It’s been one of those weeks. They don’t happen very often, but when they do happen, we all become more aware. This is a countercultural life we lead and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to swim against the tide.
There was the baseball coach who insisted that a parent must be present for the entirety of every practice and every game. When it was pointed out that he was making baseball inaccessible to any child with a sibling (or eight) playing other sports, he just repeated the policy.
There was a basketball coach who was clearly “disappointed” we were unavailable for a tournament Easter weekend. There was a frank conversation about the way Christian young ladies behave when we were confronted with young ladies who clearly hadn’t had such a discussion. Everywhere I turned it seemed, the big, Catholic family was sticking out like a sore thumb. I felt it and so did my children.
Those are the times my husband and I genuinely smile all the brighter and remind ourselves that this life is a blessing — that the crosses, though real and rough and heavy, are our privilege to carry. I want to run for the hills, to build a house on the mountain and gather my children around me.
It’s a lot of work to interact with so many people who touch the lives of my many children and don’t understand why we live the way we do. Instead, I try mightily to smile and give an authentic Christian witness with my entire being. Those are the teaching opportunities, the chances to show the children by example that being Catholic isn’t something we do for an hour on Sundays, nor is it something we do when it’s convenient. Being Catholic is who we are, all the time.
I think that’s why it was particularly disturbing to me this week when Georgetown University shrank from its Catholic identity. Instead of proudly being Catholic for the world to see, instead of proclaiming itself Christian, the prestigious Catholic university cowered in the corner like Peter before the cock crowed. True, they didn’t honor the president with a degree the way Notre Dame plans to do. Instead, they just obliterated Christ.
According to news reports, President Obama asked that the “IHS” inscribed behind where he was speaking be covered. The White House made it clear that the monogram, which stands for the Greek translation for Jesus Christ, not be visible to cameras. It was covered over with a piece of black painted plywood, which remained in place even the next day. As a parent who teaches her children to be authentically Catholic every day, I am dismayed at Georgetown’s decision. I don’t take down my crucifix or hide my statues when non-Catholics come to visit.
From a purely secular perspective, I might even understand why Obama would ask to have the IHS covered. It's a politically-motivated, misguided communication strategy. Such a request is disrespectful to the host, but I understand it.
What I don't understand is why Georgetown would agree. To remove the ancient symbolism of Jesus Christ Himself from a Catholic institution in order to placate one of the most extreme anti-life, pro-abortion-under-any-circumstance politicians in the history of the our country shows a clear lack of character.
They could have said, "No, we won't deny Jesus at the nation's oldest Catholic university. Respectfully, Mr. President, you'll need to find another place to deliver your speech." We practice responses like that with our children all the time. Perhaps if the folks who make decisions at Georgetown were made to practice authentic Catholic responses, they, too could answer readily in defense of the Faith.
Perhaps Catholic University spokesman Victor Nakas would coach them. He said, "I can’t imagine, as the bishops’ university and the national university of the Catholic Church that we would ever cover up our religious art or signage for any reason. Our Catholic Faith is integral to our identity as an institution of higher education.”
On Good Friday, when I talked with my children about Peter’s denial of Christ, and then we prayed the Stations of the Cross, my 8-year-old’s eyes filled with tears.
“Why,” he cried, “why didn’t anyone step in? Why didn’t the Apostles stop them? Why did everyone just let Jesus die?”
In this country, He’s dying again and again and again. It’s time to speak up before the cock crows.
Foss is a freelance writer from Northern Virginia. Her Web site is elizabethfoss.com.
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We I first saw this on the evening news I was first surprised, then confused. Why would Georgetown University agree to this I wondered. Now I simply feel sad. The Church needs our prayers, and we need answers.
what a WONDERFUL column. I love it. I also agree in that I can (sort of) understand why Obama or the White House staff would want the images removed. If it was a televised speech, it could be taken out of context. Perhaps someone watching in a foreign country would mistake his speaking at a Jesuit University to mean he was delivering a message *on behalf* of Jesuits, or something like that. Either way, it has the potential to be misconstrued.
