Free Republic

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, September 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The attorney representing the pro-lifers arrested while protesting Obama at Notre Dame today repeated his request that the judge in the case, who is married to a pro-abortion Notre Dame professor, be removed from the case.Attorney Tom Dixon's motion provides detailed support for his assertion in a previous recusal motion that there exists sufficient actual and perceived bias that Judge Jenny Pitts Manier, the judge assigned to the "ND 88" case, is required by Indiana state law to recuse herself in the matter.  Dixon states that ever since Judge Manier has...

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, September 24, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - University of Notre Dame law professor emeritus Charles Rice has issued an open letter to University president Fr. John Jenkins this week, criticizing the school's attempts at reconstructing a pro-life facade while still refusing to request leniency for the dozens of pro-lifers arrested for protesting the Obama scandal in May.   "As long as you pursue the criminalization of those pro-life witnesses," wrote Rice, "your newest pro-life statements will be regarded reasonably as a cosmetic covering of the institutional anatomy in the wake of the continuing backlash arising from your conferral of...

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, September 4, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The president of a pro-life public interest law firm has issued an open letter to University of Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins, insisting that the school seek to drop the charges against 88 pro-lifers who await sentencing of up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine for protesting the school's honoring pro-abortion President Obama last May. "[Notre Dame] should honor all who dare to speak out for the dignity of all human beings - born or unborn, wanted or unwanted, humble or exalted - not prosecute them!" wrote Thomas...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a Thursday afternoon interview with members of various Catholic publications, President Barack Obama defended himself from criticism over his pro-abortion record. He said he supports a conscience clause on abortion but gave a joking response to a question about Notre Dame.According to a National Catholic Register report, Obama talked about his upcoming visit with Pope Benedict XVI and said he looked forward to taking with him about unrelated political issues.Father Owen Kearns, editor in chief and publisher of the Register, said each member of the Catholic press was allowed to ask one question and...

VATICAN CITY, June 17, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Archbishop Raymond Burke, the highest ranking American prelate in the Vatican has given an interview in a Catholic magazine, in which he says that Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama was not only “profoundly shocking,” but also underscores a grave situation requiring action to ensure the incident is never repeated.Burke is the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest court of appeal in the Church next to the Pope, and an outspoken advocate for life and family values. He has made headlines repeatedly for his insistence that ministers of communion...

Wednesday June 10, 2009 ND Prez Jenkins Has "No Interest" in Asking for Leniency for ND Protesters Despite Calls for “Dialogue” By Kathleen GilbertSOUTH BEND, Indiana, June 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The president of the University of Notre Dame has "no interest" in interfering with the fates of over 80 peaceful pro-life protesters arrested on campus while protesting President Obama's May 17 commencement speech, says the pro-lifers' attorney. One of the arrestees, Lambs of Christ founder Fr. Norman Weslin, issued a statement Monday calling on University president Fr. John Jenkins to heed the arrested group's requests to meet, which Weslin...

Notre Dame Not Seeking Leniency for Arrested Pro-Life Protesters: Thomas More Lawyers Now on the Case By Kathleen GilbertSOUTH BEND, Indiana, June 4, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Thomas More Society attorneys appeared in St. Joseph County Criminal Court to defend two prominent pro-life advocates against trespass charges brought this morning by local prosecutors in the wake of protests at the University of Notre Dame. The attorneys join the fight with pro-life attorney Tom Dickson, who is representing dozens more pro-lifers arrested at the campus.Laura Rohling and Jane Brennan went onto the Notre Dame campus to educate students about the after-effects of...

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, May 22, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Dozens of pro-life protesters arrested at the University of Notre Dame on May 17 for protesting President Obama's commencement speech will be heading back to Indiana in coming weeks from all across the country to stand trial.  While Notre Dame had pro-life demonstrators summarily arrested for "criminal trespassing," witnesses say that pro-Obama demonstrators were given free roam of the campus - a fact that the pro-lifers' attorney says violated the Equal Protection clause.Among those arrested that day was Karen Torres of Virginia, who told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) how, after getting lost trying to...

For several weeks now, L’Osservatore Romano has published glowing, star-struck, teenage praise of Pres. Barack Obama, while blithely ignoring what its praise means in the American context. It fails to grasp the full threat Obama poses for the American Catholic conscience. Several leading American bishops are distraught, and have asked for help: L’Osservatore Romano must learn of the immense scandal it is causing in America. The most recent example was in regard to the young president’s mendacious talk at the University of Notre Dame on May 17. There are five crucial facts of which L’Osservatore Romano seems — like a...

Notre Dame: The First Battle in a New War Posted By Jason T. Adams On May 21, 2009 @ 12:02 am In The Edge | [Comments at source] Last weekend my family and I stood with a couple thousand Catholics on Notre DameÂ’s south quad protesting the universityÂ’s decision to invite Barak Obama as commencement speaker and award to him an honorary degree. At the same time, most of the 12,000 predominantly Catholic commencement attendees cheered on the most pro-abortion official our nation has ever known. In the lead up to commencement it was broadly assumed that the President would...

