Thirteen Good Bishops

This is the list (as of today) of U.S. Bishops who have spoken out in opposition to Notre Dame's decision to have Barack Obama speak at commencement this year, and to give him an honorary degree. Not only are our Catholic Bishops speaking out, but the students and alumni of Notre Dame are also expressing their disapproval.

1) Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN
2) Cardinal Francis George - Chicago, President, USCCB
3) Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - St. Paul/Minneapolis
4) Bishop Morlino - Madison, WI
5) Bishop Robert Lynch - St. Petersburg, FL
6) Archbishop Timothy Dolan - New York
7) Cardinal Daniel DiNardo - Houston, TX
8) Bishop Thomas Olmsted - Phoenix, AZ
9) Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin, TX
10) Archbishop John J. Myers - Newark, NJ
11) Reverend Edward J. Slattery, Tulsa, OK
12) Bishop Kevin Rhoades - Harrisburg, PA
13) Bishop R. Walker Nickless - Sioux City, IA

I doubt any amount of criticism will change things now. The university's president has stated that he will not rescind the invitation, and Mr. Obama has said that he will accept it. But that should not keep the Catholic faithful and our leadership from expressing outrage that Notre Dame would honor a man so diametrically opposed to the Catholic position on life issues.

Yesterday I read somewhere that the Catholic Church should shut up and stay out of politics. This is not a political issue, this is a moral issue, and the leadership of the Church has every right to instruct the people regarding morality.