Obama Notre Dame Address

- Date of event: May 17, 2009
- Location: University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
- Marks the 164th commencement address delivered at the University of Notre DameABC News: The President's Commencement Controversy (March 24, 2009)
- President Obama received an honorary doctor of laws degree during the ceremonyOfficial Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers
- Obama is the ninth U.S. President to be awarded an honorary degree by the University of Notre DameOfficial Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers
- The sixth U.S. President to be a Commencement speakerOfficial Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers
- Notre Dame stood by their invitation to President Obama, saying he is an "inspiring leader"Fox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
- There was some opposition to President Obama's appearance
- Some believe President Obama's stance on stem cell research and pro-choice rights issues made him an inappropriate choice of speaker for a Catholic universityABC News: The President's Commencement Controversy (March 24, 2009)
- Approximately 88,000 people signed an online petition in protestABC News: The President's Commencement Controversy (March 24, 2009)
- Ten of the university's priests urged the Board of Fellows to not allow the commencementChicagoTribune.com: 10 Holy Cross Priests Object to Obama Invitation (April 8, 2009)
- The online petition was created by The Cardinal Newman Society
- The Cardinal Newman Society is an advocacy group for strengthening traditional Catholic values at colleges and universities across the countryFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
- Catholic theologian George Weigel said the invitation would "significantly damage" Notre Dame's reputation in Catholic circlesFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
- University spokesman Dennis Brown says the university did not consider rescinding President Obama's invitationFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
- Brown also said that the university anticipated the criticism over the invitationFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
- Notre Dame's president Rev. John Jenkins said Obama would be honored as an "inspiring leader" at the commencementFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
- Jenkins says the the invitation does not imply that Notre Dame University agrees with President Obama's position on every issueFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)

President Barack Obama was the principal speaker during the University of Notre Dame's 164th University Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 17, 2009.Official Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers Prior to Obama's speech, there was some controversy over his selection as a speaker at the Roman Catholic university due to the President's pro-choice abortion beliefs and support for federal funding of stem cell research, which are in opposition to the Catholic church's official pro-life position.CNN: Obama Faces Stiff Opposition as Notre Dame Speech Approaches (May 14, 2009)
During his address, Obama mentioned the abortion controversy, calling on both sides of the issue to try and find some "common ground" while acknowledging that "at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable."Politico: Barack Obama speaks at Notre Dame...
Protests and Arrests

Protesters lead by former presidential candidate Alan Keyes were arrested on May 15, 2009, when the stepped on to the Notre Dame grounds. The protesters are oppose to the University's decision to award the President with an honorary law degree.FoxNews: Protesters Arrested at Notre Dame (May 15, 2009)
Catholics Polled
A poll conducted by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute surveyed 2,041 registered voters across the United States regarding President Obama's appearance at the University of Notre Dame. The survey was taken April 21-27, 2009 and the margin of error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.Official Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers
- Sixty percent of Catholic voters sampled said "Notre Dame should not rescind its invitation to the president"Official Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers
- 49 percent to 43 percent margin of "observant Catholic voters who attend religious services about once a week" believe "that Notre Dame should keep Obama on the program"Official Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers
- 70 percent to 26 percent margin of Catholics who attend services less frequently believe that Obama should speakOfficial Site: University of Notre Dame 2009 Commencement Speakers
Obama Notre Dame Speech Quotes
I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it—indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory—the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable.Politico: Barack Obama speaks at Notre Dame...
We're not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes.Politico: Barack Obama speaks at Notre Dame...
When we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe, that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.Los Angeles Times: At Notre Dame, Obama tackles abortion debate (May 18, 2009)
Quotes About Obama at Notre Dame
It is an outrage and a scandal that 'Our Lady's University,' one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage.—from the Notre Dame Scandal websiteFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
There is a time when policies need to be reconsidered in light of the fact that the individual invited may have a history of standing in direct opposition to some of the most prominent aspects of our faith -- the biggest case in point is that of the pro-life agenda. The obligation of Notre Dame as a Catholic institution is to follow the directives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who clearly stated in 2004 that Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles.—David Constanzo, communications director for The Cardinal Newman SocietyFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)
President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred. While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact separated science from ethics and has brought the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life.—Bishop John D'ArcyFox News: Critics Black Obama's Scheduled... (March 24, 2009)