LISTEN PLEASE
I was going to allow the Notre Dame graduation of last Sunday pass without further comment but when I read the attached speech of Justice John Noonan of the US Court of Appeals given during the commencement ceremony, I found it too good not to share with my readers.
First, a few words about Judge Noonan. In the mid ’60′s of the last century, he was chosen along with others by Pope Paul VI to serve on a papal commission to review Church teaching on the subject of c0ntraception. Why was a young law professor from Massachusetts chosen for such a task by the Holy Father. Because as a college and law student, John Noonan became this country’s foremost expert on natural law, a foundational element of the Church’s teaching on all of human sexuality.
Secondly, he was a past recipient of the Laetare Medal given by the University of Notre Dame to an outstanding Cath0lic lay person. When Professor Mary Ann Glendon of Harvard Law School chose not to accept this year’s Laetare Medal, the University’s President, Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. asked Judge Noonan to speak at the ceremony in her place.
Ponder his words carefully – they make a lot more sense than 90% of the rhetoric in the last few weeks. You may view video of or read the text of his remarks by clicking here.
+RNL
Tags: University of Notre Dame