N.D. Protest: How DARE Notre Dame honor Barack Obama.

Catholic Teaching

Icon of the Annunciation

The announcement of President Obama’s invitation to speak at Notre Dame has raised questions for many as to what exactly the Catholic Church teaches about abortion, euthanasia and other life issues.

Many have gotten the impression that the Church’s teaching is unclear or has changed over time.

This is emphatically not the case. The Church has held the same position for all of its nearly 2000 year history: That human life is sacred from conception to natural death.

What follows is a selection of quotations from Catholic teaching making clear the Church’s position, and the statements of Catholic Bishops expressing their outrage that President Obama is being honored by a Catholic institution.

Church Teaching on the Public Evil of Abortion

The Catholic Church has, from its inception, taken an unwavering stand on all life issues. Below is a selection of quotes from authoritative sources of Catholic teaching about life:

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2270
“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2271
“Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.”
Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, 51
“For God, the Lord of life, has conferred on men the surpassing ministry of safeguarding life in a manner which is worthy of man. Therefore from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care while abortion and infanticide are unspeakable crimes.”
[Read all of Gaudium et Spes]
Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 58
“Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable.”
[Read all of Evangelium Vitae]
USCCB, June 18, 2004 Catholics in Political Life.
“The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
[Read all of Catholics in Political Life]

Statements of the Bishops

The announcement of President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame sparked a firestorm of letters and statements from our nation’s Catholic Bishops. Below are excerpts from some of these courageous Bishops’ communications:

