Petition Notre Dame to Remain Pro-life

March 25, 2009 by Lisa Krempasky  
Filed under Action Steps

Notre Dame is one of the premier Catholic universities in America and the world. The Catholic church’s official position is profoundly pro-life. Yet Notre Dame has again decided it prefers prestige over principle. It has extended an invitation to president Barack Obama to speak at it commencement and to offer him honorary doctorate degrees. President Obama has accepted and will be delivering the commencement address in Notre Dame’s 164th graduation on May 17, 2009.

President Obama has sparked a nationwide fury in a church that is taking it’s pro-life mandate more seriously with each passing day. Some students vow to recite the rosary during the president’s speech. Others vow to boycott their own graduation all together.

And now we have an opportunity to support our brothers and sisters in their stand for life. We can join with hundreds of thousands already standing up and sign the petition to tell the university president that his actions are outrageous and scandalous.

The official petition states:

Dear Father Jenkins:

It has come to our attention that the University of Notre Dame will honor President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker on May 17.

It is an outrage and a scandal that “Our Lady’s University,” one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage.

This nation has many thousands of accomplished leaders in the Catholic Church, in business, in law, in education, in politics, in medicine, in social services, and in many other fields who would be far more appropriate choices to receive such an honor from the University of Notre Dame.

Instead Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality. Whatever may be President Obama’s admirable qualities, this honor comes on the heels of some of the most anti-life actions of any American president, including expanding federal funding for abortions and inviting taxpayer-funded research on stem cells from human embryos.

The honor also comes amid great concern among Catholics nationwide about President Obama’s future impact on American society, the family, and the Catholic Church on issues such as traditional marriage, conscience protections for Catholic doctors and nurses, and expansion of abortion “rights.”

This honor is clearly a direct violation of the U.S. bishops’ 2004 mandate in “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.”

We prayerfully implore you to halt this travesty immediately. We do so with the hope that Catholics nationwide will likewise call on you to uphold the sacred mission of your Catholic university. May God grant you the courage and wisdom to do what is right.

If the servers are overloaded or you wish to write you own words you can email Father Jenkins directly at [email protected], call him at 574.631.5000, fax him at 574.631.2770 or write him at 317 Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556