Blakey on Adultery

When I was at Notre Dame Law School, I once heart Professor G. Robert Blakey comment on the all-too-frequent phenomenon of politicians cheating on their spouses. He said something that has stayed with me for more than twenty years. He said, “Adultery is no longer considered beyond the pale.” He added that it certainly wasn’t the way he led his life. Incidentally, Professor Blakey and his wife have eight children, so I doubt he has the time, and he obviously adheres to the Catholic Church’s policy on birth control.

He continued by saying that it’s one thing for a man to fall in love with a woman other than his wife, but a man who cheats on his wife incessantly shows a lack of human empathy, both for his wife and for the other woman. I simply have to agree with him.