The Most Reverend John M. D’Arcy—Bishop of Fort Wayne, South Bend, Indiana
“President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.”
[Read the full statement] • [Watch the TV interview with Bishop D'Arcy.]
His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.—Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, lllinois and USCCB President
“… no university, no bishop, no parish can take a decision unilaterally and be surprised by the reaction by everyone else who calls himself or herself Catholic might make to it, especially around a profoundly deeply divisive issue such as the protection of human life within mothers’ wombs.”
[Read the news story] • [Watch the video of his comments]
His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo—Cardinal Archbishop of Galveston, Houston, Texas
“I find the invitation very disappointing … The President has made clear by word and deed that he will promote abortion and will remove even those limited sanctions that control this act of violence against the human person.”
[Read the news story on the Cardinal's comments]
The Most Reverend Timothy Dolan—outgoing Archbishop of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and newly appointed Archbishop of New York, New York
“They made a big mistake … Notre Dame should not have done something that placed itself so far outside the teaching of the Catholic Church.”
[Watch video of Bishop Dolan's comments—begin at 14 min.]
The Most Reverend John Nienstedt—Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
“I write to protest this egregious decision on your part. It is a travesty that the University of Notre Dame, considered by many to be a Catholic University, should give its public support to such an anti-Catholic politician.”
[Read report on the Archbishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Eusebius Beltran—Archbishop of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
“I am appalled, disappointed and scandalized! Notre Dame University has certainly turned against the Catholic Church. I believe you have a moral responsibility to withdraw the invitation to President Barack Obama to be your commencement speaker in May.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend John Myers—Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey
“When we extend honors to people who do not share our respect and reverence for life in all stages, and give them a prominent stage in our parishes, schools and other institutions, we unfortunately create the perception that we endorse their public positions on these issues. We cannot justify such actions, and the Bishops have stated so clearly and strongly.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Thomas Olmsted—Bishop of Phoenix, Arizona
“I am saddened and heavy of heart about your decision to invite President Obama to speak at Notre Dame University and even to receive and honorary degree. It is a public act of disobedience to the Bishops of the United States.”
[Read the Bishop's statement (PDF)]
The Most Reverend Gregory Aymond—Bishop of Austin, Texas
“In my opinion, it is very clear that in this case the University of Notre Dame does not live up to its Catholic identity in giving this award and their leadership needs our prayerful support.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Robert Lynch—Bishop of St. Petersburg, Florida
“It is a very prestigious platform to offer a President who is leading the battle for an expansion of abortion rights which may ultimately end up being unparalleled in recent history.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Edward Slattery—Bishop of Tulsa, Oklahoma
“For President Obama to be honored by Notre Dame is more than a disappointment, it is a scandal – especially to young adults. His being honored by Notre Dame will make it easier for a woman who contemplates abortion to actually submit herself to this cruel and deadly procedure.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless—Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa
“This is truly a sad day for the famous university dedicated to our Blessed Mother. I encourage those who care to write to Father Jenkins and express their displeasure with this invitation. May Father Jenkins have the courage to rescind this invitation and not be afraid of the possible embarrassment of admitting that he has made a bad decision.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
Paul CB Schenck, MA (Theol.), LHD on behalf of The Most Reverend Kevin Rhoades—Bishop of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
“The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
[Read Paul Schenck's letter on behalf of Bishop Rhoades]
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.—Bishop of Rockford, Illinois
“Though promotion of the obscene is not foreign to you, I would point out that it is truly obscene for you to take such decisions as you have done in a university named for our Blessed Lady, whom the Second Vatican Council called the Mother of the Church.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino—Bishop of Madison, Wisconsin
“As for Obama speaking at Notre Dame, Bishop Morlino noted that President Obama is not a Catholic, and as President of Notre Dame, he would NOT have invited Obama to speak.”
[Read report on the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Alfred C. Hughes—Archbishop of New Orleans, Louisiana
“We cannot compromise our Church’s clear and unflagging opposition to abortion and embryonic stem cell research by providing honors an a platform to those who deny the humanity and dignity of the most frail creatures in our midst.”
[Read the Archbishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins (PDF)]
The Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino—Bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania
“Given her Catholic identity, the University of Notre Dame’s receiving the President as the 2009 commencement speaker and her bestowing on him an honorary doctorate are truly shameful, a scandal to the Church and a major blow to hundreds of thousands who have sacrificed to bring forth a culture of life in our midst.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend John M. Dougherty—Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania
