'Roe': Couldn't Notre Dame Find Any Good Pro-Lifers?

Add Norma McCorvey to the list of people up in arms over Notre Dame's plan to give President Obama an honorary degree when he speaks at commencement on May 17.

McCorvey, otherwise known as "Jane Doe" in the landmark Supreme Court case legalizing abortion, Roe v. Wade, has joined the chorus of opposition to the move by the Catholic school to invite such a high-profile, abortion-supporting official to campus. Notre Dame has been deluged with criticism from more than 60 Catholic bishops, alumni, and others blasting the school for what they see as a sacrificing of moral responsibility for political pageantry.

McCorvey told Damian Thompson, who writes The Daily Telegraph's "Holy Smoke" column:

"Obama is not the ideal person to speak to a young bunch of kids that are going out into the world for the first time. ...These people will have to remember that it was him who spoke at their graduation for the rest of ther natural lives. We have many in the pro-life movement that are better qualified to do this. I am really surprised more parents haven't pulled their kids out. I have heard that many of them will not show up this reason."

McCorvey, who never actually had an abortion, is now an ardent pro-life Catholic who once worked for Operation Rescue - the same operation run by Randall Terry. Terry was arrested at Notre Dame Friday for pushing around strollers with bloodied dolls [other pictures of OR's anti-Obama campaign here]. He subsequently called Obama "the premier child-slayer of the western hemisphere" and likely will have more choice words for the president during his press conference today.

It's no surprise that McCorvey would object to Notre Dame's move, but it's yet another sign that Obama faces a - how to put this mildly? - really tough crowd this Sunday. Notre Dame is preparing for massive protests. The student coalition opposing Obama's address, ND Response, just came out with a powerful new video that included Ann Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League [below].




Bishop Lawrence Brandt of the Greensburg, Pa., Catholic Diocese, today called on the school to rescind the invite, while some local bishops are refusing to attend graduation. Bishop Thomas Wenski of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando, Fla., on Sunday gave a reparation homily upon request of Notre Dame alumni in the area, during which he called Obama's views on abortion "extremist."

During the sermon, he said:

"We live in a nation where abortion laws are among the most liberal among the Western democracies. We Catholics have become too complacent about the legal killing of unborn children in America and elsewhere. This complacency contributed to the climate that led Notre-Dame's president to think that it would be no big deal to defy the bishops in granting this honorary degree to President Obama. ... Before the completion of his first 100 days in office, President Obama has already expanded federal funding for abortion, directed tax payer funded support for embryonic stem cell research which requires the destruction of living human beings, and has challenged conscience protection provisions that allow health care workers and institutions to refuse to participate in abortions and other procedures that violate their ethical or religious views.

Notre Dame has obviously hit a very, very raw nerve, and could send shock waves throughout other Catholic institutions. It's already providing fodder for protests at St. Joseph's University in Pennsylvania, which is giving abortion-rights supporter Chris Matthews of MSNBC an honorary degree when he speaks at graduation.

But as of now, Obama is still on the weekend's program.