On Sunday May 17, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Barack Obama will be the principal speaker and recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree at the University of Notre Dame’s 164th University commencement ceremony. Obama is a fervent abortion supporter, dedicated to strike down every possible restriction on abortion including partial birth abortion and to reinstate federal funds on a worldwide scale.

Notre Dame Response was formed as a spontaneous partnership consisting of various student groups at the University. Its initial statement describes the group as being committed to "acts of witness that will be characterized by respect, prayerfulness, outspoken fidelity to the Church and true concern for the good of our University."

The web site partly states; “We can’t sit by while the University honors someone who believes that an entire class of human beings is undeserving of the most basic of legal rights, the right to live. Fr. Jenkins has put some of his students into a position of moral dilemma as to whether to attend their own graduation. The lack of concern for these devoted sons and daughters of Notre Dame, who love this University and the Catholic principles on which it was built, is shameful”.

It is with no trepidation that I make this next statement on Notre Dame University and the clergy that runs it.

In the course of clergy, ordained for religious service in Christian churches, that continue to disobey the most fundamental teachings of faith and morals, I urge Pope Benedict to remove the title ‘Catholic’ on this institution of higher education since its academia is not in union with God or his Church, along with the members excommunication and reassignment.