Notre Dame indeed honors Biden, Boehner; they love a good controversy those Fightin Irish

Biden and Boehner Honored at Notre Dame

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May 15, 2016

From CNN: 

Vice President Joe Biden and former House Speaker John Boehner shared the stage at Notre Dame University’s commencement ceremony Sunday where they both spoke on the current negative state of politics.

Biden and Boehner, who are both Catholics, were each awarded the 2016 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor at the catholic university.
Biden joked that while he didn’t like Boehner — the two were often on opposite sides over issues like Obamacare and government spending — he “loved him.”
Boehner, for his part, said it was an honor to share the stage with the vice president.
Notre Dame’s President Rev. John I. Jenkins, said the university chose to give the prestigious award to the two politicians from different sides as a comment on the current political environment “where poisonous invective and partisan gamesmanship pass for political leadership.”

“It is a good time to remind ourselves what lives dedicated to genuine public service in politics look like. We find it in the lives of Vice President Biden and Speaker Boehner,” he said in a statement.
Biden, who didn’t cite any specific politicians in his condemnation, said while politics has long been a full contact sport, “it has recently become a blood sport full of invective,” adding that he has “not seen it like this” in his career.
“We used to treat each other with respect,” Biden told the audience in South Bend, Indiana. “John (Boehner) and I aren’t old school. We’re the American school … progress only comes when you deal with your opponent with respect. Listening as well as talking.”

The South Bend Tribune reports: 

While Notre Dame’s commencement addresses were getting underway, a couple dozen protesters gathered Sunday morning at the university’s main gate to publicly object to Vice President Joe Biden receiving the Laetare Medal.
Biden and former Speaker of the House John Boehner were presented with the medal, which is awarded to prominent Catholics, at the commencement ceremony in Notre Dame Stadium.
Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League in Chicago, came to South Bend with a small contingent to protest. He said he believes Biden’s support for abortion access goes contrary to Catholic social teachings, and that Biden shouldn’t receive a medal that honors Catholic Americans.
“The idea that our unborn brothers and sisters would be without a voice today is unconscionable,” Scheidler said. “That’s why we are here.”
Still, the goal is not to disrupt, he added.
“In a way, we are also here on behalf of the pro-life students,” Scheidler said. “It must be difficult for students with a strong Catholic faith and pro-life convictions to see Notre Dame ignore not only the teachings of the church, but also the plea of the local bishop to not go forward with the award.”
Shawn Sullivan, director and founder of The Apostolate of Divine Mercy and The Life Center in South Bend, was also at the protest. They were there to witness, he said, and hopefully highlight the issue for passers-by. Graphic signs depicted aborted fetuses or declared statements such as “Shame on Notre Dame” or “Catholic Faith Attacked From Within.”

Photo: provided by University of Notre Dame

- See more at: http://aleteia.org/blogs/deacon-greg-kandra/biden-and-boehner-honored-at-notre-dame/#sthash.djF1wLee.dpuf.

>>Story at Deacon's Bench by Deacon Greg Kendra

In an intense election year, Notre Dame chooses to honor divisive "Catholic" politicians

Why Biden and Boehner are receiving a key Catholic honor from Notre Dame

 

 

 

By Michelle Boorstein March 6  

Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill on Sept. 24, 2015. Vice President Biden, left, and House Speaker John A. Boehner listen. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Citing America’s “toxic political environment” and the need to highlight dialogue, the University of Notre Dame has given one of the highest honors in U.S. Catholicism to Vice President Biden and former House speaker John Boehner. The announcement Saturday set off impassioned responses from Catholics, with some viewing it as a high moment for their church and others deeming it political pandering.
The announcement of the 2016 Laetare Medal recipients comes at a time of changing messages from Catholic leaders about what it means to be a Catholic voter — or what it means to live out the faith in public life. After years of popes and many U.S. bishops who often characterized Catholicism through opposition to liberalizing social changes around abortion and human sexuality, Pope Francis has encouraged leaders to be less judgmental as they teach traditional faith. Biden and Boehner — two lifelong, practicing Catholics taking very different policy positions, sometimes in opposition to church teaching — sat behind Francis this past fall when he spoke to Congress and urged civility.
Catholics were set off by — and are still debating — Notre Dame’s decision in 2009 to give an honorary doctorate to President Obama. Dozens of U.S. bishops — including five cardinals — reportedly criticized the decision, and that year a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican declined the Laetare Medal in protest.

