As we were combing through the early morning clips, we came across a number of stories today mentioning Denver Archbishop Cardinal Charles J. Chaput’s contestation of a Vatican Cardinals’ pro-Obama essay that appeared over the summer in the International Catholic magazine 30 Days http://bit.ly/IaHAV. 

Written by Cardinal Georges Cottier, a Swiss Dominican who served as the Theologian of the Pontifical Household from 1990 to 2005, the piece keyed off of President Obama’s speech at Notre Dame.  In his piece, Cardinal Cottier defends and attempts to rationalize President Obama’s speech suggesting it “gave a glimpse of politics that can be usefully compared with fundamental elements of the social doctrine of the Catholic Church.”  But what shocked many Catholics around the world was Cardinal Cottier’s claim that the President’s comments pertaining to abortion were a “humble realism.” 

American Catholics awaited a response.  Well, as the saying goes – “good things come to those who wait.”  In today’s edition of the popular and influential Italian daily, Il Foglio,  Archbishop Chaput firmly and articulately contests Cardinal Cottier’s pro-Obama essay of July 3 — strike up the Notre Dame fight song and read it here…  http://bit.ly/2kTK55 

Following on the call of John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for Catholics to engage in the public debate over the great challenging issues of our day, Archbishop Chaput is in many ways a modern day St. Michael, defending the Catholic faith both within the Catholic community and more broadly in the public square.  He is consistently a defender of the unborn and for traditional marriage.  He is elegantly outspoken in the Church’s opposition to embryonic stem cell research. 

Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

While the debate over Notre Dame’s invitation for President Obama to speak and their subsequent awarding of him through an honorary degree may have abated, each Saturday as the “Fighting” Irish tee up the ball for kick off, many Catholics cringe in memory of this sad day for American Catholocism.  For those Catholics we encourage a read of Archbishop Chaput’s response to Cardinal Cottier.  Maybe even file it away and before the next kick-off, give it a read.  Thanks to Archbishop Chaput for standing up for our faith, even when it may mean calling out a Vatican Cardinal.