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Abortion, the White House and Sotomayor

Some stories of note this morning:

Prominent Catholic lawyers and scholars Robert George and Douglas Kmiec debated each other over President Obama’s abortion policies last night. Harvard professor, former Vatican ambassador and recent center of attention, herself, in the Obama-Notre Dame controversy Mary Ann Glendon moderated.

Kmiec was in the national spotlight last fall when he publicly argued that a pro-life Catholic could support Obama for president in good faith – and he reaffirmed that claim last night while naming social issues besides abortion that the president and Church are in agreement upon.

According to the Washington Times (popular Catholic blogger Thomas Peters was also posting short updates via Twitter during the debate), Kmiec’s argument centered around the need for Catholics to engage the White House on reducing abortions – and that the president is serious about doing that.

George, on the other hand, adamantly disagreed, pointing out that Obama’s actions – both before and after he became president – has done nothing to reduce the numbers of abortion.

George added that common ground will not be found between pro-lifers and Obama so long as the administration feels “nothing is wrong with abortion because the child in the womb actually has no right not to be killed.” 

In related news, the White House had to deal with questions yesterday on Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor’s stance on abortion. Somewhat ironically, many of the concerns have been that the judge – who has a thin record on abortion – will not uphold that women have a constitutional right on abortion.

Even White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that abortion was not discussed during Sotomayor’s interview with the president, but that Obama “left very comfortable with her interpretation of the Constitution being similar to that of his.”

Gibbs specifically mentioned unenumerated rights in the Constitution and the theory of settled law as two topics Sotomayor and Obama talked about – both of which would likely be a significant part of any future case dealing with Roe v. Wade that Sotomayor could face on the Supreme Court.

And while various pro-life groups continue to express wariness over her nomination – Christianity Today’s political blog notes that most criticism describes Sotomayor as a judicial “activist,” not pro-abortion – at least one outspoken Catholic conservative says it’d be a wasted fight to push against Sotomayor’s confirmation.

In fact, William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, told the Washington Times that he will “quietly root for” Sotomayor, whom he says is “far and away … the best candidate” out of Obama’s other potential picks.

Donohue specifically mentioned Sotomayor’s rulings that upheld the legal claims of pro-lifers and religious freedom.

Vocations in the news

From Sotomayor to the new nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, the news lately has been revolving around some of the most high-profile posts in the nation.
So it’s worth it to highlight other stories that most of us would otherwise pass by – namely, recent articles dealing with religious vocations. The life of a priest or consecrated virgin might not be as glamorous as a diplomatic post at the Vatican – but this summer will begin the Year of the Priest, and you can bet we’ll start seeing more related stories in Church news due to that.

First, some good news from the East Coast – New Jersey’s Archdiocese of Newark welcomed 13 new priests into the archdiocese earlier this month, making for the largest ordination class of 2009 in the country.

In the Great Plains, the Catholic Key newspaper for the Diocese of Kansas City highlighted one of its own seminarian’s compelling story of how he ended up on the path to the priesthood – a journey that included escaping Communist Vietnam as a boat refugee.

“I live in a country of freedom with so much to offer,” Deacon Duc Nguyen told the paper. He will be ordained to the priesthood this weekend.

Shifting gears a little, the Boston Globe had an excellent article on what must be the least well known of the different vocations: that of consecrated virginity.

The idea of living in the world – but consecrating oneself to God – is an ancient one in Christian tradition, but when people think celibacy and a life dedicated to serving the Church, they’re more likely to think of the convent than any of the women profiled in the Globe article. Still, as the article describes, some are saying yes to the call – and when they do, it’s a witness to behold.

It was a large wedding, even by modern-day standards. Some 600 guests filled the pews at Dedham's imposing St. Mary of the Assumption Church on a Friday evening last August. The clergy had turned out in full force: 10 priests, a bishop, and Cardinal Sean O'Malley, head of the Boston Archdiocese, processed up the main aisle -- said to be the longest of any in Massachusetts -- some sprinkling incense as the choir sang. At last came the bride, dressed in white lace, her only jewelry a simple gold cross on a chain. She smiled widely and carried a single red rose, and when she reached the front pew, she took a few deep breaths, as though to steady herself.

The rest of the article is well worth the read.

Finally, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy is preparing for the Year of the Priest, which will begin as the 2008-2009 Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul ends in June. In a letter issued to bishops around the world, the Congregation’s Prefect Cardinal Claudio Hummes urged the Church’s shepherds to raise awareness and encourage a renewed discovery of “the beauty and importance of the priesthood and the ordained.”

