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Bishop John M. D’Arcy, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, used a story about the late Pope John Paul II on Monday to explain his last-minute change of mind about attending a rally organized by students as an alternative to Sunday’s graduation ceremonies at the University of Notre Dame.
"People always admired Pope John Paul II for his ability to draw young people. But the pope used to say it wasn’t the pope who drew the young people, it was the young people drawing the pope. And that’s how it was with me," D’Arcy said.
D’Arcy landed in the middle of a firestorm in recent weeks after he said he would not attend Notre Dame’s graduation because the university had invited President Obama to speak and receive an honorary degree.
The bishop based his stand on Obama’s abortion rights and stem-cell research record and a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document that says Catholic universities should not provide a platform nor confer honors on those who "act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
On Monday, D’Arcy praised the students of ND Response for organizing the rally, which was university-sanctioned and attracted between 2,000 and 3,000 to the famed grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary on campus.
"The young people, the pro-life kids were just so impressive in this," said D’Arcy, who decided to attend after speaking with students after a Mass and a vigil he attended Saturday. He said he’d been considering attending all last week and felt led by the Holy Spirit to do so.
"Mainly, when I saw the kids and their goodness and the dignity with which they were doing things and the substantiveness of their response in terms of Catholic teachings … I thought, ‘How is a bishop going to stay away from this?’ " the bishop said.
D’Arcy said he wanted to draw a distinction between the students who objected to Obama and other demonstrators who descended on the South Bend campus in recent weeks.
Several of those demonstrators carried graphic images of abortions and pushed baby strollers carrying dolls covered in fake blood. Several were arrested for violating no-trespassing orders issued by the university.
In contrast, the students and their supporters "were there to pray and for dignity," D’Arcy said. He said he sat on the periphery of the crowd and spoke a few words in support of the students when asked.
Issues that surrounded the graduation invitation are likely not over, the bishop said.
Declining to speculate on whether Notre Dame’s president, the Rev. John Jenkins, hoped to inspire Catholic bishops to re-evaluate their earlier position on speeches and honors at Catholic universities, D’Arcy said the subject would likely come up at the annual bishops’ meeting in San Antonio next month.
"It’s not on the agenda, but my feeling is it will be discussed," he said.
D’Arcy was one of more than 50 bishops who voiced disapproval of Obama’s appearance on campus. Asked whether the uproar over the issue that he, the diocese and the university have endured was worthwhile, D’Arcy said he would not do anything differently.
"Oh no," he said. "It’s always worth it when you’ve done the right thing.
"I felt closer than ever to the young people. They all tell me – well, I don’t think I did anything, really – but they told me how much they were influenced and how much they appreciated my actions."
