This weekend a friend and I had the privilege of attending a peace group of Notre Dame Alumni gathered together on the Notre Dame campus. On my web site I often refer to Notre Dame as the only other Catholic University in the USA, besides Marquette University, to host three Department of Defense military training schools, Army, Navy/Marine and Air Force on campus.
Notre Dame is an a large Catholic University. It is its own unincorporated community north of South Bend, Indiana. The campus is on 1250 acres and includes a lake, golf course and a Basilica. It is a breathtaking beautiful campus. It is probably the greatest symbol of a Catholic University in the United States with a student population that is 85% Catholic. But as Father McCarthy, a former teacher of nonviolence on campus at our weekend gather pointed out, at the heart of the university lurks a deep evil that override the majesty and beauty of the university. One symbol of this evil is a monument to wars, Clarke Memorial Fountain, more commonly known as Stonehenge. It claims to be a monument to men and woman who served in World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars but some would say it is a monument to war, violence and killing. (See picture on side)
However, a symbol of the mix of militarism and faith is the inscription above one of the doors leading into Sacred Heart Basilica on campus. It says “God, Country and Notre Dame—In Glory Everlasting.” (See composite of pictures below) Father McCarthy called the statement blasphemy and it seems to be the opposite of what Pope Francis declaring recently “Faith and Violence are Incompatible.”. The phrase on the Basilica is a dangerous and sinful mix, in my opinion, of Government and Military Values over Faith and Conscience.
This is the tragedy of our times, using Faith to promote nationalism and violence.
picture of door on Basilica reading
“God, Country and Notre Dame—In Glory Everlasting”and picture of Notre Dame Army squad in action.”
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