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»

Nation's most prominent Roman Catholic school says it violates constitution

(NEWSER) - More trouble for the Obama administration's mandate requiring most employers to cover birth control: Now the University of Notre Dame is suing, the AP reports, claiming that the mandate violates religious freedom. Observers had been waiting to see what step Notre Dame would take as the US' most prominent Roman Catholic school. US Roman Catholic bishops were not satisfied by the White House's attempts to accommodate religious groups, and other religious colleges have already filed their own lawsuits. 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»