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Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly's religious, Catholic values questioned

By
SEAN O'SHEA,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, January 16, 2010, 9:09 AM
Updated Saturday, January 16, 2010, 4:31 PM

 

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Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly

A well known religious publication, Word magazine, has tried to stir up controversy about Brian Kelly's political views and accused Notre Dame of "setting aside moral standards for the sake of athletic success."

The article states: "The recent hire of Brian Kelly to succeed Charlie Weis as head football coach at Notre Dame raised more than a few eyebrows among devout Catholic alumni. Kelly has a history of association with left-leaning politicians... Such ties have prompted some Fighting Irish faithful to wonder aloud if Kelly supports legalized abortion."

Then come the lines about moral standards, and then this: "If abortion supporting President Barack Obama can deliver the school's commencement address, as he did last year, then why can't a liberal coach the football team?”

This is complete nonsense, and Kelly to date to his credit has refused to be drawn into such controversies. Asked about his stand, he says he is "pro-Notre Dame" and "pro-football."

Good for him. It is absolutely no one's business what private views Coach Kelly holds and to suggest otherwise is ridiculous. After all, few blinked an eye when Lou Holtz campaigned for a Republican candidate when he was head coach.

Kelly was hired to coach football, and unless he begins proselytizing with team members that is the only standard he can be judged on. To suggest otherwise is to go against the grain of all our laws on religious freedom and freedom of expression.

Kelly will live and die on his record. Let the priests take care of the spiritual issues. Lots of prayers to Touchdown Jesus for a successful season is the way to go.

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11 Comments

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Posted by linqingshan on May 21, 2010, 09:52 AM EDT
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Posted by edwardkeating on May 20, 2010, 05:55 PM EDT
let the man coach ND football. and forgetabout the rest of the stuff outside the football team. let the man build a national championship team so we can win...win...win.
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Posted by avemaria on Jan 22, 2010, 03:35 PM EST
who is for abortion? there are too many Catholcis who are one issue catholics and ignore the fact that the Church has historically supported war and thus condoned the deaths of innocent civilians in the Iraq - where the rationale for war was totally fabricated war-and now in Afghanistan-I am sick of the simpering hypocrasy-and the selective morals of these one issue Catholics
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Posted by JosephOCasey on Jan 20, 2010, 09:31 PM EST
Sean, the article is in The World Magazine not the Word Magazine. here is the link: http://www.worldmag.com/articles/16309 There is nothing here to get your panties in a knot. I live 6 miles from Notre Dame. I interact with thousands of ND Alums on a regular basis and virtually nobody has even mentioned this as an issue with Coach Kelly. As long as he doesn't make any public pronouncements about endorsing a Pro-Choice point of view, it is a total non issue. Nobody in Domerland cares about his privately held views.
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Posted by JosephOCasey on Jan 20, 2010, 09:11 PM EST
How about a link to the magazine article? This magazine doesn't appear in a google search.
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Posted by edwardkeating on Jan 20, 2010, 06:54 PM EST
let coach brian kelly do what he was hired to do, coach the ND football team. the religion and the church will take care itself. amen....lets get on with recuriting and ND football for this season. go. go. go..fight..fight..fight..fight. go IRISH.
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Posted by boru1951 on Jan 18, 2010, 12:49 PM EST
Curious about this magazine "Word". Have never heard of such a publication. Have they spoken out about the death penalty, sexual abuse and other theological questions?
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Posted by slainte9 on Jan 18, 2010, 10:35 AM EST
This is bizarre. A football coach might not be acceptable to Notre Dame because he might have voted for Ted Kennedy? There are definitely people around with too much time on their hands. If you believe in life and are find yourself wandering around the house with nothing to do, volunteer to help the destitute in Haiti or prepare meals for the hungry in the ghetto like the blessed Martin Sheen. Or protest at a Texas when they execute another possibly innocent soul.
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Posted by mrkennedy on Jan 18, 2010, 10:05 AM EST
Kelly, says he is pro-Notre Dame and pro-football. Why couldn't he also include pro-life? Then of course Fr. Jenkins and the board of the University would not like that as it would contradict their invitation to inviting the President!!!!
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Posted by MotherIrish on Jan 18, 2010, 09:45 AM EST
The Catholic church will always turn a blind eye to belief over profit. ND football is profit.
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Posted by cmwarthen on Jan 18, 2010, 09:16 AM EST
Just the latest screed from alumni ("devout Catholics"). Like the U.S. Catholic church hierarchy, always ignoring the freedom of conscience enthroned at the Council of Trent, too many U.S. Catholics seem tethered to the apronstrings of "mother church" rather than to the sensus fidelium of that same Council (16th century)and Vatican II's description of church as "the people of God"
 


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