What baffles me is why a Jesuit university would so easily hide the name of Christ. That is NEVER okay. Couldn't they have just shot around the podium, and only had Obama's face/shoulders in the frame or something? Or requested that he give the speech elsewhere? Did they even give it a second thought?
Terribly sad.
Dear Elizabeth,
Last week I too found myself in a culture clash. My teenage, (almost 15) was participating in the parish fashion show fund raiser. I took all six kids to mall to get her outfit. The store manager showed us 3 options. I asked for something more modest, explaining to her it was a church fashion show after all. So, she gave us 3 options she had set aside for the tweens. I almost said, "modesty isn't anymore relevant to age than honesty is". But, I didn't. I wanted to keep things peaceful and reserve the guns for later.
Anyway, her outfit was not scandalous, yet not virtuous either. The shorts were too short, yes. But, the store wanted the model to wear high, I mean HIGH heels with it. With the shoes it was extremely provocative! There was no way my innocent daughter was going to wear that! There is no way I was going to Hell over some sandals, either! I don't know what exactly got be so emotional, but I cried, silently all the way home. I think I was mourning the callousness of our culture. My daughter, who by the grace of God understands both the definition of modesty as well as its importance, came up with her own solution. She would not wear the shoes, but simply carry them onto the runway! Praise the Lord! Even our parish priest mentioned to me how out of character her outfit was, and how clever he thought her solutions was. I do think I will be on the fashion show board next year! Our Catholic teens do not need to be put in this position again.
Sorry, but I cannot even fathom a tiny bit why a man who claims to be Christian would go to a Christian (Catholic) institution and ask (demand?) that any symbol of Christ would be covered, hidden, or removed. Not a tiny smidgen.
I also cannot imagine why a Catholic institution would even consider doing it. Not a tiny smidgen. I am not only disappointed, but also very ashamed to even have some of the Catholic universities today call themselves Catholic. There are several, including Notre Dame, Georgetown.
With all of the main stream media types giving the US and the world images of Obama in 'messianic-type' photos, and speaking of him in such glowing terms, it is especially important that a Catholic/Christian institution point to the TRUE Savior, Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Alpha and the Omega. There is only One. If our schools cannot stand FOR HIM in front of any worldly leader, I fear for our future.
As for 'shooting around' the podium, etc--if Obama didn't want to share the limelight with the symbols of our Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Only Begotten Son of God, then he should have gone elsewhere to speak.
Why we would appease this behavior in a nation founded on religious freedom is beyond me. For prestige? For money? For image? For...?
His Word says that if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us before the Father. It is time to begin to stand firmly for Him. It is time to wake up the Sleeping Giant before it is too late to do so.
Your 8 yr old's feelings are similar to mine as a child. As a grandmother, I see Him being sold once again for 30 pieces of silver in many arenas, being denied for safety, expediency or 'political correctness', and sometimes being delivered for execution with a kiss. To me, what Georgetown did was the first and second of these, and Notre Dame has added the third.
I am the oldest of ten, with several siblings having four to eight children. I was only blessed with three d/t things beyond my control. I can easily relate to your experiences with many children in this day. God bless!
I apologize because I do not mean to sound judgemental, but you sound like your whining. I have a big family too and we have kids who play soccer where a parent has to be present during the practice. Practices are at the same time, same day. Our children want to play, we want them to play, so we make sacrifices and make it work, even if there are four to five kids on the sidelines crying that they want to go home or my husband has to miss an "important" meeting--it's not a cross, it's life.
A policy is a policy and just because you have lots of kids doesn't mean you should be excluded from upholding that policy or a special exception should be made.
You go on to attack Georgetown for not upholding its own Catholic policies of being Catholic, for making an exception for the President of the US.
With regards to Georgetown, I'm not an Obama supporter in any way. He is destroying all the strides the prolife movement made during the last 8 years. But in all fairness to both sides, the presidential advance team asked for it to be covered and it is pretty standard that event coordinators oblige the advance team. Some people (and yes it's scary) think that Obama is the Messiah so his press team probably works overtime to make certain that no imagery even hints at such a thing.
Covering up a symbol does not obliterate Christ because Christ is greater than a symbol.
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