moreover, it is free to exclude those (such as non-Notre Dame students) who abuse privileges (such as ND student tables) that ND offers to its students.

I think ND reacted exactly how the student group wished – and now the student group can claim that ND is anti-Catholic. That is unfortunate.

However, there are any number of free lectures on pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-Catholic issues that occur at ND, student discussion groups, seminars, etc., that occur at Notre Dame without interruption by the administration (or even with outright advertisement by the administration). These students broke campus rules on student tables and dissemination, and therefore, could be excluded.

See, e.g.,

http://www.queenofpeaceministries.com/queenofpeace/conference/index.htm

http://home.isi.org/events/family-conference

http://ethicscenter.nd.edu/2014-call-for-papers

http://ethicscenter.nd.edu/programs/nd-right-to-life-fund/vita-institute

Jonathan
Jonathan
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 7:05am

Absolutely, Donald – the keys being in your words “play by their own rules” and in ND’s policy “Notre Dame students and student organizations are free to examine and to discuss all questions of interest to them and to express opinions publicly and privately.”

In this case, apparently, the students involved were not Notre Dame students, and the organization, while working through another group that apparently only acted to set up the table, was not an ND student group. I say “apparently” because details are still coming out.

Art Deco
Art Deco
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 7:19am

I suspect the interpretation of this episode most congenial to Notre Dame’s rancid administration is that they blanched when they found out TFP was on campus. Sandra Miesel has referred to TFP as a “RadTrad cult”, and advises all faithful Catholics to stay clear of it. One of their signatures is to stand outside the Church during Mass reciting rapid-fire rosaries, entering only when communion is about to be distributed. Critics such as Miesel have contended that TFP eats up the youth of its members, leaving them approaching middle-age with neither Tradition nor Family nor Property. I know an attorney associated with Una Voce and his local Latin Mass Community who got a visit from a youth in TFP many years ago. The conversation did not go well. It started out thus, “First, if you want to recruit me, don’t show up in my office in a cape….”

Philip
Philip
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 8:02am

Art.

What a terrible act from a so-called TFP representative. I have had exactly the opposite experience with this group.
I participated in a prayerful protest in Madison WI. that was respectful and dignified. The Catholic priest was local, and rightfully praised the east coast group for its efforts to Stand Up for Jesus when Blasphemy is portrayed as art.

Not many Catholics are willing to give peaceful prayerful protests in the public square. Courage is a rare thing these days. Easier to text tweet and twaddle than stand erect and give good honest testimony.

I’m afraid your friend met a disgruntled TFP drop out.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 9:16am

TFP draws its inspiration from Corrêa de Oliveira, a Throne & Altar Conservative, somewhere to the right of Prince Metterniche and Joseph de Maistre.

Art Deco’s description calls to mind the Camelots du Roi of Charles Maurras and l’ Action Française.

Art Deco
Art Deco
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 9:41am

I’ve read Prof. Correa’s book. He’s a great one-man manufactory of obscure verbiage.

Tito Edwards
Admin
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 9:58am

I actually agree to some degree with Art Deco.

I’ve heard stories where the followers of T.F.P. can actually see a glowing cross on the founders forehead (in Brazil).

Among other such stories.

The T.F.P. has not asked to operate in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, yet they participate in active recruitment in various archdiocesan parishes.

But that’s the bad I have heard.

I am very impressed by their organizing abilities and the defense of Catholic teachings.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 10:15am

Jay Anderson, Jonathan, and Donald McClarey: Thank you for the correction. I am listening and learning. It does seem, that when Notre Dame threw open the gate to Obama, N.D. threw open the gate to everybody.

Philip
Philip
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 10:21am

TFP has been leading the way in a universal Public Square Rosary campaign. Last year over 12,300 cities around the globe participated. Publicly asking Heaven to intercede for our darkened world. Over 13,000 cities this Oct. is a worthy goal. Each city praying the same formatted prayers and Holy Rosary at noon.

I guess with TFP take the good and leave the bad.
Personally I’ve only witnessed good thus far, but I do value opposing views since this is of mans efforts.
Blessings.

TomD
TomD
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 10:31am

Yes, Mary, that is precisely why I hang out around here, among other reasons. I have had as many eye openers here in the last six months as in all other religious sites combined. Don should be proud.

trackback
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 12:42pm

[…] Colbert – S. Alessi More Catholic Than the Pope? – Ross Douthat, The New York Times Prez of U. of Notre Dame Fr. Jenkins Bans Pro-Marriage Cthlc Gp – TACt Motherhood: The Gift Comes in a Tiny Bundle – Christina Capecchi, OSV Burning […]

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 12:48pm

Another win for the heckler’s veto.

Micha Elyi
Micha Elyi
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 3:16pm

Hasn’t the local ordinary publicly proclaimed that heathen school isn’t Catholic yet?

Anzlyne
Anzlyne
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 7:56pm

ND allows the far left but not the far right? Free speech is free speech. So, ND has right to set their own rules. If the rules were more catholic in their scope perhaps the students would at least have a better chance of hearing all sides. I’d rather not have ND conduit the left, but since they do, it would be good to allow rad trads too.

Scott W.
Scott W.
Thursday, May 1, AD 2014 8:21pm

As much as I would like to file this under “Catholic Administrations befogged by Leftist Lunacy Muzzle Faithful Students”, something seems missing with this story and, as much of a “Taliban Catholic” as I am, I’m not ready to draw my scimitar without a little more information.

Mary De Voe
Friday, May 2, AD 2014 3:50am

How I long for and pray for the days when Catholic nuns and holy Sisters taught in the field of Catholic Education. Not only were the tenets of Catholicism taught, but the respect they commanded by their sacrifice made the public institutions sit up and take notice.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Friday, May 2, AD 2014 3:56am

rt Deco wrote, “He’s [Corrêa de Oliveira] a great one-man manufactory of obscure verbiage.”

Crisp, clear statements of Fascist doctrine tended to go out of fashion after WWII, except among the clergy of the SSPX

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