Today, President Barack Obama participated in the Catholic-Evangelical Leadership Summit on Overcoming Poverty at Georgetown University. Surprisingly, the White House didn’t ask GU to cover up the “IHS” monogram and cross in the auditorium this time.
Back in April 2009, the White House had asked that GU cover up all signs and symbols in Gaston Hall before President Obama delivered remarks on the U.S. economy. The university complied, concealing both the gold “IHS” monogram—an acronym for the Latin Iesus Hominum Salvator, meaning "Jesus, Savior of Mankind"—and the cross behind the main podium with a triangle of black-painted plywood - and the scandal prompted national outrage and media coverage.
“The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they’ve done for other policy speeches,” former associate vice president for communications at Georgetown, Julie Green Bataille, told CNSNews.com. “Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn’t high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context.”
A cross and letters symbolic of Christianity in the background must not have been considered “out of context” this time, since President Obama was attending a Christian event.
Still, the cross and letters should have never been covered up by a university purporting to embody Jesuit Catholic principles. Period. End of story.