Notre Dame: A Timeline of Dissent from the Catholic Teaching
Thursday, May 7, 2009 - By Katie Walker
1961 President Kennedy awarded the Laetare Medal. President Kennedy famously declared his Catholic beliefs would not affect his political decisions.
1967 Hosts Land O’Lakes Conference, a landmark conference rejecting Catholic authority in favor of academic autonomy
1976 Pro-abortion politician Walter Mondale is guest speaker (again in 1984)
1984 Pro-abortion New York Gov. Mario Cuomo speaks at commencement
1970-2005 Catholic faculty representation drops almost 40 percent, previously 85 percent in the 1970s and is currently 52 percent
1987 Theology professor Fr. Richard McCormick avows support for in vitro fertilization
1987 Joins Fordham University, Boston College and Georgetown University in promoting condoms in defiance of Church teaching
1988 Rev. Richard P. McBrien, chairman of the theology department, testifies in support of anti-Catholic theology in the name of academic freedom
1992 Graduation ceremonies featured pro-abortion Laetare medalist New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
1995-96 Core Council for Gay and Lesbian Students formed. Council dedicated to "identifying the ongoing needs of gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual students, and assist[ing] in implementing campus-wide educational programming on gay and lesbian issues"
2000 Pro-abortion Sen. Lieberman address campus on "faith and values"
2002-2008 Vagina Monologues performed on campus despite opposition from South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy and Catholic bishops across the country
2004 Queer Film Festival
2006 Commencement speaker President Mary McAleese of Ireland given an honorary degree. An outspoken critic of the Church, President McAleese supports women's ordination
2006 Fr. Richard McBrien argued that it was morally justified to remove Terry Schiavo's feeding tube in contradiction to Catholic teaching on human dignity
2007 Embryonic stem cell research supporter Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan, given an honorary degree
2007 ND Watch, an organization of female Notre Dame faculty, promotes homosexuality
2009 The Notre Dame Progressive Student Alliance, a student organization, leads campaign for "sexual orientation" non-discrimination clause
2009 Prominent financial contributor to the Obama presidential campaign, Nell Jessup Newton appointed dean of Notre Dame School of Law
2009 President Obama invited to give commencement speech and receive an honorary law degree