Cardinal Hummes noted that the witness of the priesthood should resonate among young people especially “who are so sensitive to great ideals lived out with authentic courage and constant fidelity.”

Sotomayor Wrap Up

The news media are scrambling for more information on Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor, and Catholics and other Christians are no exception to the keen interest.

From Sotomayor’s Puerto Rican heritage to her Catholic education in the Bronx, President Obama’s pick has certainly elicited a sense of pride among many groups in the country. Her record as a judge, however, deserves closer scrutiny.

Here’s a sampling of the past day’s analysis on Sotomayor, her past rulings and any glimpses of the type of Supreme Court justice she would be:

• Politico explains the talking points the Obama administration will likely stick to when championing its pick, including Sotomayor’s personal story as a child of immigrants and her vast experience in the judiciary. Politically, the article notes that the choice is a very savvy move: it not only gives Democrats a potential boost among Hispanic voters, but it also provides the party with arguably the most liberal candidate for the position while avoiding a messy paper trail in regards to issues like abortion.

• Speaking of abortion, the Catholic Key blog from the Diocese of Kansas City notes that even pro-abortion NARAL seems to be withholding judgment on Sotomayor’s stance. In an email to supporters, NARAL president Nancy Keenan wrote, “Make sure the Senate gives Judge Sotomayor a fair hearing so we can learn more about her views on the right to privacy” and Roe v. Wade. “This is an extraordinary time for our cause – a chance to fill a seat on the Supreme Court with a champion of privacy and freedom,” Sotomayor said. 

• Meanwhile, CBN’s David Brody has compiled a list of reactions from various pro-life organizations. Calling Sotomayor a “radical pick that divides America,” Americans United for Life’s president said, “This appointment would provide a pedestal for an avowed judicial activist to impose her personal policy and beliefs onto others from the bench at a time when the Courts are at a crossroad and critical abortion regulations – supported by the vast majority of Americans … lie in the balance.” 

• Noting the delicate balance on abortion that both Obama and Sotomayor will face in the confirmation hearings, Dan Gilgoff predicts that the White House will instead promote Sotomayor’s record on religious liberty rulings in order to win conservative support.

• The Wall Street Journal notes than in other rulings over issues such as civil rights and unions, Sotomayor fits “within the liberal mainstream.” Specifically, she had a hand in a recent, high-profile case that went before the Supreme Court, which dealt with firefighters from New Haven, Conn., being passed over in their promotional exam when no black applicants scored high enough to qualify. Sotomayor upheld the city of New Haven’s decision to invalidate the exam.

• Finally, what might end up as the GOP’s main point of contention with Sotomayor are assertions she’s made in the past that could hint at her views of the role of the courts. For example, a YouTube video making its rounds through the blogosphere depicts her telling a law conference that “Court of Appeals is where policy is made” – a warning sign to those concerned with judicial activism. The White House is defending her, saying her cases have shown no hint of legislating from the bench. 

News from the Courts

Leading the news this morning are reports that President Obama will nominate federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor as Supreme Court Justice David Souter’s replacement. The formal announcement is expected later this morning, and Sotomayor would face Senate confirmation hearings before being allowed to take her post on the court’s bench when it begins its next term in the fall.

Sotomayor became a federal judge under President George H.W. Bush in 1992 and was named an appeals judge by President Clinton five years later. The native New Yorker, whose parents moved to the Bronx from Puerto Rico, has kept a low profile on abortion issues.

Earlier this month, Americans United for Life noted that, while Judge Sotomayor has not been directly involved in a case deciding the constitutionality of abortion, she has decided a handful of cases that indirectly included the issue of abortion rights.

One of those cases was in 2002, in which the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy challenged the Mexico City Policy reinstated by former President George W. Bush. The pro-abortion group argued that the policy (since overturned by President Obama) violated the First Amendment and equal protection rights by denying U.S. funds for overseas abortions.

Upholding a lower court ruling dismissing the case, Sotomayor wrote, “The Supreme Court has made clear that the government is free to favor the anti-abortion position over the pro-choice position, and can do so with public funds.”

Notably, CNN reports that Sotomayor “did not address the underlying abortion issue.”

Setting the context of whatever abortion angle might be present in Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings are recent polls showing that the majority of Americans are ready to move beyond the regime of Roe v. Wade.

Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus writes that this is a “golden opportunity” for the president, then, to steer clear of pro-Roe litmus test for any Supreme Court nominee. 

“The president and Senate should consider the will of the people and the integrity of the constitution – as well as political common sense – over narrow interest group politics,” Anderson writes. “If they do, the vast majority of the American people will be on their side.”

In other judicial news, California – and the rest of the nation – awaits the state Supreme Court’s ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, expected early this afternoon. The court heard arguments against the amendment, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, earlier this year.

Quotes in the News

"Faith is never a solitary activity, nor can it be simply private. … Faith in Christ always draws us into a community and has a public dimension."

--From the homily of the newly installed Archbishop of Westminster, Archbishop Vincent Nichols. Archbishop Nichols is also the president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

“You saved my life, I am grateful.”

--According to an Asian Catholic news source, these were the words of former South Korean president Thomas More Kim Dae-jung when he met Pope John Paul II in 2000. South Korea’s national archives recently revealed correspondence between the pope and former President Chun Doo-hwan, who had charged Kim with inciting a massive, pro-democracy protest that was put down by the military. Pope John Paul pled for Kim’s life, and President Chun acknowledged his appeal. 17 years later, Kim became president.

“Guantanamo set back the moral authority that is America's strongest currency in the world. Instead of building a durable framework for the struggle against al Qaeda that drew upon our deeply held values and traditions, our government was defending positions that undermined the rule of law. … Instead of serving as a tool to counter terrorism, Guantanamo became a symbol that helped al Qaeda recruit terrorists to its cause. Indeed, the existence of Guantanamo likely created more terrorists around the world than it ever detained.”

--President Obama in his speech yesterday on national security, in which he reasserted his intention to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

“Critics of our policies are given to lecturing on the theme of being consistent with American values. But no moral value held dear by the American people obliges public servants ever to sacrifice innocent lives to spare a captured terrorist from unpleasant things. And when an entire population is targeted by a terror network, nothing is more consistent with American values than to stop them.”

--Former Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking in response to President Obama’s address. Cheney also said that the information gained from interrogation sessions on high-profile terrorists were excluded from the recently released CIA memos, thus giving the public “less than half the truth.”

“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It has always been, will remain so forever and will never be divided.”

--Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking yesterday on the 42nd anniversary of the annexation of east Jerusalem. Netanyahu has left out a two-state solution from his peace proposal for the Middle East.

(Spain’s aging population) is “the logical consequence of the dreadful policy on the family that has been embraced by recent administrations in general and in this government in particular.”

--A report from the Institute for Family Policy, which found Spain to be the fastest aging country in the European Union. According to the report, Spain’s youth population has dropped by 3 million in less than 30 years. Meanwhile, Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero recently made headlines by not only pushing for loosened restrictions on the nation’s abortion laws, but granting abortion on demand for girls as young as 16.

Americans, the Pope ... and the Internet

In case you missed it, a new poll was released earlier this week revealing that Catholics – even non-practicing ones – and Americans overall have very favorable views of Pope Benedict XVI.

Highlights of the poll include:

• 59% of Americans view the pope favorably or very favorably, and over three quarters of Catholics say likewise
• Of the Catholics, there is very little difference between those who practice their faith and those who do not in terms of their favorable views of the pope
• Nearly three quarters of Americans say Pope Benedict is an important religious leader, and nearly half go on to say that he understands the problems facing people in the world.
• More than half of Americans – and even more Catholics – believe Pope Benedict is good for the Catholic Church and actively engaged
• Finally, the majority of Americans in general want to hear the pope speak about moral issues such as marriage, the family, abortion and stem cell research, as well as spiritual issues such as allowing God to be part of one’s daily life.

Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus points out that these results lie in contrast to the negative image of the pope that the media has portrayed.

“We might call it a triumph of truth over television,” he concludes in a recent column on Zenit.

Anderson says that the survey reflects Americans’ longing for a moral compass, especially when seeing where the lack of one leads, economically (57% of Americans said they wanted to hear the pope speak out on the short-sightedness of personal greed and selfishness; 64% of Catholics agreed). 

“Those who would dismiss our Pontiff – or some part of his message –should take a lesson from the attitudes catalogued in this survey and should realize that the human heart is restless until it rests in God,” Anderson writes. “This is a fact not lost on Catholic thinkers from Augustine to Benedict XVI himself, who has made bringing human hearts to God a hallmark of his pontificate.”

