A nice policy to come out of the Notre Dame scandal would be a Catholic prohibition on honoring sitting politicians of any kind.
Notre Dame President Fr. Jenkins’s motivation in the whole affair is obviously just a crass desire to gain influence with a powerful man.
Any time an honorary degree or award of any kind is given to a powerful person, it’s always safe to assume that the entire event is just a transaction to buy influence. Giving out the award brings a chance to have dinner with (or get attention from) the powerful honoree, and make him or her more likely to remember you: “Here, Senator So-and-so. Please accept this award for being so wonderful. Now let’s go chat so I can feel important.”
Fr. Jenkins is just a groupie for anyone who can make him feel important and connected, and he seized an opportunity to kiss a sitting president’s back side in exchange for a little attention. It’s quite sad to watch, actually, and outrageous.
Of course, the fact that Obama has ordered bombs to be dropped on women and children on numerous occasions (like Bush and Clinton before him) causes no one to bat an eye.
11:45 pm on May 18, 2009