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, May 21, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Although the University of Notre Dame has defended its invitation of President Obama for the sake of dialogue on abortion, Obama's own remark Sunday that the opposing views were "irreconcilable" brought dialogue to a "screeching halt," said Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO."I think the message of the day was this - that the President of Notre Dame said that they had invited the President of the United States and decided to honor him for the sake of dialogue," said Bishop Finn in an interview with the diocesan newspaper...

Roundup: Reactions to Obama at Notre Dame May. 18, 2009 (CWNews.com) - President Obama's appearance at the Notre Dame commencement exercises produced an enormous outpouring of journalistic coverage. Prior to the event, the atmosphere was so feverish that when Duncan Maxell Anderson concocted a story based on the idea that Obama had donated his speaking fee to defray lost alumni contributions, many readers failed to recognize that it was a satire. On the GetReligion site, Terry Mattingly continued to insist that reporters should get their facts straight. That was, alas, a losing battle. USA Today provided live blogging on the...

Can Notre Dame Turn Back the Tide? Interview with Cardinal Newman Society President By Genevieve PollockMANASSAS, Virginia, MAY 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In the wake of the recent Notre Dame controversy, an opportunity arises to renew Catholic higher education in its identity and mission, says the Cardinal Newman Society president.Patrick Reilly is the founder and president of the Cardinal Newman Society, an organization dedicated to renew and strengthen the Catholic identity at colleges and universities across the United States. In this interview with ZENIT, he shares his perspective on the recent controversy surrounding the University of Notre Dame's decision to honor...

I was at the Grotto on the Notre Dame campus Sunday afternoon when President Barack Obama received his honorary doctor of laws degree and gave his commencement speech. At the same time, Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life officiated an alternative service for those who couldn't bear to see such a prominent enabler of child murder lauded at a Catholic university. Whoops, was "prominent enabler of child murder" the sort of "demonizing" Obama preached against in his homily? I did indeed think at first it was a homily. While listening to Father Pavone with one ear, I listened to...

A House DividedBy Ralph McInerny Monday, May 18, 2009There were two commencement ceremonies at Notre Dame on Sunday. One was the media event in which alleged prestige trumped the truth that you cannot honor a man, president or not, whose policies are unabashedly pro-abortion without honoring abortion.The other took place at the grotto and on the west mall, untelevised, in the shadow of Rockne Memorial, at which the Mass and prayers, principally the rosary, were offered in reparation for the administration’s unconscionable sleeping with the enemy. And speeches were made, most notably by Father Wilson Miscamble, CSC; Professor David...

LifeNews.com Note: Bradley Mattes is the executive director of Life Issues Institute, a national pro-life educational group. Mattes is a veteran of the pro-life cause, with over 33 years of educational, political and humanitarian experience.The controversy surrounding President Obama and Notre Dame University culminated with his speech Sunday in Indiana. I had returned from Washington, DC just in time to drop my bag and tune in to watch the address. His most pronounced message -- certainly the one emphasized by the media -- was that we shouldn't demonize those who disagree with us on abortion. I couldn't agree more,...

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-841-1700; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue, info@operationrescue.org   SOUTH BEND, Ind., May 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- President Barack Obama delivered a speech yesterday during the Notre Dame Graduation commencement ceremony that was rife with heretical views of Christianity.   "It is obvious from Obama's speech that matters pertaining to religion and moral issues are still above his pay grade," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "As an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, I can say with conviction that Obama holds apostate views on the roll of Christianity in the...

South Bend, IN (LifeNews.com) -- Now that the University of Notre Dame has chosen to honor pro-abortion President Barack Obama, the fallout appears likely to begin. One key Catholic writer says Notre Dame will become the symbol of pro-life Catholic dissent following the Obama scandal.Notre Dame was deluged with opposition as soon as the announcement reached the public that it would not only invite Obama to give its commencement speech but bestow upon him an honorary degree.Its president, Father John Jenkins, as Deal Hudson notes in a new editorial, "defended the choice with arguments that should make a freshman...

The complete transcript of the remarks and introduction given by Rev. John Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame. "President Obama, Fr. Hesburgh, Judge Noonan, Members of the Board of Trustees, Members of the faculty, staff, alumni, friends, parents, and most of all – the Notre Dame Class of 2009: Several autumns ago, you came to Notre Dame from home….now Notre Dame has become home. And it always will be. For home is not where you live. Home is where you belong. You will always belong – and I pray you will always feel you belong – here at...

I am beginning to wonder if principles still have a place in a post-modern world. I am also starting to feel somewhat like a dinosaur for believing that principles should always take precedent over the prestige of a national platform. That should be especially true if the platform is attached to the largest and most revered Catholic University in America. But on May 17th, Notre Dame will join the ranks of those with stars in their eyes and a lack of starch in their resolve. They will allow President Barack Obama, the most pro-abortion rights President in our nation’s history,...