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We've been back and forth on this on a number of related threads. The problem is that most nominally Catholic Universities, including Note Dame, have been separately incorporated (not belonging to any Diocese or religious order) and under the control of self-perpetuating Boards of Trustees since the late 60's. Most people --- even most Catholics --- even graduates of Catholic Universities! ---don't realize that.

What keeps these Universities sorta-kinda-Catholic is complicated, but it's mostly an old-boys-network institutional tribalism. Most of them have had ongoing, decades-long see-sawing struggles. Some still retain a majority of believing Trustees and/or faculty, most have at least a strong Catholic faction --- and some don't.

And one more thing. A college or university can"officially" call itself Catholic only with a permission from the local bishop, permission which is sometimes revoked.

Some of the university people would be deeply disturbed and troubled by this. Some others would say "No problem: I don't give a flying fig about the Catholic Church anyhow." And many think they could "split the difference" by calling thmselves, ambiguously, "a college in the Catholic tradition" or a "a college with a Catholic heritage" or some such dish of noodles. Nobody can stop them from doing that: "Catholic" isn't a licensed trademark like KFC.

"Officially Being Catholic", however, is still really important when it comes to alumni donors and foundation funders. Especially in a place like Notre Dame.

That's what's in play here. Bishop D'Arcy seems to have gotten to his feet, found his mitre and crozier, cleared his throat, and threatened to pull Notre Dame's permission to be considered a "Catholic University."

That's news.

His backbone has been fortified by a tremendous, even unprecedented groundswell of plain-Joe-Catholic opinion against the Obama thing --- 330,000 people have signed a "disinvite Obama" petition.

That's also news.

And 42 bishops are basically supporting D'Arcy in saying "This would be a good place to draw the line."

If we win one, it'll help scuttle the Obamabots' long-term strategy to divide and then destroy the Church. And it'll put a needed dose of fear-of-the-Lord into all the Catholic colleges --- all the way down the line.

So it's exciting. The Good Guys are finally fighting back.