“We live in a toxic political environment where poisonous invective and partisan gamesmanship pass for political leadership,” the Rev. John Jenkins, president of the prominent Catholic school, wrote in announcing the medal on Saturday. “Public confidence in government is at historic lows, and cynicism is high. It is a good time to remind ourselves what lives dedicated to genuine public service in politics look like. We find it in the lives of Vice President Biden and Speaker Boehner.

“While both have been loyal and committed partisans, they were leaders who put the good of the nation ahead of partisan victory, seeking through respectful dialogue honorable compromise and progress. Speaker Boehner’s resistance to a simple reductionism made him suspect in his own party; Vice President Biden reminded his fellow Democrats that those in the other party are ‘our opponents, not our enemies.’
“In recognizing both men, Notre Dame is not endorsing the policy positions of either, but celebrating two lives dedicated to keeping our democratic institutions working for the common good through dialogue focused on the issues and responsible compromise.”

The award will be presented at commencement on May 15. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Washington’s archbishop and one of the U.S. bishops closest to Francis, will receive an honorary doctorate that day in what many will see as a symbolic church approval of the bipartisan award.
Jenkins “has made a bold move to begin the fraught process of dismantling the architecture of the culture warrior model of Church that has plagued our Church and our country for too long,” Michael Sean Winters, a writer on U.S. Catholicism, wrote Sunday in the National Catholic Reporter. “This year’s Laetare award sends the unmistakable signal that the time for building walls, either those erected by the [U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops] or those promised by [Donald] Trump, has ended and the time for building bridges has begun.”
Debate was intense on Notre Dame’s Facebook page, where the award was announced. Some saw the award as a sign of what modern church leadership should look like — moderate and open. Others disagreed over whether either man deserved the award, Biden as a supporter of abortion rights and Boehner as someone seen as not prioritizing immigration reform. Dignity for immigrants and opposition to abortion are basic Catholic principles. Others wondered why Notre Dame seemed to be in the news again for its honoring of a politician.

The Laetare Medal is given to Catholics in all fields. Recent recipients include singer Aaron Neville, poet Dana Gioia, former head of the Catholic Relief Services Ken Hackett (now U.S. ambassador to the Vatican) and prominent death-penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean. The last time a politician received the award was in 1992, when it was given to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
“We were just getting over the Obama embarrassment and now this!! How are the behaviors and attitudes of these two men in anyway representative of Catholicism? This is just wrong,” one person wrote on the school’s Facebook announcement.
The most popular comment — with the most likes — on the school’s page was one urging compromise, which then morphed through replies into a debate about whether science proves or disproves that zygotes are lives.
“The U.S. Is a melting pot of beliefs and freedom of religion and the law of the land governs our free society. To hear people affiliated with such a blessed university be so closed minded and closed hearted is concerning,” the initial comment read.
The medal (pronounced lay-TAH-ray) is named for the Latin word “rejoice” and for part of the liturgy on the fourth Sunday of Lent, just before Easter. According to the university, it is given annually to a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the Church and enriched the heritage of humanity.” On the medal is inscribed in Latin “Magna est veritas et prevalebit,” which means “Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail.”

