When President of the University of Notre Dame Fr. John I. Jenkins invited our pro-abortion president, Barack Obama, to address the graduating class of 2009 and receive an honorary law degree, his decision sent shockwaves throughout the Catholic world. More than 80 American Catholic bishops opposed the decision and over 360,000 people signed a petition calling on Notre Dame to avert the scandal by rescinding the invitation. Pro-lifers vehemently urged Notre Dame not to relinquish its Catholic identity by selling its honor for a fleeting moment of fame.

Catholic liberals argued, however, that the invitation was extended because of the office of the president, not because of his pro-abortion record. They would separate the man from the office. This relativistic distinction made the honor somewhat ambiguous, and thus, morally justifiable in their eyes. However, a university born under the sign of the cross and placed under the patronage of Mary the Mother of God cannot favor ambiguity. Jesus also clearly condemned ambiguity: “But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil” (Matt. 5:37).

Indeed, no amount of dialogue or intellectual sophistry will change the fact that abortion is wrong, which explains why dozens of brave Notre Dame graduates decided not to attend their own graduation ceremony.

But Fr. Jenkins refused to reconsider. Consequently, abortion activists prevailed. Notre Dame’s Catholic identity was betrayed and the cause of the unborn was smothered in the name of “dialogue.”

As our pro-abortion president was being honored at Notre Dame, a group of 88 dedicated pro-life advocates peacefully walked onto the campus as the voice of the unborn. Some calmly prayed the rosary, while others simply carried a photograph of the Virgin Mary. Campus security responded by swiftly carting them off to jail. Among those arrested were Fr. Norman Weslin, an elderly Catholic priest; Catholic nuns; Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade who has since become a pro-lifer; and Ambassador Alan Keyes. According to press reports, pro-Obama advocates were allowed to roam freely on campus, while individuals displaying pro-life messages were singled out.

Months later, the 88 pro-lifers still face criminal trespass charges, up to one year in prison and heavy fines. They have also been summoned to appear before the South Bend, Indiana court, which, for many, entails long-distance travel and a considerable financial burden.

As the original complainant, the University of Notre Dame could intervene and ask the county prosecutor to dismiss the charges. In fact, nearly 20,000 people signed an online petition sponsored by Tradition Family Property Student Action, asking Notre Dame to drop the charges. So far, however, Fr. Jenkins has not taken any serious public measures pressuring the state to ease the burden on these pro-lifers.

More recently, Fr. Jenkins announced that he will be attending the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22. Although laudable in itself, Fr. Jenkins’ announcement left countless pro-family advocates puzzled: How can a Catholic priest not publicly advocate leniency for 88 peaceful pro-life advocates, while making plans to attend the March for Life? The contradiction is glaring.

The incident begets a larger question: Is Notre Dame on a direct collision course with its long-standing Catholic identity? Consider the following three examples. First, Notre Dame funded a student trip to the National Equality March in Washington, D.C, held on October 11, 2009; the pro-homosexual march demanded same-sex marriage and the abolition of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for homosexuals. Second, Notre Dame’s Gender Relations Center, on its 2009 Fall Initiatives calendar, announced “National Coming Out Day” and “National Day of Silence.” Also, on September 8, 2009, Notre Dame Professor of Theology Fr. Richard McBrien made a shocking statement in the National Catholic Reporter: “Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward… it is difficult to speak favorably about the devotion today.” These examples demonstrate that the university is gradually retreating from cardinal Catholic precepts.

Despite these occurrences, there is still hope for truth to prevail. Those familiar with Notre Dame’s beautiful campus instantly recognize its golden dome. It serves as a pedestal for a large statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The statue fittingly portrays Mary crushing the head of the serpent, calling to mind the passage from Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”

Although the Notre Dame scandal has caused a major rift within the Catholic community, faithful Catholics can turn to Mary, the mother of God, who crushes the serpent’s head, certain that she will guide and help us as we struggle to defend the 88 pro-life advocates who are being persecuted and to uphold the brilliant heritage of Notre Dame.