By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS Staff Writer The University of Notre Dame is under fire for inviting pro-abortion President Barack Obama to speak at its commencement on May 17. An online petition protesting the invitation gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than 48 hours. “It is an outrage and a scandal that ‘Our Lady’s University,’ one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage,” the petition reads. The petition drive was launched by The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), an organization devoted to preserving and restoring the Catholic identity in our nation’s Catholic colleges and universities. CNS has also brought the matter to the attention of Bishop John D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Bishop D’Arcy has been publicly critical of performances of The Vagina Monologues at Notre Dame in past years. In the petition, which is written to Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, university officials are reminded of the many outstanding Catholic leaders in business, law, education, politicians and medicine who could have been invited and who would have been a far more appropriate choice for receiving such an honor from Notre Dame. “Instead Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality,” the petition reads. “Whatever may be President Obama’s admirable qualities, this honor comes on the heels of some of the most anti-life actions of any American president, including expanding federal funding for abortions and inviting taxpayer-funded research on stem cells from human embryos.” The petition also points out that the invitation is a direct violation of the U.S. bishops’ 2004 mandate in “Catholics in Political Life” which states that: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” CNS has created a special website www.NotreDameScandal.com where concerned Catholics can sign the petition and keep abreast of the situation. © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly/Women of Grace. http://www.womenofgrace.com