On a different note, you’ve probably noticed the sudden flurry of Internet-related stories coming from the Vatican. From the Vatican spokesman essentially declaring, “Blessed be” the Internet to the launch of Pope2you.net – along with iPhone and Facebook applications – the news has certainly not been lacking. (In perhaps an ironic juxtaposition, a Scottish bishop recently made headlines for warning against the “inane chatter” that the Internet perpetuates.)

This Sunday, though, marks the 43rd World Day of Communications, and, per tradition, Pope Benedict XVI has issued a message specifically for those involved with the media. (Which, by today’s standards, could include nearly everyone).

To be fair to the Scottish bishop (Bishop Philip Tartaglia), the context of the “inane chatter” statement was a warning against allowing technology to replace real relationships and not promote “growth and understanding” in the world.

Pope Benedict says likewise, adding, “If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development.”

He concludes his message with a challenge to Catholic youth in particular:

It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this "digital continent". Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm. You know their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments: the greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the "Good News" of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people. Human hearts are yearning for a world where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Our faith can respond to these expectations: may you become its heralds!

Reactions to Notre Dame

Yesterday saw the steady stream of reactions to Notre Dame’s commencement. And as dialogue was clearly the theme of the day, it was also at the center of most Catholic commentary.

Kansas City’s Bishop Robert Finn hits the nail on the head in this interview with the Catholic Key.

On matters such as providing for the needs of pregnant women and offering alternatives to abortion, “these are elements for dialogue,” Bishop Finn agreed. “But the rightness or wrongness of abortion – this is an intrinsic evil. The direct taking of an innocent life can never be negotiated.”

The whole interview is well worth a read. Another astute observation from the bishop:

I think the message of the day was this – that the President of Notre Dame said that they had invited the President of the United States and decided to honor him for the sake of dialogue. And then the President got up and said that the differences that we have on abortion – namely the Catholic Church’s staunch opposition to abortion and his staunch support of abortion were “irreconcilable.” And at that moment, it would seem to me that the dialogue came to a screeching halt. Father Jenkins’ expressed desire for dialogue, whether it was well-founded or justified, at that point got thrown back in his face. The President shut the door on dialogue by saying that there was not going to be any change in his position on abortion and he understood that there was not going to be any change in the Church’s position on abortion. To me, that was the lesson of the day. I am glad that Mr. Obama was so clear.

In the Catholic blogosphere, Amy Welborn echoes similar doubts over the Obama-Jenkins style of dialogue that both men’s addresses seemed to propose. In reality, she argues, those who are actively working toward persuading women to choose life – whether in crisis pregnancy centers or in the legislature – are excluded from any “dialogue” with abortion proponents.

“Smaller measures to limit and regulate the abortion license are never proposed by abortion proponents, but by pro-lifers, and, further, are always opposed to the death by abortion-proponents,” she points out. “Have you ever heard of a parental notification law or laws requiring abortion facilities to be regulated at the same level as medical clinics being co-sponsored by a state branch of NARAL and the NRLC?”

Creative Minority Report points out an inconsistency in Obama’s argument for dialogue on abortion, asking why anyone who fervently believes in unfettered access to abortion would care to discuss methods of reducing unwanted pregnancies:

Why is it so important for abortion to be so rare that it warrants the President of the United States talking about it? If the fetus in the womb is just a blobby little choice and not a child at all, what do we care if abortion happens a thousand times a day and twice that on Sundays. Isn’t it up to the woman to do what she wants to do? If the creature in the womb is deemed not to be a baby by its “mother,” who are we to question her and prefer that she not do it often. … Isn’t the President forcing his morality on women by saying he wants to reduce abortion?

In the secular press, the political editor of the DC Examiner gives a thumbs down to Obama’s analogy between Notre Dame’s Fr. Ted Hesburgh’s negotiations with the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and the modern debate over abortion.

The story of the six original members of the Civil Rights Commission being able to bond over their love of fishing and find common ground on civil rights is “a good story, but not particularly relevant,” Chris Stirewalt writes. He continues:

(They) were looking for a politically palatable way to deal with the irresistible demand for black equality, not debating whether blacks were equal to whites.

On abortion, the issue isn’t whether people want more adoptions or birth control devices to be distributed in schools. The issue is whether abortion ends a human life.

That can’t be worked out on a fishing trip.

