Petition to Notre Dame Pres. Fr. Jenkins: Please drop the charges again pro-lifers

From TFP Student Action:

URGENT petition to Notre Dame: Please drop the charges
By TFP Student Action  
September 10, 2009

The 88 outspoken pro-lifers peacefully walked onto Notre Dame’s campus in May to be the voice of the unborn – when pro-abortion president Obama was honored there – and were arrested for trespassing.  Among those arrested were Fr. Norman Weslin, several Catholic nuns, Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade, and Ambassador Alan Keyes.

Sign the “Drop the Charges” petition

Lifesitenews.com reports:

    “While witnesses say pro-Obama protesters were allowed to roam free, the arrested individuals were singled out for displaying any pro-life message — including slogans on the sanctity of life, photographs of aborted children, a large wooden cross, and images of Mary.”

The double standard is rather shocking, isn’t it?

The University of Notre Dame, as the original complainant, has the choice to drop the charges pending against the 88 pro-lifers.

Therefore, your signature is very important right now because, according to reports, the president of Notre Dame “has repeatedly refused to seek such leniency or even answer the pro-lifers’ requests for dialogue.”  (Lifesitenews.com: 09-04-09)

Join this urgent petition.  Pass it along.  Post it on Facebook, on blogs, and get the word out.

Kindly ask Fr. Jenkins to drop the charges

Respectfully contact Fr. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame:

Office of the President
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Phone: 574-631-3903
Email: president@nd.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in Emanations from Penumbras and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

11 Comments

  1. moon1234 says:

    Notre Shame has forever lost my support. My children will NEVER attend this university. There are many other CATHOLIC institutions of higher learning that won’t sell our Catholic identity down the river for short photo-op with the pro-murder of the unborn president.

    During president Obama’s tenure in office, more children will die from abortion that did people during the Holocost in WWII Germany. Think about that the next time you hear anyone spouting off about the Notre Dame issue.

    St. Maximilian Kolbe – ora pro nobis

  2. Greg Smisek says:

    O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel;
    qui aperis, et nemo claudit;
    claudis, et nemo aperit:
    veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
    sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

  3. Titus says:

    This is not entirely fair. I’ve spoken with an attorney in the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, and he made very clear that the County was in charge of these prosecutions now and would pursue them regardless of ND’s action on the matter. The government officials in South Bend dislike both the university and prolifers and frankly are more than happy to skewer them both on the same stake. The assertion that the university can drop the charges at this point in the proceedings (they obviously could have prior to indictment, and they obviously could have not requested prosecution in the first place) does not appear to be supported by any real evidence. As deserving as Fr. Jenkins was of initial criticism, it is not at all clear that he, much less everyone else associated with the university, deserves this particular criticism.

  4. patrick_f says:

    There was a time when Priest commanded a certain respect, a for lack of better term, fear.

    Perhaps if Fr. Jenkins would act like a priest, and defend those that cant defend themselves, march into the Attorney’s office, and plea with them, they will see the light. People would then take him seriously as a cleric.

    I find it also hard to believe that a university, being the tax foot print that it is, also has no “clout”

    Holiness, true holiness has an affect on people, whether you agree with them or not. If this priest had been following his ministry all along, one the mistake would have never happen, but two, he could convince these people to drop the charges

  5. becket1 says:

    If he is any sort of Catholic priest, he will drop charges. If not, than I question if he should wear the cloth or whether he is Catholic!.

  6. MisterH says:

    Thomas Brejcha, President of the Thomas More Society which is providing the legal defense for the “Notre Dame 88”, argues in an open letter to Fr. Jenkins that the matter is definitely not out of Notre Dame’s control and that Notre Dame has the ability to get the charges dropped.

    I have posted Mr. Brejcha’s letter at my blog here:
    http://allhands-ondeck.blogspot.com/2009/09/open-letter-to-notre-dames-president-to.html

  7. TNCath says:

    Our Fathers chained in prisons dark,
    Were still in heart and conscience free…
    Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith!
    We will be true to Thee ’til death.

    History repeats itself.

  8. MisterH says:

    Charles Rice, emeritus ND Professor of Law & author of the newly published book “What Happened to Notre Dame?”, has released an open letter to Fr. Jenkins.

    Figuratively speaking, he doesn’t pull any punches.

    Details here:
    http://allhands-ondeck.blogspot.com/2009/09/open-letter-from-charles-rice-to-fr.html

  9. EXCHIEF says:

    Based upon 43 years experience working in the criminal justice system I would say that from a “technical” perspective Titus is correct. From a practical perspective however I have NEVER seen a prosecutor in a misdemeanor case (which tresspass is) proceed with prosecution unless the victim (in this case represented by an employee of NDU) was willing to “press charges” and testify. If Fr. Jenkins were, as he should, to intercede with the prosecutor’s office on behalf of those arrested it is doubtful the matter would ever see the inside of a courtroom. At the very least Jenkins could easily persuade the prosecutor to accept pleas to a lesser and included offense with the “deal” resulting in straight probation with no fine or incarceration.

    It is almost inconceivable that given the minor nature of these alleged offenses that the prosecutor would spend the amount of tax dollars it will take to try 88 defendants. It would also seem that the court itself would much rather dispose of these de minimus cases without trial….all of the foregoing being moot if indeed the prosecutor has his own personal agenda against NDU and pro-lifers.

    Having said that I think Titus is incorrect to transfer the blame from Jenkins to the prosecutor. It was Jenkin’s/NDU’s decision to effect arrests in the first place. Arrests involving Catholics entering a so-called Catholic institution to peaceably protest against abortion — an act the Church teaches is morally wrong.

    So, try as some will, there is absolutely no way for Jenkins/NDU to be washed clean of the prosecution of people who chose to live their faith at a time when the university abandoned its faith.

  10. moon1234 says:

    Notre Dame really should be de-listed as a Catholic institution of higher learning. They are no different than any state run University. What will Notre Dame have to do to be delisted? Will it take them setting up an abortuary before any action is taken.

    It is shameful and scandelous that they are allowed to still call themselves Catholic. At the bottom of the open letter there is a picture that really does say a thousand words. This should be on a bumper sticker with large letters that says “NOTRE SHAME”

  11. Geremia says:

    Please sign also the petition related to this: Scandal: Research Finds Pro-Homosexual Clubs at 96 Catholic Universities. You might also want to include this as a personal message in the petition:

    Please keep this in mind from Romans 1:21,25-27,32; idolatry ? homosexuality:

    Because that, when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God or given thanks: but became vain in their thoughts. And their foolish heart was darkened. […] Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause, God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature. And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts, one towards another: men with men, working that which is filthy and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error. […] Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death: and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.

Comments are closed.