Notre Dame Students Support Obama Invite

Order charges Notre Dame 'risks its soul' by letting prez speak

(AP) - Ten priests from the Holy Cross order that founded the University of Notre Dame say the school risks its "true soul" and could alienate itself from the Catholic Church by inviting President Obama to campus next month. They urged the Holy Cross priest who heads Notre Dame to reconsider the invitation to Obama because he supports abortion rights. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama told Pope Benedict XVI yesterday that he would make every effort to reduce the number of abortions in the US, according to a Vatican spokesman. Bioethics and life issues were the focus of the men's 40-minute talk yesterday. The pontiff gave the president a booklet explaining the church's opposition to abortion and stem cell research, Reuters reports. More»

Students excited about visit, not pleased with activists' tactics

(NEWSER) - As President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame approaches, pro-life activists have converged on the campus with banners, planes, and plans for civil disobedience. But students, who expressed pride that the president chose their school, aren't too happy with the protests. "It cheapens the argument. As someone who is pro-life, I don't respect it," one told the Washington Post. More»

(NEWSER) - Cardinal Francis George of Chicago ratcheted up the criticism of Notre Dame for inviting President Obama to give a commencement speech in May, the Tribune reports. The school “didn’t understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation,” said George. Catholic groups have criticized the move because of Obama’s decisions on stem cell research, abortion, and family planning. More»

President's compromise is still 'unacceptable'

(NEWSER) - It seemed at first that Catholic bishops would be on board with President Obama's tweak on contraception coverage, with an initial statement calling it "a first step in the right direction." They made clear last night, however, that they're still not happy, reports the Wall Street Journal . The bishops registered "serious moral concerns" over parts of the administration's plan, complaining that it still has a "national mandate of insurance coverage of sterilization and contraception," reports Politico . More»