With the Obama administration having trouble finding an appropriate
ambassador to the Vatican, I’ve been saying for the past few weeks he
should return Mary Ann Glendon to that post. Looks like that suggestion
is more apt….and more unlikely….than ever.

Here’s the White House response to Glendon’s decision to decline the Laetare Medal and the ND commencement ceremony:

Jen Psaki, White House Deputy Press Secretary, said:
“President Obama is disappointed by former Ambassador Mary Glendon’s
decision, but he looks forward to delivering an inclusive and
respectful speech at the Notre Dame graduation, a school with a rich
history of fostering the exchange of ideas. While he is honored to have
the support of millions of people of all faiths, he does not govern
with the expectation that everyone sees eye to eye with him on every
position, and the spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on
important issues is part of what he loves about this country.”

It’s a smokescreen statement saying nothing about the actual
controversy and perpetuating the false idea that this is somehow going
to be an “exchange of ideas”. And that the call for a Catholic
university to not confer upon a pro-abortion president a doctorate of
laws is somehow not inclusive. At least his participation in this is
generating a passionate debate and hearty disagreement on the issues of
life and liberty.

About that ambassadorship….Sen. John Kerry has made an interesting admission. 

In an April 21 interview with USA Today, Kerry denied he had recommended Caroline Kennedy as a possible Holy See ambassador….

“I think that if you’re going to have an ambassador who has access
to His Holiness and who has the ability to be able to represent all the
other things which you want to come together on, it is best not to, you
know, make things difficult from the outset. And obviously given the
position of the Church, that’s difficult. And so an honest answer is,
you know, I’d try to find someone who doesn’t open up that front, so to
speak, and has the ability to represent where we find the common
ground.”

Added Kerry, “Does it have to be [a pro-life person]? No, but that would be my recommendation.”

A moment of honesty. But carry the logic through. Understanding that
the pro-abortion position defies Church teaching, how can he and other
politicians reconcile being both?