Notre Dame's Payment of Security Costs Continues Escalation of Obama Invite Controversy

James Todd
Pewsitter.com

April 25, 2009 - Earlier this month the City of South Bend, home of Notre Dame, had proposed a new ordinance that would require any person or group who hosts a dignitary, like the President of the United States, to foot the bill for extra police protection. Local news station WNDU has reported that this bill was tabled at a meeting earlier this week, and that city officials said Notre Dame has agreed to pay for the police protection during President Obama’s visit to the Notre Dame campus in May.

Notre Dame has been severely criticized within the Catholic community for invited President Obama as commencement speaker and presenting him with an honorary degree. At last count, 46 bishops throughout the United States have criticized Notre Dame’s invite, including the local Bishop John D’Arcy of Fort Wayne who earlier this week commented about the "terrible breach which has taken place between Notre Dame and the Church." In addition to the Bishops, more than 330,000 people have signed a petition by the Cardinal Newman denouncing the University invite to the President.

This newest development of Notre Dame’s offering to pay for police protection during the President’s scheduled visit will only fuel the fires of this controversy. Notre Dame’s President, Fr. Jenkins, also continued to stoke the fires earlier this week at a town hall meeting in South Bend when he stated: "We are very proud and honored to welcome the first African-American President of the United States in a few weeks as our commencement speaker."

Clearly, both the White House and Notre Dame have to be concerned about this escalating controversy – and there were unconfirmed reports that Fr. Jenkins was summoned to the White House earlier this week for a meeting. Though this has not been confirmed definitively, a Notre Dame owned private jet did file a flight plan and fly to Washington on Wednesday of this week.