CNSNews.com - Catholic Archbishop of New Orleans ‘Was Not Consulted’ and Won't Attend Obama’s Speech at Local Catholic College

CNSNews.com - Catholic Archbishop of New Orleans ‘Was Not Consulted’ and Won't Attend Obama’s Speech at Local Catholic College:

New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond. (Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of New Orleans)

(CNSNews.com) – When President Barack Obama speaks at Xavier University of Louisiana on August 29 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one person who will not be in attendance is New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond.

In fact, according to a spokeswoman for the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, the archbishop wasn’t consulted about the president’s visit to the Catholic university in New Orleans.

“I have spoken with Archbishop Aymond about this and he let me know that he was not consulted about the president's visit to Xavier nor will he attend,” spokeswoman Sarah Comiskey McDonald told CNSNews.com by e-mail.

McDonald did not specifically indicate that the archbishop was protesting Obama’s visit to the Xavier campus--but did indicate that Aymond would be busy that day.

“On August 29, the day President Obama will be at Xavier, Archbishop Aymond will first celebrate Mass and then will be participating in an Interfaith Prayer Service with other religious leaders in New Orleans at St. Louis Cathedral to pray for a sense of hope and rebuilding for the city and the region,” McDonald said.

“The archbishop did note however, that this is not a political speech, but one that is a gesture of compassion for and solidarity with the people of New Orleans and Xavier University of New Orleans is often used by the mayor and public officials for such events,” she added.