Glendon stands up to Notre Dame and Obama

Good for her!

Here's the report from the AP's Tom Coyne in the C-J...

A former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican has told the University of Notre Dame that she will not accept the school's top honor as planned because the school is giving President Barack Obama an honorary degree at next month's commencement.

Mary Ann Glendon, an anti-abortion scholar and Harvard University law professor, wrote in a letter yesterday to the Rev. John Jenkins, the university president, that giving Obama an honorary degree violates the U.S. bishops' 2004 statement that Roman Catholic institutions shouldn't honor people whose actions conflict with the church's moral principles....

Jenkins issued a statement yesterday saying the university was "disappointed that Professor Glendon has made this decision."...The Laetare Medal, which the university describes as the most prestigious honor for American Catholics, has been awarded annually since 1883 to a Catholic "whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the church and enriched the heritage of humanity."

Well, Rev. Jenkins, we're disappointed in you as well! And why are you giving out an award for Catholics when you aren't a Catholic by your belief system? Why are you going to award this to someone when you are not living up to "the ideals of the church" or enriching its "heritage of humanity"?

The American Association of University Professors and the Notre Dame faculty senate support Jenkins. The AAUP praised Jenkins last week for standing firm.

Two things here: 1.) I agree with the AAUP in terms of academic freedom. But this is a matter of religious definitions and beliefs moreso. 2.) I hope the AAUP would be equally excited in praising a university's acceptance of a conservative for an award.