Will he accept? The Pope invited to address Congress

John Boehner invites Pope Francis to address Congress

Pope Francis waves as he leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in this file photo. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

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By The Associated Press The Associated Press
on March 14, 2014 at 8:10 AM, updated March 14, 2014 

House Speaker John Boehner has invited Pope Francis to address a joint meeting of Congress. Boehner says in a statement that the pope has inspired millions with his pastoral manner and servant leadership.
The speaker says he had extended an open and formal invitation to the pontiff.
In his statement, Boehner highlights the pope's call for the protection of the most vulnerable — the ailing, disadvantaged, "impoverished and the unborn."

and then Speaker of the House responds to the Bishops

Republican Budget: John Boehner Says Bishops Miss Big Picture In Protesting GOP's Proposed Cuts

Posted: 04/18/2012

House Majority Leader John Boehner, who is a Catholic, acknowledged the bishops' moral authority but suggested their focus was too narrow as they scolded Republicans over cutting assistance to those who are poor, hungry and homeless.

 

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) chastised Catholic bishops at a Wednesday news conference on Capitol Hill, saying they needed to look at the bigger picture after they complained that the GOP budget plan fails to meet "moral criteria."
The bishops had written letters to Capitol Hill, arguing many elements of the Republicans' budget proposal, such as cuts to food stamps, harmed the poor while the wealthy benefitted.
"At a time of great competition for agricultural resources and budgetary constraints, the needs of those who are hungry, poor and vulnerable should come before assistance to those who are relatively well off and powerful," stated one of the letters.
"Just solutions ... must require shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and fairly addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs. The House-passed budget resolution fails to meet these moral criteria," they declared in another document.
Boehner, who is a Catholic, acknowledged the bishops' moral authority but suggested their focus was too narrow as they scolded Republicans over cutting assistance to those who are poor, hungry and homeless.
"I want them to take a bigger look," Boehner said. "And the bigger look is, if we don't make decisions, these programs won't exist, and then they'll really have something to worry about."
Boehner gave a detailed defense of the GOP plan, which to achieve most of its savings would cut billions from programs helping poor Americans.
"What's more of a concern to me is the fact that if we don't begin to make some decisions about getting our fiscal house in order, there won't be a safety net," Boehner said.
"There won't be these programs, and I don't know how often some of us have to talk about the fact that you can't spend $1.3 trillion more than what you bring in -- that's what's going to happen this year, $5 trillion worth of debt over the last five years -- and think that this can continue," Boehner said.
"When you look at the fact that we have to make hard decisons, it's about trying to make sure that we're able to preserve these programs that are critically important for the poorest in our society."

Speaker of the House will fight the HHS mandate against the Church

Boehner vows to overturn Obama’s birth control coverage rule

By Chris Moody

Political Reporter

By Chris Moody | The Ticket 

House Speaker John Boehner (Evan Vucci/AP)

From the Republican presidential candidates to top GOP  lawmakers in Washington, party leaders are engaging in a full-court press against the Obama Administration's decision to force employers affiliated with religious groups to offer health care insurance plans to workers that cover birth control free of charge, even if the action contradicts the employer's religious beliefs.
In a rare move for someone in his office, House Speaker John Boehner, Republican of Ohio, took to the floor of the chamber on Wednesday to discuss a legislative plan to overturn the decision. Calling the rule "an unambiguous attack" on faith-based groups, Boehner said the House would begin work on a bill immediately.
"If the president does not reverse the department's attack on religious freedom, then the Congress, acting on behalf of the American people, and the Constitution that we're sworn to uphold and defend, must," Boehner, a Catholic, said. "The House will approach this matter fairly and deliberately through regular order and appropriate legislative channels."
Boehner said that the chamber's Energy and Commerce committee will take the lead in drafting the legislation to overturn the decision.
Last month, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that certain faith-based groups would have one year to comply with the requirement, enacted when Congress passed a federal health care overhaul in 2010. "Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan, will be provided an additional year, until August 1, 2013, to comply with the new law," Sebelius said in the statement.

The rule still exempts houses of worship from having to provide insurance that offers free contraceptives, but it applies to non-profit organizations funded by churches, including universities, hospitals and charities. The decision not to exempt those groups has resulted in an uproar from religious groups--particularly the Catholic Church--who say the federal mandate to pay for birth control infringes on their religious beliefs.