Suggesting that by reasoning together Americans can find a compromise on abortion shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the matter. Either that, or Obama is just being facile in an effort to dodge the most divisive issue of the past 35 years.

Some of the strongest words on the commencement – specifically, on Notre Dame’s actions as a Catholic university – come from Denver’s Archbishop Charles Chaput.

Alluding to Fr. Jenkins’ laudatory introduction for Obama, Archbishop Chaput answers that “the debate over President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame was never about whether he is a good or bad man. The president is clearly a sincere and able man.”

But while we have the Scripture-mandated duty to pray for and respect our public officials, “we also have the duty to oppose him when he’s wrong on foundational issues like abortion, embryonic stem cell research and similar matters,” the archbishop continued. “And we also have the duty to avoid prostituting our Catholic identity by appeals to phony dialogue that mask an abdication of our moral values.”

Obama at Notre Dame

It goes without saying that the big weekend story was Notre Dame’s commencement ceremony.

At the official commencement, the clear theme of the day was dialogue: respectful, “open” dialogue, as President Obama said, among people with opposing views.

Faced with protesters interrupting the beginning of his speech with pro-life statements, Obama drew applause from the crowd by saying, “We’re not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes.”

As he did last week at Arizona State University, the president urged Notre Dame’s graduates to use their talents and education to forge a new way in troubled times. “Your class has come of age at a moment of great consequence for our nation and for the world,” he said, calling it “a privilege and a responsibility afforded to few generations.”

On abortion, Obama offered his usual take on the topic, saying everyone should be able to agree that abortion is a “heart-wrenching decision” with “both moral and spiritual dimensions.”

He followed that up with an explanation of his nuanced approach to abortion.

Asking “how does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without … demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side,” the president urged “fair-minded words” and “open” hearts and minds. He added that he was not suggesting “that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away.”

“Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction,” Obama said. “But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.”

He stressed ways the nation could work together to reduce the need for abortions, including increasing the availability of adoptions and support for pregnant women. Notably, he said, “Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause.”

Finally, he also offered an appeal for health care, saying policies should be “grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women” – a line that drew applause, but will certainly be seen as contradictory by many others, considering its implications of supporting women’s access to abortion.

Before introducing Obama, university president Fr. Jenkins called on Vatican II in his defense of honoring the president. Quoting Gaudium et Spes’ instruction that “respect and love ought to be extended also to those who think and act differently than we do in social, political and even religion matters,” Fr. Jenkins added, “If we want to extend courtesy, respect and love – and enter into dialogue – then surely we can start by acknowledging what is honorable in others.”

Fr. Jenkins also affirmed that the Notre Dame community is “fully supportive of Church teaching on the sanctity of human life, and we oppose (the president’s) policies on abortion and embryonic stem cell research.”

At the university’s Grotto, however, over 20 graduating seniors took Fr. Jenkins’ line a step further and held their own commencement ceremony, which included a recitation of the Rosary and an address by Fr. Frank Pavone, director of Priests for Life.

Bishop John D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend summed up the positive tone of the vigil and similar protests by calling the students participants “heroes … in the great tradition of John Paul and Pope Benedict.”

“Their protest was carried out with love, prayer, dignity and respect,” Bishop D’Arcy said.

As one senior who participated in the vigil said after turning her tassel, “Our hope is that (the vigil) showed the outside world there’s a lot of good here at the university.”

Peace, families and the beauty of truth

Some beautiful quotes and images in the news lately.

First, spending his last full day in the Holy Land in Jesus’ childhood town, Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly stressed the importance of the family and of cultivating peace – and how the two values are linked together.

“How much the men and women of our time need to reappropriate this fundamental truth (of marriage), which stands at the foundation of society, and how important is the witness of married couples for the formation of sound consciences and the building of a civilization of love!” the Holy Father said at the Mass for nearly 40,000 pilgrims.

And at his meeting with various religious leaders, which concluded with them holding holds and singing a prayer for peace: “By molding the hearts of the young, we mold the future of humanity itself. Christians readily join Jews, Muslims, Druze, and people of other religions in wishing to safeguard children from fanaticism and violence while preparing them to be builders of a better world.”

Peace in the land begins with peace – with love – at home, from the love of a husband and wife to the values that they instill in their children. Pope Benedict used the example of St. Joseph: “In the carpenter of Nazareth (Christ) saw how authority placed at the service of love is infinitely more fruitful than the power which seeks to dominate. How much our world needs the example, guidance and quiet strength of men like Joseph!”

