Archbishop Quinn: Don’t disinvite Obama
April 01, 2009
Retired Archbishop John Quinn of San Francisco-- a former president of the US bishops’ conference-- is advising his brother bishops not to call upon the University of Notre Dame to withdraw its decision to award President Barack Obama on honorary degree. “We must weigh very seriously the consequences if the American bishops are seen as the agents of the public embarrassment of the newly elected president by forcing him to withdraw from an appearance at a distinguished Catholic university,” he writes. “The bishops and the president serve the same citizens of the same country. It is in the interests of both the church and the nation if both work together in civility, honesty and friendship for the common good, even where there are grave divisions, as there are on abortion. But it does not improve the likelihood of making progress on this and other issues of common concern if we adopt the clenched fist approach.”
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