U.S. Speaker of the House : Standing up for Life

Boehner to March for Life: Pro-Life Not Just a Label for Me

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com |

House Speaker John Boehner, a pro-life Republican from Ohio,  today delivered opening remarks at the 39th March for Life. Boehner is frequently praised for pro-life groups for pushing several pieces of key pro-life legislation and paving the way for the first major votes late year to attempt to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
Although Boehner got the Republican-led House to approve various bills and revoke taxpayer funding for the nation’s biggest abortion business, President Barack Obama threatened vetoes and Democrats in the Senate defeated the effort.
The following are Speaker Boehner’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Thank you, Nellie, and let me thank all of you for braving the elements. I’m truly honored to be here.
“I come before you as Speaker of the whole House of Representatives and leader of the bipartisan pro-life majority in Congress. With your help, this bipartisan majority is standing up for life and working to restore the damage of Roe v. Wade. We are heeding the voice of the people, who overwhelmingly oppose taxpayer funding of abortion. The House has passed bipartisan legislation to codify the Hyde Amendment across all federal programs. And we’ll continue to press the Senate for a vote.
“It’s an honor to serve with men and women committed to protecting the sanctity of life. We may disagree in other areas, sometimes starkly, but we are one and the same on this. Because human life is not a political or economic commodity. And defending life is not a matter of party … it’s about standing on principle.
“In that spirit, I think it’s important we take a moment to reflect on the first principles that bring us all here today.
“We’re blessed to gather on this National Mall, hallowed ground kept hallowed by footsteps and echoes. Here, half a century ago, John F. Kennedy let the world know Americans would ‘pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship’ to keep freedom alive and well.
“Like many of you, my family of Kennedy Democrats was moved by those words. I’m from what you might call a big family … I’ve got 11 brothers and sisters. It wasn’t easy for my mother to have 12 children. But I’m sure glad she did.
“Respect for life, at every stage, was instilled in us early on. My heart still grows restless at the story in Scripture that says ‘whatever you do to the least of my people you do unto me.’ No life is an island … we’re all taught that. We’re taught to extend a helping hand, especially to those in need.
“So I’ve never considered ‘pro-life’ to be a label or a position. It’s just who I am. It’s who I am, and it’s who we are as a people. If you’re like me, when you climb the steps on the other side of the Tidal Basin, you’re awed by Jefferson’s immortal words: ‘God who gave us life gave us liberty.’
“These two founding principles, life and liberty, are intertwined. Together, they form the core of our national character. They comprise the standard by which the world looks to us. When we affirm the dignity of life, we affirm our commitment to freedom. When we don’t affirm life … when life is cheapened or weakened, here or abroad, freedom itself is diminished.
“Here on this Mall, many solemn vows have been made in the long fight for freedom. America is an idea, and our duty is to preserve its blessings, the first and dearest of which is life.
“That is why Nellie Gray marches on. Let us rise to Nellie’s example and raise our voices together in defense of life. Let us pray that more of our countrymen, whether you belong to one party or no party, will join this noble cause.
“God go with all of you, and God bless the United States of America.”

Our new Catholic House Speaker

This is pretty amazing; today the U.S. House of Representatives elected their new Speaker of the House. To no one's surprise it is John Boehner(R) of Ohio. The link below is the text and video of his opening remarks. As a devout Catholic, and a pro-life Catholic, I was pleased at this part of his speech which I highlight here:

In the Catholic faith, we enter into a season of service by having ashes marked on our foreheads. The ashes remind us that life in all its forms is fragile – our time on this Earth, fleeting. As the ashes are delivered, we hear those humbling words: ‘Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’

Can we hope and pray for strong moral leadership and true Catholic witness from a Catholic politician who appears to embrace his Catholicism?


http://www.speaker.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=218967