Archbishop Burke calls Notre Dame Honor of Obama "Greatest Scandal"

WASHINGTON, DC, May 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) -

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Vatican's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, called on Catholics to "give an uncompromising witness" to the dignity of life and sharply criticized the University of Notre Dame for its planned honor for pro-abortion President Barack Obama during an address this morning to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.

The archbishop began his address by noting that he has "the deepest concern for our nation," and later implored Catholics to be aware of the "godless secularism and relativism" that underlie the Culture of Death. He noted that "we would be right to be discouraged if this were just up to us," and talked about the importance of Eucharistic Adoration and praying the Rosary.

Commenting on the ongoing scandal of Notre Dame's planned honor for President Obama, Archbishop Burke received a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 1,200 when he called it "rightly the source of the greatest scandal." He said that Catholic universities and schools "must be beacons of truth and right conduct."

He went on to note that if our Catholic universities are not willing to accept the suffering that is necessary to the witness of the faith "then they are not worthy of the name Catholic."

Patrick J. Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society, which has been spearheading a petition effort against Notre Dame's decision, commented on Burke's remarks, saying, "The faithful in the Church and especially Catholics in America are blessed to have a shepherd such as Archbishop Burke reminding us of our responsibilities as disciples of Christ to always and everywhere proclaim the Truth."