“…your argument that honoring President Obama by granting a degree to him ‘is not intended to condone or endorse his position on specific issues regarding life’ is no more than a blatant rejection of United States Bishops’ assessment of what Catholic institutions do when they so act.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend William Lori—Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut
“Notre Dame extended this invitation unilaterally, seemingly without regard for the consequences for the mission of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is contrary to the efforts of bishops, parish priests, and laity to resist the anti-life decisions, policies, and legislation promoted by the Obama administration.”
[Read the Bishop's comments in Diocesean paper (PDF)—pg. 10]
The Most Reverend George V. Murry, S.J.—Bishop of Youngstown, Ohio
“Mr. Obama’s policies of expanding the availability of abortion at home and exporting that availability overseas have demonstrated that he does not believe that the life of the unborn is very important. As a result, I cannot but be deeply disturbed by the decision made by the president and board of Notre Dame.”
[Read the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend William Higi—Bishop of Lafayette, Indiana
“In simple fact, the Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who stand in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions. The sanctity of life from conception to natural death heads that list of fundamental principles.”
[Read report on the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend José Gomez and The Most Reverend Oscar Cantú—Archbishop and Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio, Texas
“President Obama has made it clear that his policies on abortion and the protection of innocent life are in dramatic opposition to the teachings of the Catholic Church. At this critical time we cannot afford to send an ambiguous message to our leaders or our people.
[Read the Bishops' letter to Bishop D'Arcy (PDF)]
The Most Reverend Anthony Taylor—Bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas
“In 2004, the United States of Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a policy statement called ‘Catholics in Political Life,’ which says, with reference to pro-abortion politicians, ‘They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.’ On March 21, 2009 it was announced that Notre Dame University had invited President Obama to speak to the graduating class at Notre Dame and that they would be giving him an honorary degree, despite the fact that he is clearly a pro-abortion politician.”
[Read the Bishop's Facebook note]
The Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki—Bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin
“The decision of the President of Notre Dame to ignore the Bishops and to give both a platform and an honor to President Obama is indefensible. And so I raise my voice along with many of my brother Bishops, as well as the faithful who have been deeply scandalized.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Alexander Sample—Bishop of Marquette, Michigan
“…it is unconscionable to me that a Catholic university would bestow such an honor upon an individual who is so completely out of step with the Catholic Church’s teaching on the need to protect innocent human life in its most vulnerable forms, even if that individual holds the highest office in the land.”
[Read Bishop Sample's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Samuel Aquila—Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota
“Inviting President Obama to award him a degree and to speak at a Catholic University implicitly extends legitimacy to his views on these issues in the minds of the average onlooker. Your actions and that of the Board of Trustees of Notre Dame do real harm to the mission of Catholic education in this country and further splinters Catholic witness in the public square.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Edwin F. O’Brien—Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland
“I regret that Bishop D’Arcy must bear this personal affront from a university which he has so consistently and ardently supported this last quarter century.”
[Read report of the Archbishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Daniel Buechlein, Archbishop of Indianapolis, Indiana
“I join my voice to the chorus of thousands of faithful Catholics around the United States, and those of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in particular, who are appalled and embarrassed by your recent invitation to President Obama to address the 2009 graduates of Notre Dame.”
[Read the Archbishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Rober Baker—Bishop of Birmingham, Alabama
“That a Catholic school should publicly recognize a man who unashamedly promotes values clearly opposed to the Church’s teaching on the Gospel of Life is a travesty to the legacy of Catholic education.”
[Read the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Fabian W. Bruskewitz—Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska
“The fact that [Fr. Jenkins has] some sort of past connection with the State of Nebraska makes it all the more painful that the Catholic people here have to see [his] betrayal of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito, D.D., J.C.L.—Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida
“Other decisions of the University in past years have tarnished the clarity of the University’s Catholic identity. However, the present one gives rise to grave concern as to what message the University is giving to the Catholics of our nation when it honors a public figure who, regardless of his office as President and the good work he wishes to accomplish, stands so strongly against and has already acted contrary to the Church’s moral teaching on the right to life of the unborn.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins (PDF)]
The Most Reverend Richard F. Stika, D.D.—Bishop of Knoxville, Tenessee