Shifting gears a little, art historian and professor Elizabeth Lev writes on the failings – and surprising moments of grace – in the newest film adaptation of a Dan Brown novel, “Angels and Demons.”

Where the film shines, Lev argues, is in its portrayal of the city of Rome itself – and, inherently, the majesty of the Catholic Church.

“The Catholic Church – with its rites, ancient heritage, 1.1 billion believers and relentless ability to inspire artists to create transcendental works – exerts a powerful pull on almost everyone,” Lev writes. “To paraphrase the poet Horace, captive Rome captivated her conquerors.”

Bear that in mind as we look at one last article, this one a rather untypical reflection from a UCLA pediatrics professor in the LA Times.

The author relates the story of a mother who chose to forego treatment for brain cancer in order to give her unborn child a chance to live:

After tenderly gazing at the tiny girl, she reached in to stroke her baby's soft, thin skin. Her hand inched toward her daughter's. The baby responded by clasping her mother's outstretched finger, bringing tears to her parents' eyes -- and ours.

… Unfortunately, cancer treatments didn't achieve a miracle for her mother, who never left the hospital. She passed away two weeks before her child was ready to go home.

On the day of his daughter's discharge, the father shared his tears with me in the NICU. He was grateful to us all, he proclaimed as he cradled his swaddled daughter tightly in his arms. She looks so very much like my wife, he added with pride. I gave a silent thanks for her miraculous survival where it was due -- to her mother.

There is no mention of the mother’s religion, or if she even had one. But clearly, she shared the belief that is at the core of the Catholic Church’s social teachings -- the very dignity of life -- and her witness to the truth touched the author, who had empathized with the temptation to abort the child.

In her article, Lev’s concluding lines about Catholicism resonate with truth: an encounter with the beauty of the Church, and the splendor of truth, is not one to leave a person unchanged. And from a film production set to a neonatal care unit, those encounters are ever a surprise.

What will Obama say at Notre Dame?

As if anyone could forget – President Obama’s commencement address at Notre Dame will take place this upcoming weekend.

What he will say, how students will react and how the university administration will continue to defend its decision to honor the pro-abortion rights president have of course been fodder to the firestorm of debate – both within and outside the Church – over the past couple months.

Most recently, Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins issued a letter to graduating seniors, asserting the university’s commitment to the sanctity of life and the fact that conferring an honorary degree “has never been a political statement or an endorsement of policy.”

That’s unlikely to convince one group of seniors to attend their own commencement ceremony – they’ll skip it in protest and convene in a prayer vigil, instead.

Earlier this week, the White House gave its most lengthy to-date reaction to the debate, with press secretary Robert Gibbs arguing that “there’s one group organizing a boycott” versus 23 student groups that support the honoring and invitation. (ABC, however, points out a couple errors from Gibbs, including the fact that that “one group” is actually a coalition of 11 organizations). 

As for what the president will actually say this Sunday, and whether he’ll touch the controversy at all, his commencement address at Arizona State University last night could perhaps provide a clue.

ASU drew its share of media attention earlier this spring when a spokesperson said President Obama would not receive an honorary degree from the school, due to his lack of a “body of work” that would normally precede such a distinction. 

Not only did the president address that head on, but he wove it into his advice for the graduates – “No matter how much you’ve done, how successful you’ve been, there’s always more to learn, always more to achieve,” he said. “You too cannot rest on your laurels … your own body of work is also yet to come.”

Will Obama do similarly at Notre Dame? With major newspapers now joining the bandwagon and printing stories on the Notre Dame-abortion-Catholic Church drama, the lack of even an allusion to the debate would be just as obvious as an actual statement during his address on his support for abortion.

So with Obama’s ASU approach as a model, as well as his careful handling of abortion on other occasions, here’s a prediction: he will likely make a general allusion to issues upon which people of good will and moral character disagree, and if he mentions abortion outright, he will classify it (as he always does) as “a serious, moral and ethical issue” on which he respects the views of his opponents. But then he will likely urge the graduates to apply their education toward dialogue, building bridges and finding common ground on America’s divisive issues. It will be followed a call to help move the nation forward and making their alma mater proud, a relatively generic graduation speech.

As Mr. Obama heads back to the White House, a central question will remain: how Notre Dame will live out its Catholic identity in the future, and how its newest graduating class will do likewise. As the President told the ASU graduates, there is still a body of work to be formed.