Washington, D.C. (5 May 2009) – American Life League revealed over 40 years of dissent from Catholic teaching by the University of Notre Dame Tuesday and announced a campaign to urge Bishop John D’Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne/South Bend to remove the school from The Official Catholic Directory.
“As the most influential Catholic college in the country, Notre Dame is leading the current crisis of faith at Catholic campuses across the nation,” said Mike Barnett, leadership director at American Life League. “Institutions that, with one hand are using a Catholic identity to raise money while undermining core teachings of the faith – teachings on life, on sexuality, on marriage and on the family.”
The Official Catholic Directory is the authoritative resource on every Catholic institution in the United States. Bishops from every diocese approve or disapprove of the institutions within their diocese that wish to be listed in the Directory.
Notre Dame has been foremost among Catholic universities undermining Catholic authority. Starting with the Land O’Lakes conference in 1967, which rejected the authority of the Catholic hierarchy, through the 2009 honorary degree and commencement speech platform given to President Barack Obama, Notre Dame has presented a contradictory attitude to the Catholic identity it espouses.
For a list of the “Sins of Notre Dame,” click here.
“Until Notre Dame re-embraces the Catholic Faith that made it great, we beg Bishop D'Arcy to remove the school from The Official Catholic Directory,” Barnett said.
At least four other schools have been removed from the Directory: Marist College, St. John Fisher College, Nazareth College and Marymount Manhattan College. American Life League has also launched a petition asking Bishop D'Arcy to remove the school from the Directory.
American Life League plans a prayer vigil at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday May 12, and will present a formal request to Bishop D’Arcy on Thursday May 14.
American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
South Bend Tribune: Abortion Drug Off-label Use Could be Fatal (5 May 2009)
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090505/News01/905059905/-1/XML
WNDU: American Life League Holds Rally Outside Notre Dame (5 May 2009)
http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/44419822.html