“It is fine to honor an individual because of his accomplishments, but can one seriously believe that it is in keeping with the teachings of Jesus to honor someone who is so powerful and influential that innocent and pure human life is in danger of death?”
[Read a report on the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Robert W. Finn—Bishop of Kansas City, Kansas
“As we all know the eminent American Catholic University, Notre Dame, is poised to bestow such an opportunity and honor on President Obama, who is, of course, not Catholic. But it doesn’t take another Bishops’ Conference statement to know this is wrong: scandalous, discouraging and confusing to many Catholics.”
[Read the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Joseph N. Latino, D.D.—Bishop of Jackson, Mississippi
“Under the pretext of so-called ‘freedom of academia,’ I believe (Father Jenkins) that you chose to sacrifice the church’s teaching concerning the sacredness of all life for the prestigious distinction of hosting the first African American president to grace your campus. On a Catholic campus, the dignity and rights of all life should be paramount.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Leonard Blair—Bishop of Toledo, Ohio
“…it is not appropriate for Catholic institutions to give awards, honors or platforms to those who promote an abortion agenda. Doing so suggests that Catholics are not really serious about what the Church teaches regarding grave and immoral offenses against the life of the unborn.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Gerald A. Gettelfinger, D.D.—Bishop of Evansville, Indiana
“By their actions, President John Jenkins and the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame are by affinity also pandering to the pro-choice movement, and in doing so, they are betraying their faithful alumni and supporters of this once great university.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend George J. Lucas—Bishop of Springfield, Illinois
“I am disturbed, too, at this decision by Notre Dame to sow confusion where there is clarity in Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life and the evil of abortion. For some this may be one political issue among many. For Catholics it is a matter of worshiping God by the proclamation of the truth. Many students and faculty at Notre Dame know this. The university’s administration thinks it knows better.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
Archdiocese of Cincinnati spokesman Dan Andriacco on behalf of The Most Reverend Daniel Pilarczyk—Archbishop of Cincinnati, Ohio
“[Archbishop Pilarczyk] supports the strong comments of Bishop D’Arcy of South Bend, in whose diocese Notre Dame is located.”
[Read a report on the Archbishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski—Bishop of Orlando, Florida
“That Notre-Dame would invite him and would grant him at the same time an honorary degree, however, is the issue; and a very problematic one, for it reveals that Notre-Dame (at least in its Administration and Board) has forgotten what it means to be Catholic.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Robert Vasa, D.D.—Bishop of Baker, Oregon
“This is just one more sign of the failure of Catholic Institutions to stand up for and support a higher ethical standard.”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Paul Coakley—Bishop of Salina, Kansas
“The University’s invitation undermines the Catholic identity and mission of the institution.”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Victor Galeone—Bishop of Jacksonville, Florida
“Coupled with the performance of the quasi pornographic play, ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ which continues to appear annually on the Notre Dame campus, this most recent decision raises serious doubts about Fr. Jenkins’ qualifications for continuing to serve as president of one of the foremost Catholic universities in the nation”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Joseph Galante—Bishop of Camden, New Jersey
“…it would appear to me to be inappropriate specifically to honor an individual, particularly a prominent public official, who intentionally holds and deliberately advocates positions contrary to fundamental moral principles. To do so suggests that our foundational moral principles do not matter. To do so betrays our Catholic belief. To do so ignores the Church’s Catholic identity and our own Catholic identity, which is more than a name or a label, but defines who and what we are at our core”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Peter Jugis—Bishop of Charlotte, North Carolina
“The problem of the lack of respect for the right to life of the unborn is so serious in our society that this multi-front approach is essential. This is a task for laity, clergy, religious, parents and teachers - in short, for everyone.”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Glen Provost—Bishop of Lake Charles, Louisiana
“I must express my dismay at the fact that Notre Dame University would confer an honorary degree upon a commencement speaker who publicly, in theory and in action, espouses a position on such a fundamental issue as the life of the unborn that is in direct opposition to Catholic Church teaching.”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend David Zubik—Bishop of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“Notre Dame—Our Lady—is a title and devotion that every Catholic holds close to heart. Which is why it is so painful that the current leadership of the university has been so sadly forgetful of its responsibility to its sacred name, and to all the faithful, by deciding to give an honorary degree to our president who has made so clear his opposition to the Church’s teaching on the sacredness of human life. It must leave Our Lady—’Notre Dame’—embarrassed.”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Paul Loverde—Bishop of Arlington, Virginia
“However, given the unique national prominence of Notre Dame among Catholic universities, the decision by a few administrators to give him a platform and honor on Commencement Day will be damaging to the Church, to the pro-life cause and, ultimately, to the university itself.”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend John LeVoir—Bishop of New Ulm, Minnesota
“The decision of the University of Notre Dame makes it much more difficult for the Church to carry out her vital mission to transform our culture into a culture of life and love.”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Joseph Naumann—Archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas
“Father John Jenkins, CSC, the president of Notre Dame, has attempted to posture Notre Dame’s honoring President Obama as a vehicle for engaging the president in dialogue. In reality, Notre Dame’s invitation signals to President Obama that there is no need to dialogue. Why should the president feel a need to dialogue when he is honored by our nation’s most prestigious Catholic university no matter how extreme his policies and actions supporting legalized abortion?”
[Read a report of the Bishop's comments]
His Eminence Justin Cardinal Rigali—Archbishop of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“It’s most unfortunate because of the confusion it causes; it’s most unfortunate because of the message that it gives with regard to the importance of human life; it’s most unfortunate in regard to the confusion that it causes also in the ordinary people—the students, the graduates, the families … but above all, it is most unfortunate because the value that is attributed to life through the recognition of an honorary degree in this regard is just not acceptable.”
