Don't Be Fooled By Notre Dame's Semantics!

A special message from the Cardinal Newman Society: They say the problem’s fixed. Not so! Instead, Notre Dame’s leaders are up to the same old tricks. Catholic families shouldn’t be duped. Last month, Notre Dame invited a barrage of criticism by dropping “Catholic mission” from its “Notre Dame Values”—standards which every Notre Dame employee must uphold. Now the university’s leaders have restored the words “Catholic mission,” but it’s no reversal. It’s a sleight of hand. The new language reads: “Catholic Mission: Be a force for good and help to advance Notre Dame’s mission to be the leading global Catholic research university.” Compare that to the language deleted last month: “Leadership in Mission: Understands, accepts, and supports the Catholic mission of the university and fosters values consistent with that mission.” The reference to Catholic “values” is gone. It’s replaced by the admonition to “be a force for good,” which would satisfy any atheist. It has all the Catholic piety of “happy holidays.” It certainly offers no hope that Notre Dame will enforce Catholic values on marriage, sexuality, gender, human dignity, and the sanctity of human life—and that, we believe, is precisely what Notre Dame wants to avoid.

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Requiring employees to uphold Catholic morals would be hypocritical: Notre Dame covers contraception in its employee health plan. Same-sex "spouses” are awarded employee benefits. The university protects professors who promote abortion and same-sex marriage. It honors pro-abortion politicians and Catholic dissidents, such as former President Barack Obama in 2009 and Vice President Joe Biden in 2016. It welcomes campus speakers who openly oppose Catholic teaching. Imagine Notre Dame fighting an employee lawsuit, claiming it must enforce the same Catholic values it already flouts! We suspect attorneys made the call: better to drop all reference to Catholic values, lest someone take them seriously. Instead, under the guise of “Catholic Mission,” Notre Dame now admonishes employees to “help to advance Notre Dame’s mission to be the leading global Catholic research university.” Since when does “Catholic mission” mean secular prestige?   The haughty ambition of Notre Dame’s leaders is irrelevant to the Catholic formation of students. The new language treats “Catholic” as nothing more than a brand, without reference to Christ and salvation.   Employees no longer are required to “understand,” “accept,” or “support” Notre Dame’s Catholic mission. This is a far cry from the hope of Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., that his university would be “the home of innocence and virtue.” It’s high time Catholics break free of Notre Dame’s storied reputation. That reputation was earned decades ago, when the university was a shining example of Catholic education. The luster is gone.   Catholic families should instead entrust their students to Newman Guide Recommended colleges. These colleges provide education that forms students in knowledge, wisdom, and virtue, in the light of our Catholic faith. That’s Catholic mission. Sincerely,

Patrick Reilly Founder and President The Cardinal Newman Society