Reporting from South Bend, Ind. — President Obama's plan to speak at the University of Notre Dame's commencement ceremony this spring is generating disapproval among some on the heavily Catholic campus and triggering protests by national antiabortion groups.
A bishop whose diocese includes Notre Dame said today that he would not attend the address because of Obama's support for abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research. Bishop John D'Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend said Obama's recent decision to federally fund embryonic stem cell research factored into his decision.
"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," D'Arcy said in a statement.
"After much prayer, I have decided not to attend the graduation," he said. "I wish no disrespect to our president. I pray for him and wish him well. ... But a bishop must teach the Catholic faith 'in season and out of season,' and he teaches not only by his words -- but by his actions."
D'Arcy cited a statement by the U.S. Catholic bishops in 2004 that said Catholics should not honor those who act in defiance of their fundamental moral principles.
The White House responded this afternoon with a statement.
"Notre Dame is one of the first universities President Obama will visit as president and he is honored to address the graduating class, their families and faculty of a school with such a rich history of fostering the exchange of ideas," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
"While he is honored to have the support of millions of people of all faiths, including Catholics with their rich tradition of recognizing the dignity of people, he does not govern with the expectation that everyone sees eye to eye with him on every position," Psaki said. "The spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on important issues is part of what he loves about this country."
Others on campus are trying to rally additional opposition.
"In many ways, the president does not have a whole lot in line with the mission of this university, especially in terms of its Catholicism," said Mary Daly, president of the campus Right to Life club. Daly said Obama's views on abortion and stem cell research run counter to Catholic teaching and that he should not be given such a prominent speaking platform. "People look to this university as a leading example of American Catholicism," she said.