[Read a report of the Cardinal's comments]
The Most Reverend Joseph V. Adamec—Bishop of Johnstown, Pennsylvania
“Given the President’s position of not protecting the lives of unborn babies, he should not have been invited. However, since he has been, he should be given the respect called for by his office by us who claim to be followers of the Apostles’ teachings. At the same time, that does not mean that he should be given an award such as an honorary degree. That goes against the guidelines, which we Bishops have adopted.”
[Read the Bishop's statement (PDF)]
His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua—Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“While one may understand an invitation to President Obama to engage him in conversation on creating a culture of life, it is not appropriate for him to speak at the commencement exercises of a Catholic university, nor should he receive an honorary degree.”
[Read the Cardinal's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Lawrence Brandt—Bishop of Greensburg, Pennsylvania
“While one may understand an invitation to President Obama to engage him in conversation on creating a culture of life, it is not appropriate for him to speak at the commencement exercises of a Catholic university, nor should he receive an honorary degree.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Charles Chaput—Archbishop of Denver, Colorado
“Notre Dame didn’t need to do this to show its openness to ‘dialogue’. And candidly, very few Notre Dame faculty members would accept from their students the kind of creative reasoning now being used to defend the invitation.”
[Read a report on the Archbishop's comments]
The Most Reverend James Conley—Bishop of Denver, Colorado
[Read a report on the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Edward Cullen—Bishop of Allentown, Pennsylvania
“When there is a doubt about the meaning of a document of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where does one find an authentic interpretation? A fundamental, canonical and theological principle states that it is found in the local bishop, who is the teacher and law-giver in his diocese. I stand in solidarity with my brother bishop and share the sentiments that he expressed in his letter. As does he, I regret that this situation has taken place and call on the leadership at Notre Dame to face the issue squarely.”
[Read a report on the Bishop's comments]
The Most Reverend Nicholas Di Marzio—Bishop of Brooklyn, New York
“Catholics in political life must come to understand their unique responsibility as lay Catholics involved in the public forum. There is a considerable misunderstanding on the part of our elected officials regarding their Catholic faith and their functioning as political figures. They are not irresolvable, nor are they mutually exclusionary. “
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend John Gaydos—Bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri
“The invitation on the part of the university asking President Obama to address the graduates at this year’s commencement has raised serious questions about Notre Dame in particular and Catholic colleges and universities in general and their relationship to the wider Roman Catholic Church.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Roger Gries—Auxiliary Bishop of Cleavland, Ohio
“I don’t believe that a Catholic institution should give a platform to a person who is probably the most anti-life candidate, and holding the place that he holds. And giving him an honorary degree besides? It doesn’t speak highly for those of us who want to protect life.”
[Read the report on the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Bernard Harrington—Bishop of Winona, Minnesota
“The university’s stance is similar to that of Catholic politicians who say that they are pro-life and then support legislation and vote for programs that foster abortion. It is hard to believe that the University of Notre Dame has chosen ‘political rightness’ over principle and truth.”
[Read the Bishop's statement (PDF)]
The Most Reverend Robert Hermann—Bishop of St. Louis, Missouri
“Father Jenkins has no excuse for not standing up for a strong Catholic identity at Notre Dame.”
[Read the report on the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Michael Jackels—Bishop of Wichita, Kansas
“It is impossible to defend this invitation to the Catholic faithful who ask; it is an embarrassment. The President would surely understand if you were with all courtesy to disinvite him; he is an intelligent person. Please do so.”
[Read the Bishop's letter to Fr. Jenkins]
The Most Reverend Sam Jacobs—Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana
“We are not opposed to open debate but do not consider that a graduation address is the time or place for this to take place. While we want to be in dialogue with public officials who hold opposing views, we still have a right and a duty as citizens and as religious leaders to publicly voice our disagreement with their views.”
[Read the Bishop's statement (PDF, Page 4)]
The Most Reverend James V. Johnston—Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri
“Given President Obama’s determination to dismantle prior policy that put limits on the destruction of innocent human life, and his administration’s proposal to remove legal protections that would safeguard the conscientious objections of institutions and individuals to these procedures, it is saddening and bewildering that Notre Dame would act in this manner. This honor will cause confusion and scandal among many.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend John McCormack—Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire
[Read the report on the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend William Murphy—Bishop of Rockville Centre, New York
“Notre Dame tarnished its image and its capacity to witness.”
[Read the report on the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend Reymundo Pena—Bishop of Brownsville, Texas
“Father Jenkins, I pray that you use your office not only to maintain and enhance the academic excellence of the university, but also and above all to preserve and promote Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission.”
[Read the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend David Ricken—Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin
[Read the report on the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend John Smith—Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey
[Read the report on the Bishop's statement]
The Most Reverend George Thomas—Bishop of Helena, Montana
“The honorary doctorate should be reserved for persons whose lives and accomplishments reflect those exemplary qualities and values we wish to cultivate in the lives of our students. Sadly, President Barack Obama’s consistent assault upon the civil rights of the unborn reflects the very antithesis of our Catholic social and moral teaching on the sacredness of life from conception until natural death.”
[Read the Bishop's statement (PDF)]
The Most Reverend Michael Warfel—Bishop of Great Falls-Billings, Montana
[Read the report on the Bishop's statement]